About The SOSA Medical Project
Our Timeline
SOSA is a registered not for profit organisation and authorised to issue section 18A tax certificates for donations. It was established to offer assistance to our hundreds of elderly (over 60’s) who live outside of communal care facilities.
Our SOSA Medical project launched in 2020 is assisting numerous needy individuals throughout the community to cover the premium of a basic Medical Aid Hospital Plan. Many are elderly living outside of communal care facilities.
Our assistance extends beyond this:
- We’ve taken a holistic approach and assess each case for how best we can assist.
- In order to best assist each case, we work with a number of medical aid companies and hospital plans and don’t limit ourselves to just one hospital plan or medical aid.
- Many of the cases we assist are not straight forward cases and often involve much higher premiums
- Where there are no funds or cover available, we often assist with arranging consultations with doctors, specialists and medical service providers (X-rays, sonars, etc.).
- We’ve also been in involved in helping raise large sums of money for special cases needing immediate treatment or urgent surgery.
- We have our unique kosher food assistance programme for patients admitted to Public Hospitals which helps to ensure decent meals and we often assist during this trying time by buying them airtime, sending Ubers and obtaining their medication.
- Many times just being a sounding board and offering advice drawing from our combined experience can assist the many desperate individuals that reach out to us.
- During our overseas fundraising efforts we have been positively encouraged by the warm support from expats living abroad to come forward and assist our projects back here, leveraging on the very favourable exchange rates.
We need to urgently raise another two million rand to help an additional one hundred individuals with a basic Hospital Plan. There are still so many hundreds of Jews without any medical aid hospital cover whatsoever and we have many on our waiting list anxiously hoping for assistance.
The Public Hospital system is plagued with problems such a waiting years for operations, frequent equipment breakdowns, shortages and unsanitary conditions. This in turn can naturally cause much anxiety and have significant negative effects on their health and recovery.
Rabbi Shaun Wingrin was inspired to make a connection with a group of about sixty Jewish over 60’s, living in a private retirement home in Melrose. This culminated in him arranging a special Jewish talk (shiur) for them, about that years Sinai Indaba (a project of Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein).
July: This connection was fostered by joining them on Friday nights to say kiddush and share a thought on the weekly parshah (Torah portion).
Personalised friendship gifts project launched to deliver mishloach manot on Purim day to some 70 recipients, strengthening the connection of these over 60's to the Jewish Holiday.
24/7 Call for Help panic button service introduced, after the fall of a senior citizen on Shabbos.
November: Shabbos Project arranged for 70 Jewish residents in Melrose Retirement Home.
Introduced a manually operated Shabbos Transfer to transport those unable to easily walk to and from Shul, dubbed The Yellow Rolls Royce, after receiving permission from the Beth Din of Johannesburg to use it for this purpose only.
Arranged Chanukah candle lightings and Purim Megillah readings in private retirement homes {include hyperlink to - annual Berea lighting (highest indoor ... private dwelling}
Large print publications transliterated (Hebrew words written with English letters) in havarat sfaradit for example the Megillat Esther and a Chanukah lighting card.
Registration of SOS for the Aged Non Profit Company (S.O.S.A.), formerly Shiur on Sallys Alley and PBO status to issue section 18A tax certificates for SARS tax rebates (2018)
Personalised friendship gifts project grows to over one thousand recipients, involving many Jewish schools and their learners in packing and delivery of the gifts for Purim day, Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah.
The urgent need for medical support of the financially needy, especially the over 60’s identified and SOSA Medical Project created through a partnership between Rabbi Ari Hoppensten and S.O.S.A.
SOSA Medical responds with assistance to urgent plea for support for private hospitalisation for late Kyle Onay (Akiva ben Pinchas Chaim a"h).
Akiva Fund setup to donate in his memory to assist with costs of hospital plans.
December: Close to thirty people previously without, now with hospital plans through the SOSA Medical Project.
SOSA Medical Project cases for basic medical aid hospital plan assistance and more, tops one hundred.
The project matures to assist in related areas.
Our offices relocate to Highlands North.
A group of volunteers sets up SOSA Meal Co-ordination Programme offering meals at short notice and catering to patients specific dietary requirements. Collaboration is setup, as far as possible, with existing organisations, to avoid any duplication of services.
SOSA Medical Project cases for medical aid hospital plan assistance and more, tops two hundred individuals with many waiting for assistance.