The story I am sharing with you today is one of hope. It is a story of a world united that has reminded me of why we, as Lions, do what we do – and to remind you of the difference you make simply by being a part of this incredible organization.
I was in awe of humanity at a time when the rest of the world was questioning humanity.
To set the stage, COVID-19 hit our country—South Africa—along with the rest of the world, like a slap in the face. By July 2021, we faced unprecedented unemployment rates and poverty lines as we worked around lockdown regulations, restrictions and limitations. We had a new president in place, and our nation was at a stage of civil unrest reminiscent of the days we thought were behind us.
The political unrest at that time was undoubtedly the last straw on the camel’s back. Along with rampant racism in many of our communities, misinformation through social media, and poverty reaching levels of desperation, the sea of unrest we were swimming in resulted in a wave of violent protests, destruction and ultimately, more than 300 deaths.
R16 billion (US$1 billion) was lost just to damages and destruction of property – institutions, factories, stores and homes. People in all vocations were housebound, afraid or unable to get basic necessities, let alone get to work. It felt like South Africa was on the operating table – haemorrhaging – and there wasn’t a donor in site. It may not have been the case, but in those moments of darkness (quite literally as we also battled power outages), our people felt this loss as such.
The malls that remained standing after the lootings and fires had to shut down. All forms of transports were limited if not altogether closed. This included our ports in Richards Bay, our main highways and our railways. Food shortages were at their worst because of suspended operations with our suppliers and the inability for them to transport what stock was available.
Factories were at risk of destruction and chose to shutdown. When there was a loaf of bread available, the cost suddenly doubled. Our healthcare system – already inundated and suffocating because of COVID-19 – became unbearable. Not only could vital equipment and personal protective equipment not be delivered, but healthcare workers were unable to get to work.
Here’s where the hope comes in. Enter Lions International. The District Global Action Team assigned senior Lions in the affected areas to coordinate the humanitarian relief efforts in the form of the Riot Relief Project. Donations, volunteers and funding arrived from all over the world, in every shape and form. Initially, it was the Lions clubs from all over South Africa that pulled together, and with military precision, alleviation was provided to countless people in need.
In an ever-changing world where it seems that compassion, generosity and kindness for our fellow man are a rarity, as an organization, we found ways to come together, pool resources and overcome every obstacle we encountered. We manoeuvred around transportation restrictions through our networks of incredible Lions and their families who chose to spend hours, even days of their time, putting essential food parcels together for families in need, creating lunch packs for kids and spending time with those who were isolated.
We collected baby food and cereal to ensure that we reached every demographic we could. The countless lives we managed to impact through Lions International is unquantifiable. Witnessing the relief on the faces of parents who could eat together with their kids instead of another night of sacrifice is something I cannot begin to describe. Together, we managed to feed at least 100,000 families.
Word began to spread and news of our riot relief initiatives reached global levels. We received donations beyond our wildest expectations. It would be a disservice if I didn’t mention the magnanimous R67,000 (US $6,000) joint donation we received from the Blacktown Ponds Lions Club in Australia and ICASA, and for this I would also like to credit Lion Nagalen Moodley from that Lions club, an expat from Durban now living in Australia.
We managed to reach families across Durban, and we not only connected with them, but with each other. It was so easy for us to get lost in hopelessness, and there were moments when we did. But this Lions community that we created always highlighted the silver lining. We found laughter and joy as we spent time together doing what would otherwise have been tedious tasks of packaging and distribution.
We worked together, leaned on one another’s strengths to complement our shortfalls, and let nothing stop us from seeing the Riot Relief Project through. We found enough support within each other to enable us to support others. It was the most heart-warming experience ever, and one that I will cherish for lifetimes to come. To witness communities of every different race, language, age and gender find unity in their mission to bring relief to others was truly amazing. I was in awe of humanity at a time when the rest of the world was questioning humanity.
So this is a story of hope. One in which national obstacles were overcome simply by people coming together. People were going out of their way like never before – with smiles on their faces. Where our community willingly worked to make the lives of others just a little bit better.
Lions International has made it possible—not just to impact the lives of those less privileged, but each other’s, and by extension, our own. It is an organization that drives us to focus on positivity and hope and one that I am proud to be a part of. I encourage you to join us.
Lion Perry Chetty is a regional chairperson of District 410-E in the Republic of South Africa, and the president of his club, the Lions Club Durban East Coast. He is also the incoming second vice district governor for District 410-E.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted communities around the world in different ways. To ensure we’re serving safely wherever we live, Lions should follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization or local health authorities. Visit our Serving Safely page for resources that can help you safely serve your community.
