Fund 170+ Primary School Children in South Africa

Dear Supporters,

The last three months have had two main focuses, finding a reliable and affordable electrician to meet the requirements of the fire department as well as working towards placement of children in foster home. This is to ensure that Ikhayalethemba Sanctuary remains a temporary place of safety and not a long-term placement.

The last three months have been significant for Ikhayalethemba as it has become independent in its operation and does no longer rely on GVI volunteers to assist in its day to day operations. This means, that it now relies on local staff to educate and assess the children, a big step for Ikhayalethemba which has been working with GVI volunteers since 2009. In addition to becoming independent in its educational facilitation, GVI has been working closely with the Trust to lay out a project plan for the registration process to identify

The funds spent over the last three months have been on the wages for the staff who are looking after the property and the children as well as those who actively work on getting Ikhayalethemba registered with the government. Currently, the sanctuary pays R11,000 per month in wages to cover two security guards, two care takers and one gardener. The reason that the staff has not reduced in coherence with the children is due to the need of 24/7 staff, no matter how many children. This means that you need to have workers on 2 shifts per day.

In addition, the director of Ikhayalethemba sourced an electrician to do the electrical work required to meet the guidelines provided by the fire inspection department. The deposit of R5000 was paid and the remaining R10,000 will be paid upon completion.

Thus, the highlight of the quarter was to see that one of the three children who have lived at Ikhayalethemba have now received placement at a foster home, providing him with the opportunity to have a solid foundation and support in the home. The child has stayed at Mama for over five years, which was always meant to be a temporary place. However, this placement shows that patience does pay off and whilst it is emotional for all parties, it is clear that the welfare of the child remains the most important aspect.

Moving forward, the GVI trust will now focus its effort to raise funds for educational equipment for over six educational institutions. All our partners have positive and inspiring teachers who are creative in their learning approach, which is crucial due to the lack of resources. However, small additional learning tools such as blocks, books and paper have a big impact on the learning outcome for the pupils. 

Thank you so much supporting us!

All the best, 

Cape Town Field Team 

It has been a busy quarter for Ikhayalethemba Village with two main focuses – placement of children with special needs as well preparation for registering the NPO with the government.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, GVI worked closely with Ikhayalethemba and its director to find alternative placement for the residential children who are currently placed at the Home of Hope. The children are originally placed at the sanctuary with the intention of only staying for a short period of time, as a safe place for the children to live and learn whilst social services find a long-term placement for them. This can be a difficult and time-consuming process but with the year coming to an end, the majority of the children have now received long-term placement either with their families or at alternative sustainable facilities who offers the professional care needed.

Having a facility with less children will further provide Ikahyalethmeba Sancturay with the time and resources needed to work on getting their Non-profit organisation registered with the government to receive long-term funding. This is a time-consuming process, but Ikhayalethema are well on their way. During this quarter, the NPO has identified an urban planner to assist them in drawing the plans of the land, documentation which is needed in the registration process. The deposit is paid, and the directors are now waiting on the signed document to be able to continue. In addition to this, all buildings on the property must meet the standards of the fire department. In early December, the fire inspector visited Ikhayalethemba to provide guidance and assistance in identifying potential hazards which is now guiding the work of electricians who are to be contracted.

Finally, GVI has worked closely with the Directors to assist them to sustainably be able to fund their heart-warming initiative. As part of this learning process, GVI assisted in sourcing a web-designer who was willing to donate his time in developing a new, fresh website which can be linked to their Facebook account – a must in fundraising efforts. The draft is up and all that is missing is the text and pictures which are to be placed on the dynamic and informative website which can be reached from all corners of the world and allow the opportunity to anyone to donate to the great cause that Mama Lumka is fighting for at the townships outside of Cape Town.

Whilst there is a long way to go for Ikhayalethemba, we would not be able to provide them with the financial support needed to be able to provide a safe and educational space for the residential children who are still awaiting placement, whilst working with the founders to develop a long-term, sustainable and independent funding strategy. With this in mind, I would like to thank all of you who have donated to this cause and who continue to support the incredible work of the wheelbarrow lady.

Yours Sincerely,

Ikhayalethemba