Raising funds for African preaching in South Africa!
WUSA - Wake up South Africa
Wake up South Africa (WuSA) is a newly established initiative by African devotees explicitly focused on African preaching in university settings. The active non-profit, recognized as an ISKCON affiliate for creative initiatives, is dedicated to sharing the principles of Bhakti Yoga to benefit society through five main objectives: mantra meditation, timeless knowledge, ethical leadership, Vedic lifestyle, and positive recreation.
WuSA Projects include kirtan parties and prasadam, education, training, and cultural exchange programs, including arts and crafts, podcasting, and even an “open mic” poetry circuit. The project aims to share Krishna Consciousness creatively with the larger population outside the standard restraints and expressions of traditional Hindu culture.
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ISKCON Klerksdorp - Food for the Soul
In October 2023, the establishment of ISKCON Klerksdorp in the North West province of South Africa marked a significant milestone for the movement. Formerly managed by the Klerksdorp Hindu Samaj, the temple transitioned into ISKCON’s care, heralding a new chapter of spiritual service in the region. Less than a year later, the temple’s leadership initiated a feeding program that has already begun to touch hundreds of lives across the community.
The program, which started in 2024, focuses on distributing prasadam, sanctified vegetarian food, as a means of nourishing not just the body but also the spirit. Led by temple management team member and resident preacher Narottama Das, the effort builds on ISKCON’s tradition of using prasadam distribution to foster connection and inspire spiritual inquiry.
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BYS - Bhakti Yoga Society
The Bhakti Yoga Society (BYS) operates on campuses at some of the most prestigious universities in South Africa. The BYS through dynamic programs focuses on helping students tackle the typical problems and obstacles they are confronted with, and attempts to develop the spiritual character of the members by introducing many new concepts which include reincarnation, karma, sense control and practical yoga. Using the ancient Vedic scriptures as a reference point, the society attempts to establish a spiritual foundation for interested students. The Vedic texts emphasize the differences between the body and the soul, and this is the focal point behind all the societies’ meetings, workshops and activities.
Many students confess how they had initially been very skeptical, yet how they had evolved had now become so much more satisfied in their lives by engaging in this all-inspiring mantra meditation. Other students showed great appreciation for the Bhagavad-Gita As it is, and explained how its transcendental words had changed their lives. Programs includes, yoga workshops like the one depicted below, guest talks but spiritual luminaries, and kirtan festivals.
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Soweto Ratha Yatra
In 2007, ISKCON Soweto made history by hosting its first Rathayatra Festival, a large-scale spectacle that invited the local community to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath through the streets, a tradition rooted in the ancient world. “The first festival was small, but it was the start of something transformative. Kadamba Kanana Swami was there from the very beginning, supporting us with his presence and his love for kirtan,” Mahaprabhu shared.
Kadamba Kanana Swami’s influence on the festival is undeniable. He played a pivotal role in its establishment and continued to be a source of inspiration for both organizers and participants. Known for his deep devotion and musical talents, his presence infused the Rathayatra with an infectious energy. Even after his passing, his legacy continues through The Kadamba Foundation, which assists the ISKCON Soweto RYF fundraising effort through the sale of his books and musical recordings. “His memory is alive every time we pull the chariot. He taught us that kirtan is the heartbeat of the festival,”