This piece is one that brings joy to me and makes me grateful for the platform that the Cape Creative Collective presents. I recently had a sit-down with an organisation I believe to be very deserving of recognition, Sun Raise. I went into it with my own understanding of what they were and were offering, and came out the other end having expanded, joined by Lois, Andrea(Founders) and David(Fund recipient). Sun Raise first came onto my radar when they popped up on my Instagram earlier this year. After reading their mission statement and seeing them put together fundraising events, I thought I should reach out to them to write a piece to showcase the incredible work they are doing.

Initially, the organisation started because Lois, as a student and musician(member of Operation Khataza), was struggling to pay off her student fees. After seeing this, fellow creative Andrea decided to step in to help a friend in need with a fundraising initiative. This led them to cogitate on how many others were in the same position as Lois. Coincidentally, this was at a time in the country where students were facing issues either with their accommodation or academic fees(once again). In the ongoing process of raising funds for Lois’ fees, it became evident that there was a need for something greater than an individual, and this is what opened my eyes to what Sun Raise’s mission truly was.

Sun Raise touches on a problem faced by those coming from an underprivileged background trying to find a better way to get out and improve themselves, which most often than not is through education, but that comes with its own obstacles. If you don’t have the privilege of attending a school that has the amenities to help nurture a want for knowledge, you end up on a predictable path. You go to your local school in your area, you go through primary school, you get to high school, and there’s a possibility you don’t even finish. Along the way get mixed up in the wrong environment, leading to you not fulfilling your potential. Even for those who do finish with the required marks for university acceptance, there’s the problem of lack of funding to get into tertiary institutions.

Sun Raise has tried to do their bit to show that philanthropy is still valuable through their collaborations with artists, collectives, restaurateurs and broadcasters hosting fundraising activations across the city. A recent example being their launch at the Bree Street Experiment in collaboration with Young Urbanists, Clarke’s Bar and Dining, and That’s Not Funny and Slam City along with Verve Magazine who were kind enough to be media coverage for the day. Another successful activation, “Move With Intent” hosted at One Park, brought together live music, DJ sets and poetry together with North North Social Club. They continue to throw pop-up activations at various events to spread awareness of the challenges faced by young people in tertiary education.

David, being of that background (The fund has managed to help pay off his fees of R9,902.42, and now he’ll be graduating in September) and encountering the same issues as Lois, has benefitted from the work done by Sun Raise. The work doesn’t just stop there though, there is still the matter of what happens after the fundraising is successful. This is made worse by the condition young people in South Africa find themselves in, where unemployment is at an all-time high. We’re faced with a wider social issue that is very prevalent in this city. Cape Town with all its tourist attractions, seems to have forgotten about the people in their own background. 

I’m glad to be able to put a spotlight on people trying to create a community of helping out each other, if you’d like to contribute towards their cause you can attend their activations they put on and help with donation drives where people can donate toiletries, sanitary products and non-pershable goods. You can also visit their website to help support the cause.