The last Friday in May is always International Tekkie Tax Day. The day when South Africa stands together to show where their hearts lie.
Tekkie Tax is a project OWNED by welfare organizations, MANAGED by welfare organizations for the BENEFIT of welfare organizations.
B = Bring Hope
C = Children
D = Disability
E = Education.
The 2020 participating National Welfare Organisations are:
Animals:
Various SPCA Societies and numerous other animal protection organisations
Bring Hope:
SAVF
Families SA
Lifeline SA
Children:
Various Child Welfare and Child Protection Organisations
Disability:
Epilepsy SA
Down Syndrome SA
Education:
CANSA
You help GROW the Tekkie Tax Project by Supporting us through buying the Tekkie Tax Merchandise and telling others about us - Make the Circle Bigger!!!
2020 Merchandise
“One for All & All for One” sticker
5 sector badges mounted on a backing card
(Animals, Bring Hope, Children, Disability & Education)
Tekkie Tax branded shoelaces
Funky branded t-shirts for adults & children
Our Story - Epilepsy SA (Free State and North West Branch in Parys)
Epilepsy SA opened a branch in Parys in 1984 running a Residential Care Centre for persons with epilepsy.
Over the years, treatment for epilepsy has advance and the need for a specialized facility decreased so we opened up to all persons with disabilities.
The name Epilepsy SA is now a misnomer for us as we care for persons with epilepsy, mild to profound intellectual disability, people with disability since birth such as down syndrome, people with speech impairments, physically disabled, wheelchair users, and psychiatric disabilities such as schizophrenia. In 2019 we were registered by the Department of Health as a Mental Health Facility.
In 2003 the focus changed from only providing a residential care centre to a community development organization.
This community development focus was a shift to bring about transformation of our services from residential care to making a greater impact through working in communities on projects such as food gardens and training people in economic development.
In 2009 we expanded our community services to include Primary Health Care, focusing on HIV/AIDS, TB and Home-Based Care. We have now stopped Home Based Care but still run a project funded by SASOL on TB and HIV/AIDS.
We are an independent non-profit organization with our own Board of Management and responsible for all our own funds and fundraising. We are affiliated to Epilepsy SA, and work within the national organisation’s guidelines and policies.
We are unique in that we provide 24 hour medical and residential care services to adults with various disabilities in the Northern Free State. We also have a community development team that reach out into the rural areas providing support and education to people with disabilities.
Other programmes include public awareness and training, HIV/AIDS Education to people with disabilities, a volunteer programme, protected workshops and two stimulation centres. Our office in the North West Province focuses on education and advocacy work and is situated in Vryburg.
Epilepsy SA – Free State & North West Branch works towards the best treatment and care for people with epilepsy and/or other disabilities. Although Epilepsy is our main focus area, being situated in a rural environment means that we give attention to people with other disabilities as there are limited service providers in the region.
Our goals are: To create opportunities for people with epilepsy and/or other disabilities by providing accessible developmental services to ensure that they are integrated into society, enjoying equal opportunities with the necessary support and care. To formulate and implement internal policy and programmes relating to all matters of epilepsy, incorporating the participation of people with and effected by epilepsy and/or other disabilities; To positively influence provincial and local policy and legislation impacting on the lives of people with epilepsy and/or other disabilities; To develop and implement good governance practices in the Branch. We were also one of the founding members of the Disability Info Line established in the Free State. The only province to offer such a service.
The branch office and residential care centre is situated in Parys and our satellite office is in Vryburg, in the North West Province. Our branch is registered as a Non Profit Organisation in terms of The Nonprofit Organisations Act 71 of 1997 (Registration no 003-970) and as Approved Public Benefit Organisation (Registration no 930002261) in terms of Section 10(1) & Section 18A of the Income Tax Act no. 58 of 1962.
