By Louise and the KTD196 Dream Team | Director
Thank you so much for supporting the children we serve, thank you for making such a huge difference and giving kids a chance to shine. I am sharing Mkhondle's story this page which is for you particularly. Yes we empower girls and women, however, we also need to empower young boys to be real men who care, are supportive, encouraging and protective of females in general and of the women in their lives in particular. Through our children's program, by empowering girls and creating expectations of appropriate behaviour on both genders, we are allowing both to become all they are destined to be. Boys and girls learn to socialise together and to become friends, which is not particularly a strength in this country, Gender Based Violence is very prevalent and through our program we enable this positive exchange to take place.
By educating boys and empowering girls there is equal power sharing without threats or fears.
Mkhondle is just one of 1,000's of children who have changed their trajectory in life, chosen to make a change, become focussed on his future and to work towards that future.
Mkhondle in his own words below in the video, shares about his life honestly and openly about being a thief, about being a child who was interested in the future but in the here and now. He shares about the influence KTD196 has had in his life for 10years. What he doesnt share is that he loves children and has earned his pack helpers badge, which you can see on his shirt in the first photo.
I am so proud of Mkhondle and who he has become as a young man. He has achieved the Springbok Award, but also he is now studying Pharmacy at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. He wants to serve people and help them. Many people still do not believe in Germ Theory, that germs are responsible for sickness. In this traditional area, people believe they have been cursed by witchcraft. What this means is that people don't complete antibiotic courses, or they will throw their medications away if they don’t work within a day or two and go to the Inunga (witch doctor) for treatment, especially for HIV. This is one of the reasons why HIV is so prevalent in South Africa, people still believe it is caused by curses and not unprotected sex with a person who is HIV positive.
Mkhondle is a good example of the impact of the work you support. Thank you once again on behalf of the children
Blessings
Louise
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