Amelia Aftercare Centre: The shocking reality after the 60% subsidy cut

“At this point our first priority is to work hard to survive and maintain the current functioning of the organisation for as long as possible with the help of other organisations and community members.”

Image: Amelia Aftercare Centre

One of the most shocking announcements for Amelia Aftercare Centre came a few weeks ago when the Department of Social Development announced that they will be cutting this centre’s subsidy by an astonishing 60% - that is an estimate of R180 000 per month that this facility won't be seeing. Those funds could have gone towards salaries, stimulation workshops, and accommodation for its residents. Now, management is under severe pressure to keep the doors open.

We spoke to Nadine Venter (Head Instructor) and Anastashia Coetzee (Social Worker) at Amelia Aftercare Centre to find out just how negatively this cut has impacted the centre. 

“It has become extremely challenging for our team to continue providing the services and accommodation that our residents need. The costs to accommodate, feed and give stimulation in our workshops to each one of the disabled residents far exceed the current income that we are receiving, and we are now forced to devote all our energies towards raising additional funds.”

A ripple effect

The centre currently cares for 48 residents whose families are unable to pay for the care they need. This means that the cost of these 48 residents have to be covered by Amelia Aftercare Centre. The subsidy cut has also forced the centre to increase their monthly co-payments, and as Nadine mentioned “it affects those families’ financial state and it is therefore clear that this is causing a ripple effect”. This sudden cut not only affects the residents, but the staff as well. Their current vacancies cannot be filled at this stage, as they won’t be able to provide the correct candidate with a salary - which leaves them with one less pair of hands to assist. 

Expenses keep piling up

With Amelia Aftercare Centre being such a unique facility, there are certain expenditures that other facilities don’t have to worry about covering, such as maintaining stimulation workshops. The ‘usual’ costs also need to be covered - providing care and accommodation for residents, food, electricity, buying materials, and of course, paying salaries. Since the cut, the above mentioned and how it’s going to be covered, has been a big worry.

The community has already stepped up and assisted the centre by donating food and making financial contributions, which is greatly appreciated. Earlier fundraising events were successful, and they are already preparing for the next one - the Asambo Golf Day on the 24th of October. But resources are thinning out and the team is already at capacity with regards to their annual fundraising events, which adds another level of stress to the situation. 

Image: The Go-To Guy Creations

All risk, no reward

Residents of Amelia Aftercare Centre require a lot of specialised caretaking, and the need for these certain caregivers is huge. As mentioned earlier, current vacancies cannot be filled due to the subsidy cut, which in turn has led to current staff needing to work beyond their capacity. At this moment, the centre relies heavily on parents and caregivers of the residents to provide additional support “and luckily some of them are willing to step in”.

As it stands, they are facing the risk of having to close certain houses on the premises, which will force them to divide residents into other homes or submit applications for them to receive alternative care. Nadine further explained that this on its own has been challenging "as several of the alternative care centres also face the challenge of subsidy cuts.” Aftercare facilities are bleeding from the neck, and the Department of Social Development is holding the knife. 

Our community cares

This is where the community can step in and make a difference, as establishments like these are completely dependent on community members and local businesses - whether it be with financial assistance or donations of any sort; without community support “we won’t be able to go forward.” And if you genuinely can’t give anything, pray for the centre. The management team is very proactive and have already set up a Backabuddy Campaign to assist in reaching their financial goals. Apart from the Backabuddy campaign, they have launched an advertising campaign where businesses, big or small, have the opportunity to purchase a sign that will be on display on the gates of the centre - it’s all about exposure.  

A very successful 'mini Aardklop'

The 15th of August saw Amelia Aftercare Centre host a very successful Biltong Festival. With performances from Dozi and Jakkie Louw, it was a night to remember. Some festival goers even called it a ‘mini Aardklop’ - which in itself is a huge compliment. They sold an astounding 60 tables, which led to more than 600 people attending this lively festival - a triumphant feat for the centre! A staggering amount of R300 000 was raised by this festival alone, but the sad, shocking reality is that this amount will suffice for only two weeks before the well is dried up again. However, the team is already gearing up for the next fundraising event on the 24th of October. They urge the community to get involved in this golf day, as all proceeds will go towards the centre and help fill some gaping holes in the bank account. 

Image: The Biltong Festival on 15 August 2025

Dreams and aspirations

Despite the difficult challenges that Amelia Aftercare Centre is facing, they have dreams and aspirations which they won’t lose sight of any time soon. “Our vision remains to be a public benefit organisation.” The heart of this facility is not profit, but rather “to care for adults with intellectual disabilities, who are in need of housing, training and social and healthcare on a daily basis by providing residential facilities, healthcare services, protected workshops, in-service training for development, suitable sports facilities, suitable social facilities and cooperate with other organisations.”

Ultimately, Amelia would like to get to a point where they can function completely independently and possibly even in private capacity. “We also need to prioritise establishing permanent funding plans and will continue to put in the work to make this possible. Our hearts are for our residents, and we will do everything that we possibly can to still provide a home for them.”

It’s during times like these that the residents of Potchefstroom have shown, time and time again, exactly what they are capable of. This is a plea to open your hearts yet again, and help those most vulnerable amongst us - whether it be a financial contribution, food, or any other donation; anything and everything is welcome. 

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Johané van Dyk - Potchefstroom

StroomStories with Werner Nel

In case you missed it, click on the image below to watch the episode where Pieter spoke with Werner Nel from Amelia Aftercare Centre.