Gender Equality South Africa Project #38463

Empowering Girls and Women as Mothers

by Keep The Dream196

Project Report | Oct 26, 2020
How you have help, through your support of KTD196

By Louise | Managing Director

Epap makes our kids able to resist Covid Infection

Thank you to all our new supporters and friends and a great thank you to all those who are supporting us on a monthly basis and those who have given in the past. You make our work possible. I am truly grateful.

Now that we are leaving October and entering into November, it is hard to describe fully what this year has been like for Keep The Dream 196, our program participants, staff, and the communities as a whole. We realize that the COVID pandemic took everyone by storm and we pray that you and your family are doing well and staying safe.

As I reflect upon all of the changes we have had to embrace (i.e., social distancing, face masks, quarantine, curfews, and school shutdowns) since March, we cannot help but reflect on all of the great things we have been able to do with your assistance. Over the last few months, we have focused heavily on our food parcels and the Food 4 Life program through which we have been able to provide over 1,000 meals to children and their families throughout the Limpopo, South African region.

I must confess I have been brought to tears many times this year, the goodness of those who have supported us continuously, or even those who have given just the once when they heard about what we are facing. The frustration over government corruption and the way the poorest of the poor have once again been marginalised. Tears of anger over the way people have been treated and left by inadequate, heartless government officials. Tears of relief, where nearly every day I would open up our GlobalGiving page and see a new donation, which meant more food for those without. Tears of joy and the rain, knowing that food relief was coming. 2020 has been one heck of a ride!

I must say I am looking forward and praying that 2021 is far more "Normal" than this year ever was!

During this time, KTD196 has had two objectives: food security (to improve health and nutritional meal to hungry children and their families), and education (to improve school children’s attentiveness and performance in school). Our emphasis has been on improving the nutritional status of learners to reduce hunger and alleviate the effect of malnutrition on their learning capacity.

We have, through the provision of highly nutritious food, been able to achieve the second objective despite schools limping into the end of year exams. Because of you, we have been able to fulfil the following objectives that have impacted hundreds of young people and their families:

1. Feeding: to provide nutritious meals to learners and their families

2. Nutrition education: to promote nutritional knowledge and healthy food choices

3. Food gardens: to improve food production knowledge and skills, natural resource protection, provision of healthy meals in a sustainable and replicatable manner.

4. Providing highly nutritious Epap to children to prevent stunting and malnutrition

With the rains we have had some relief. Mopani worms (a form of caterpillar) which is a delicacy has now freely available as are locusts and wild morogo (spinach). These sources of natural protein is easing the burden for families as crops are now growing very well.

Personally, I have tried Mopani worms. I have tried them dried, stewed, fried, even chocolate coated and still can’t stomach them but I guess that is what happens when an Australian tries African cuisine! I have added a picture of the Mopani worms sold in our local supermarket, it is such a novel concept to me, is it to you as well?

If anyone is in the neighbourhood and would like to drop in, we have a leadership camp happening Dec 1-10th, where I am sure you will be able to try Mopani worms, chickens feet, tripe, morogo and locusts. The offer is open. Please book if you are going to come +27732742080!

Anyway, stay safe until next time

Thank you once again

Louise

Morogo - wild spinach

Mopani Worms for sale at the local shops!

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Oct 22, 2020
Reporting back on the Food Parcel Project!

By Fred Hoffman | Chairman of KTD196

Learning about Food4Life. I LOVE this photo!

As Chairman of the Board of KTD196 I am very proud and humbled by what Louise and her team have been able to achieve through your support! I just wanted to write and let you know that we at the Keep the Dream196 are beyond grateful for your support through the difficult circumstances we have faced this year.

You have been an important part of our cause and your constant expression of your backing and encouragement made it possible for us to persevere during these extraordinary times. It is our wish that you are in good spirits and your family are safe and comfortable.

The COVID-19 pandemic has without a doubt made our work much more difficult.

All the sudden changes in our day to day lives have made the conduct of our services to be severely affected. Social distancing, curfews, the wearing of masks, and the shutdown of schools since March of this year has made profound adjustments in how we do our work. Our mission of providing life saving food parcels to the vulnerable communities of Limpopo has never been so important. Due to this global health crisis we are experiencing there has been a sharp increase of people needing our help.

Over the past few months almost all of our energy and resources were focused on our food parcel and Food 4 Life programs through which we have been able to provide over a thousand meals to the children and families of the poor communities throughout the Limpopo region. As you can see, even with the onset of the pandemic we have continued to provide our essential services. It is because of the support of you, our donors and partners, that we have been able to even accomplish more than what we expected during the past months under the pandemic.

Through your support and the collective efforts of everyone involved in Keep the Dream196 we have been able to accomplish the following foundational objectives:

Provide food parcels to the poorest of the poor in our program
Prevent stunting in the children we serve through the provision of Food Parcels, Food 4 Life initiatives and Epap
Provide much needed emotional support for the children and families we support
Educate the children and families regarding the myths of Covid (for example some people believed if you contracted Covid you would die, this included educated adults such as teachers who refused to return back to school to teach

In a time of chaos, I am so proud to say, we made a difference because of your support. The battle is not over, the repercussions economically and educationally on our nation will continue to haunt us for many years however, we know we are not in this battle on our own.

Thank you from the Board, Staff and Beneficiaries of Keep The Dream196.

God Bless you!

Fred

One of our community gardens!

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Oct 16, 2020
Resilience is essential to Survival! I am STRONG!

By Louise | Managing Director

Harry and Family 2020

To all our new givers, thank you for supporting us and making a difference!

To all those who have given, both in the past and continuously, you are awesome. It is because of you that we still exist and the work we do continues to impact lives and destinies. THANK YOU!

Last week I wrote about Sharmaine. As I said she is one of my hero's because of all she has overcome, but she is one of 14,000 that have faced seemingly insurmountable challenges and not just overcome but are helping others to overcome their circumstances by sharing the support and techniques we have trained her in.

Resilience is defined as: the ability to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened! Because of your support 99.9% of our children have this ability to be happy and successful. Oh they may not have all that you or I may want but they have learnt to be content with what they have but also have hope for the future.

RESILIENCE is priceless because we know that the work we have done with the children will see them through any life situation. Many have already lived lives, at such young ages, that would give you and I nightmares for life! But through our program, they are able to reconnect with happiness and hope and reclaim their futures AND help others to do exactly the same.

No matter the poor choices that can be made, they know where they come back for second chances. This program allows for success and for failure. We challenge the children to be the best them they can be. To do their best under all circumstances. We have seen amazing transformations of our kids from street thugs, break and enter specialists, drug and alcohol consumers, bullies to being school prefects, community leaders and leaders in their chosen professions.

All of this is possible because of you! I wish one day you could some of my kids and hear their stories themselves. It is truly inspiring and humbling to be a part of their journey. THANK YOU is such a common, overused word, but it is the only one I have to convey how incredible your gift has been to our kids.

THANK YOU!

Always

Louise

Before I joined KTD196 I lived with my mum, my aunt, my granny and my siblings. I was a very naughty boy and was always disobedient and jumping out of home to go to the streets with my friends. We would always go to the shabeens and drink the beer left in the bottles behind the taverns, also pick up stompies of cigarettes and smoke them. We would come home early in the morning or in the middle of the night then go to school and fall asleep.

One day my aunt Emily said she needed me to help her deliver some food parcels to some poor people in my village and I needed to carry the food packages. My heart broke with what I saw. People that were starving and eating grass and dirt to fill their stomachs, I realised what I was doing was just rubbish. I wanted to help these people especially the children. I didn’t want to be a bad boy any longer.

My aunt was trained to do scouts and I went along to help her. I was 13yrs old. I didn’t understand it well but grew to love it. If I speak of My Home it has always been keep the dream196. Where should I start, well one great mine giant Patrice Motsepe Once said "I've come to understand that what we want in life is the greatest indication of who we really are". Why this quote? As a Scout my honour has always been doing my best, to serve my purpose, my family, my country and reflect true leadership in our generation.

When I it was Dec when I was 15yrs my aunt died, she was the bread winner for the family.

Then in Jan, the next month, my mum died. This left my granny, me and my two siblings and no money.

Through KTD196 help we registered for 3 orphan grants and we were successful. Then as the head of the household I was responsible to see that everything worked well. My granny wasn’t well, so employed a carer to look after my granny and to come every day to do the washing, cooking and cleaning for us. I would take my siblings to school and then I would go to school as well. It was hard but through Gods grace and KTD196 I made it. We made it.

I remember when Mom Lou said she was going to take the Scout Group away from me, because I was now the leader. I begged her not to because it was the only thing I did just for me. I would die if that died as well. I needed the Scouts program. It has taught me so much which I used every day back then to lead my family. If I've mentioned the word Mom in the past 10 years since my late Mom passed on, it was Louise Batty and u are a great Mom!

Mom Lou would check to see everything was working well at home, she would make sure my grades weren’t slipping and that Scouts was working well. Everyone at KTD196 became my mother and would look after me. The support and dedication from Keep the Dream196 and its staff has always been amazing.

I remember my first week of college, I was with Andrew and Sheila (supporters and donors of KTD196) we were watching some of the Mechanical engineering projects Andrew often worked on during his career. Little did I know Andrew was building my desire for Mechanical engineering and with their support, scouts values and training from KTD196, I toiled hard and reflected leadership skills, team work and a focus that has always bring a question to my foremen “Who trained this young Man" and deep within I always say I'm a true son of Keep The Dream196 and a Scout.

A few years back I spoke as an Orphan scout, then as a college student and now due to the support of Keep the Dream196 and the great Elizabeth (Program Manager of KTD196), The Tanners, the Field Officers who became my moms and Mon Lou, I speak as a qualified artisan (fitter and turner) of Keep the Dream196 as well as a husband and father of my own son. All of this is possible because of the support you gave KTD196. You have touched and changed not just my life but my wife and sons and the next generations.

I am a man who honors his wife, respects and cherishes her. I will protect her and my child to the best of my ability. I am this way because of KTD196.

Forever grateful

Harry

Harry as a young man 2017

Harry in 2009

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