Gender Equality South Africa Project #38463

Empowering Girls and Women as Mothers

by Keep The Dream196

Project Report | Jul 10, 2020
I cried because I had no more food. Then you came!

By Louise | Managing Director

Mamma Sophia and 4 of her 8 orphaned grandchildren

These are difficult times, I just want to check in on you! I want to know if you are doing ok? Is your family ok? How are you?

I know you are a donor however as I have said, I care about you! You are important to KTD196 and to me! I know we have a financially based relationship but that doesn’t take away that first and foremost we are human beings doing life together. I really want to know if you are ok!

In South Africa we have a word “Ubuntu” ( a Zulu word for a philosophical doctrine or approach to life that emphasizes social unity and generosity of spirit) were we need to care and support each other. So, how are you really?

So much of the work we do is based around this concept of Ubuntu, we care and support the children and families we work with so it has been really tough trying to maintain contact and activities when social distancing and fear of Covid is limiting our efforts.

However, the good news is, because of your support, we have been able to access more food parcels, more seeds for gardens AND we had a donor provide us with 300kg of Epap a highly fortified and nutritious porridge which prevents malnutrition and stunting.

Because of all of these mammoth efforts, the 100s of extremely vulnerable children in our program are able to have nutritious food which will boost their immune system and mitigate or even prevent them from contracting Covid. THAT IS AMAZING, thank you.

This mamma (Sophia pictured with 4 of her 8 orphaned grandchildren from her two daughters who have passed away from HIV/Aids) praises God for you! Because of you we were able give Sophia two food parcels for a month. She actually cried and said she had nothing for the family to eat that night. In fact because of lack of food the whole family had only been eating every second day for the last week.

We also had been given a donation of 4blankets and after seeing the threadbare state of the current ones, it was decided to leave all the blankets to be shared amongst the 8children.

As you can see from their home, 9 people live in this hut. When Covid comes, sadly all will become ill quickly. We are finding Covid is actually at the bottom of the list in terms of people’s immediate concerns, hunger, violence, poverty is very high on the list.

However, I want you to know that you are making a difference!

I know some of you are taking strain due to the pandemic, some of you may be experiencing financial loss; have elderly parents at risk; or be struggling with the added pressure of being in quarantine. This is a difficult season, this is not where we are staying.

Know that we are praying for you, for your families, for your safety. I care, we care, you are important to us.

Famba kahle (Xitsonga for Go well) Uhlale kahle (Stay well)

Louise

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Jun 17, 2020
We are Fighting hunger because of YOU!

By Louise | Managing Director

Parents and Children working together!

Avuxeni! (hello) Minjani? (how are you?) Umfekile Ngopfu! (I am well.)

I just want to say what an amazing blessing you all are to the people of Limpopo! You have blessed Keep The Dream196 when I called for help, you responded so immediately and generously, Nkomo Sweneni Ngopfu! (THANK YOU SO MUCH!)

It is difficult to tell you how heart breaking it is for us to take the food parcels out to the families we serve and to see the gratitude and relief on the faces of the parents, we are so wet from the tears of those we have been able to support.

We also have been really happy to see the commitment of the parents to the Food4Life program you have sponsored. Parents and children are working together, building food sustainability for themselves by planting the seeds we have distributed. We are excited to see hope on people’s faces once more.

One of our partners CORMSA is now taking the federal government to the Constitutional Court to honour the Constitution and the government’s commitment to protect and support all of the people’s within the borders of South Africa. As I learn more, I will share more.

Currently we are under Level 3 as it relates to COVID-19 reopening guidelines. Public Schools are supposed to return for grades 7 and 12 this winter however, Government schools have yet to return. Lots of different issues cited from: failing to provide running water for washing of hands to; failing to provide personal protection equipment for teachers. This has meant an untimely delay to the school year.

We are still not sure what that will mean for the 2020 school learners.

I want to also take this opportunity to share that GlobalGiving is hosting a Bonus Day on July 15th from 09:00 Eastern Standard Time till 23:59.For South Africa that is from 1500 and for Adelaide that is from 2230 pm on the 15th till 1330 on the 16th of July. Any funds you give will be matched at different levels. For example:

$750-1,000 is matched at 50%
$500-749 is matched at 30%
$100-499 is matched at 15%

Here is a chance to maximise your gift and help us to help more people during this chaotic and fearful time. I know many have already given when I asked for help at the beginning of COVID outbreak however if you are able to help further here is a chance to make your dollar stretch up to 50% more.

Thank you in advance for your support and continued partnership. Thank you so much!

I hope you like the pictures. I would love to have feedback or answer questions!

By the way one faithful supporters recently wrote-

“It was only by chance the one time I looked in the "Thank you for donating" email from GlobalGiving, I always thought it was a generic, computer generated, email and certainly would never have expected it to contain a personal message! I hope not too many of your thank you emails are lost on people the same way!”

Please know apart from the introduction email everyone who donates more than once receives a personal message from myself. So many people have seen us through such difficult times that I feel it is only right to personally thank you. That is my commitment to you! I care about you! I value you!

I invite you to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram where you can follow more closely the work we get to do to change lives.

Families helping themselves, because of YOU!

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Jun 3, 2020
Thank you for your amazing support during Covid!

By Louise | Managing Director

Today a family of 15 received 2 parcels. THANK YOU

Avuxeni, Minjani? (Greetings, how are you? In Xitsonga)

Thank you so much to all who have contributed to the request for $100 for food parcels. To date, we have distributed 99 parcels from your support and from We Care Mother Africa, a partner of ours who assists us with the provision of sanitary pads for 15 of our learners, which is a whole other conversation for another time.

South Africa has been on Lock down for over 60days now. We have progressed from a gruelling Level 5 and expect to go to Level 3 on 1st June in terms of severity of restrictions. Explain in a sentence or two what Level 3 means to give them some context.

I thought you might like to know that while we have been on lock down, as an essential service, we were able to take food parcels,to undocumented foreign nationals who have sadly been even more marginalized by this lock down. These people predominantly ran away from a vicious civil war in Mozambique, they often fled with the clothes on their backs, they have no papers to say who they are or where they are from. Often times their language and culture is assimilated with that of South Africa so even if they were returned to their native country they would not be documented, they would not speak the language or know the customs. It is a difficult place to be in and the discrimination is palpable.

I am proud to say we have been able to give 99 parcels away to people that would have starved without your support. The food parcels consist of mielie meal (staple maize corn powder which is used as a filler much like mashed potato), samp (a type of bean), cans of fish (for protein and essential fatty acids), baked beans (protein and carbohydrate), peanut butter (very high in protein to ward off kwashiokor - renal failure when the diet lacks protein) and eggs and avo's donated by a local farmer.

The government has demanded all food parcels be distributed through government processes, which we have refused to do because:
1. Government was distributing the parcels under the banner of the ANC and not acknowledging the donors (essentially buying votes);
2. Some areas Government was only giving to ANC supporters;
3. Some unscrupulous ANC Councillors and government workers were selling the food parcels which were donated by South African individuals and corporations;
4. Food parcels were only going to South African Citizens and not to those resident in this nation;
5. Government is supplying extra finances to those who are the poorest of the poor to supplement their incomes during this time (because people can’t work however to date over 10million people have applied for the extra support and only 10people have received) however undocumented foreign nationals fall through this safety net.

Having said all of this, the government’s decision to act expediently and put in place policies to protect the people from Covid have bought this nation essential time to prepare for the rise of infections and what is coming in the future.

KTD196 has also distributed seeds and training in permaculture to parents and children who received the food parcels to ensure they are scrape back a modicum of dignity and independence while not relying upon KTD196 for food alone.

The response has been mixed, apart from gratitude there has been a lot of embarrassment. Annually we ask R20/per year ($1USD)contribution for their child to participate in our program (which can be paid monthly), we also ask for parents to volunteer to come and cook at our camps (especially those who are unemployed) and they don’t come. So now there is a fresh enthusiasm for all things KTD196. LOL.

I am excited to see what the new world holds for when this pandemic has passed.

We have also decided as a team, since hunger is on everyone's agenda, we will be reintroducing our Food4Life project on a large scale. We will be teaching small groups of 5-6children/adults the sustainable food garden process while maintaining social distancing and personal protection policies.

The children will then train their small groups and implement the food gardens to mitigate hunger and offset stunting (stunting affects 40% of the South Africa's children before Covid) which has serious health implications for the children and this nation.

Anyway, I just wanted to touch base and share what we have been busy with during this time. If you would like to contribute to our food parcel drive please go to our page, donate, and leave a note so that I know the funds are earmarked for this project. Please help us make a difference and save a life.

THANK YOU all for your generous support to date

Blessings

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