Gender Equality South Africa Project #38463

Empowering Girls and Women as Mothers

by Keep The Dream196

Project Report | Feb 14, 2024
Keep The Dream196 DREAMS for 2024!

By Louise and the Dream Team | Director

Thank you so much for travelling on this journey with us, your support enables us to do so much more than otherwise would be possible!

On the 17^th January 2024 I explained I would be sharing our dreams for 2024 a bit later. Well here we go!

We will open 5 Meerkat Dens (that is a new program which we had to wait for funding) for the kids aged 5-7yrs. It will help them get school ready, also assist with basic learning skills. The motivation for this project is human trafficking and poor education outcomes.

Recently 100kids have been found, aged between a few months and 10yrs, at the Mozambiquean Border, many of these kids were to young to know their names, where they were from, what their parents phone numbers or addresses are.

Through Meerkat’s we are hoping to develop a circle of support around our younger kids and prevent them becoming just displaced or lost numbers in a system. It is so tragic. Some parents actually have sold their children to traffickers, others have been tricked by promises of a great education and great life by a philanthropic relative or “friend” of a friend. Others, just stolen.

Increase the number of Cub Packs and Scout Troup’s by 25% this year. This will also form part of the circle of support for all kids. This will increase our numbers by approximately 25% as well. Covid hit us, hard! We are struggling to come back to pre Covid levels but we will exceed these this year.

We are also going to increase our number of Rovers (18-30yrs age), by 50%. We rely on the support of the Rovers at camp and at district events where the kids learn new skills, meet new friends, have plenty of fun as they continue on their leadership develop walk.

We will be hosting 2 colour runs in the different districts where we function, prior to that will training on Child Participation and Children’s Rights for the community and people who attend.

We will be going to camp and training the Scouts on the Spider Tool, a management, monitoring and evaluation tool which we use to empower the children as part of our Child Participation focus for the next 5yrs.

We will be training our new adult leadership in skills required to run a successful den, pack, and troop and move them along their journey of providing exciting and developmental programs to the children.

We are also going to target 25 new Self Help Groups, and at least one new Cluster Level Association Group (this group mobilizes support for community based issues such as crime prevention, service delivery defaulting by government ie water, sewerage and electricity particularly.

We will continue with our Journey of Life Training in 2024, we have funded from an institutional donor to train 340 parents in 2024, this is so exciting because we are starting to get interest from the fathers in the community, so this training will target those fathers, word will spread and hopefully it will continue.

We will also continue our work with the teachers and induna’s (village leaders) to assist them to provide a safe environment at school and in the communities for the children we serve. During this process the children will also have an active voice about issues which are directly affecting them!

As you can see, it is a busy program for 2024. There are other projects we wish to instigate as well however; we will have to pace ourselves and our resources.

Thank you so much for the support we do receive from you. You make our wheels turn. We are able to do these activities because of you!

If you would like to get involved more, I will be sending out requests for once off donations to a particular activity. Once that activity is funded then I will be able to give feedback on its success.

Your support is vital to our success in providing a safety net for our kids.

Thank you so much for allowing Keep The Dream196 to DREAM!

Blessings

Louise

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Feb 7, 2024
Training new leaders to increase our Footprint!

By Louise and the Dream Team | Director

Participants on the Training Course funded by YOU!

Whew what a full on week followed by a hectic weekend where KTD196 had the privilege of training 24 new Adult Leaders and introducing them to our Children’s Program (Scouts). We also had 4 staff from 2 different organizations attend, one a school in Steelport and the other a Children’s Program based in Lebowakgomo, please check the map below to see where we are now working.

On Monday afternoon after the training finished on Sunday, I received photos from Steelport that they had already started. Many of the participants in the training are from our Self Help Groups, they will be returning to their villages to start the program and bring real change to their communities. It is wonderful to see.

It is so exciting. We are reaching more people because of your support. All of the participants could not pay for the cost of the training, the manuals, catering, accommodation, transport etc and that is where you came in. Your support enabled us to provide top quality training to people that otherwise could not afford to come.

On the GlobalGiving site, I have put up that it costs us R1,500 to help 50 kids to go to camp, that is the same cost for 25 adults to attend a 3day intensive training due to resources required. We now have to start planning for a 5day Warrant training with these participants and 5day skills camp. The cost goes up to $2,000. Please if you would like to assist us add a not to the donation saying “Training Adults” and I will know how to allocate the gift.

We are changing the face of families and communities together.

I appreciate your support and ongoing commitment to Keep The Dream196 and the children, women and families we serve.

Blessings

Louise

New Skills being learnt

The End Result!

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Jan 31, 2024
Education, the key to a clever South Africa!

By Louise and the Dream Team | Director

Ntshovelo

Last week I shared about our 100% pass rate with over 90% gaining Bachelor level entry to University and one with Diploma level entry to further education. Wonderfully and also sadly, they have all gone to find placement in Gauteng Universities and left the province. We wish them luck with their adventures, finding University placement is just the start, they then have to register for their classes, access their texts, find accommodation, relocate provinces, and orientate themselves to a new way of life. Not for the faint hearted.

I want you to appreciate the enormous challenges that these children/young adults have overcome to take their place at university. Only 55% of those who registered with the Department of Education in 2008 actually sat Matriculation. An attrition rate of almost 45%.

To pass Matric you have to score above 30%, that is the pass mark and 20.02% failed to achieve that score! So in fact the failure rate is not 20.02% but much higher given how many children fail to enter their matriculation year.

So once they run the gamut of 15yrs at government school, overcoming poorly resourced schools of which some are literally falling down around them, schools that may or may not have electricity (never mind computers), schools whose toilets are decaying pit latrines, no water, no library’s etc. You get the picture! And then the Teachers who are indifferent due to being beaten down by the system, desks that usually sit one child now have 2-3 at each table, just to name just a few obstacles, now they have finally made it and are facing a whole lot of new challenges associated with leaving home and going over 300kms away from their support structure and family!

As you can see, not for the faint hearted.

So you as supporters of these young people can be very proud of their achievements. This was made possible through your support. The skills we have been able to impart to them has had a direct impact on their achievements so far and they have you to thank!

Be PROUD, we are!

Blessings

Louise

My name is Ntshovelo, and I'm a scout from 1st Sasekani. I joined scouts in 2014, starting as a cub, and in 2019, I became a scout. I come to scouts because it is a place where I grew up from since I was 7 years old. It has also helped me make new friends and become a good person.

Additionally, it has helped me develop self-confidence, learn life skills, and develop a desire to make the world a better place. Scouts has also helped me develop excellent leadership skills and achieve my full potential.

Before joining scouts, I was just a normal person, but maybe it's because I joined scouts at a young age and lived by their rules that it has changed me to be a better person today.

When I leave school, I want to become a cardiologist and help people suffering from heart disease and any other heart-related illnesses. I have had to watch my granny struggle for years with a heart problem and I want to help others so they dont have to feel so helpless.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported KTD196. We are incredibly grateful for your support and commitment through KTD196. Your patronage motivates us to keep improving. Thank you for being a part of us, as without you, we wouldn't be where we are today.

Love Ntshovelo

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