A brief history of restitution at Jubilee

Jubilee Community Church has a history of being involved in restitution in various ways. When Ron Sider, the author of “Rich Christians in an age of hunger”, visited us in the early 1990s, we responded to his challenge by setting up a restitution fund. This saw funds directed into various projects in the townships. When we realised the need for a building for the Uzuko Lwakhe church plant in Khayelitsha, a conscious decision was taken to raise the funds needed for this task before we would purchase a centre for Jubilee. Our involvement with the Tambo Square squatter settlement led to a significant role in the relocation of people from shacks to the new housing development at Tambo Village. While participating in sit-ins and toyi-toying along with the Tambo Square community, Angela Kemm and others from Jubilee gathered funds for this massive task. Over the years members of the Jubilee family have been involved in purchasing houses on behalf of others and giving cars away. Others have been involved in selling property or relinquishing lucrative employment in order to be able to give their resources and time to empowering others who have been disadvantaged by the historically unjust structures in our country. Some have been involved in fighting for land for squatters in the Noordhoek area – a campaign that has borne fruit in the Masiphumelele housing development. Recently a team from Jubilee erected a house there in association with the “Habitat for Humanity” programme. We also have the joy of running numerous Jubilee based ministries which help train and empower people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The list could go on and on…

Purpose

The Education Fund has been set up with the purpose of raising funds for disadvantaged South Africans in order to help redress past injustices in our country .

Scope

Since the Education Fund has a specific purpose it does have a limited scope. Recipients of the fund need to be South Africans from previously disadvantaged communities. The reason for limiting the scope of the fund to South Africans is that the fund is seeking to redress past injustices in South Africa, hence, its specific application. Because Jubilee has a number of ministries working with the poor in various ways it was felt necessary to target the scope of this fund to helping previously disadvantaged South Africans obtain education and training.

The only way?

From the outset of the establishment of the Education Fund we were very aware that this fund wouldn't represent the only means of restitution within Jubilee let alone the country. We wholeheartedly support private acts of restitution, other forms of restitution within Jubilee as well as government led initiatives. The Education Fund is in no way trying to set itself up in opposition to the above mentioned acts but rather to complement them.

Practical Information

If you would like to contribute to the education fund, you can deposit directly into the following account. (Details of our bank account, etc. follow here.)

Bank: Standard Bank
Branch: Kromboom
Branch Code: 02-6209-19
Account Name: Jubilee Designated Funds
Account Number: 07-290-374-0

or, alternatively, you can put your contribution into an envelope marked "Education Fund" and put it into the offering at any Sunday meeting.

Stephen van Rhyn and Dave Adams
On Behalf of the Elders