Community-based education programs in Africa

Dear Friends of Even Ground,
 
Thank you for your continued support in 2015.  Your generosity has enabled us to continue our work of providing children and their communities essential health, education, and nutitrion support.

Just last week, we had our annual fundraiser at the wonderful penthouse at the Hotel on Rivington. That evening we raised over $60,000 for our projects through sponsorships, ticket sales, and the silent auction. We are so pleased for the support from our friends in NYC and beyond who have consistently assisted us in supporting the wonderful work of our projects. 

As we race towards the end of the year, we remain committed to adding new projects to the Even Ground family so we can expand our reach to assist those who are truly disadvantaged. In the next report we will introduce our potential projects to you and describe our process moving forward. 

To keep you abreast of our latest activities, every newsletter we will feature one of our projects. This quarter we feature The Dukathole Scholarship Fund located in Johannesburg South Africa. 

We look forward to your continued to support as we move forward with strength into the second half of the year. Please consider supporting these communities and our efforts further by donating to our cause. 

DUKATHOLE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The Dukathole Scholarship Fund (DSF) is a comprehensive initiative designed to identify, at a very young age, the best and brightest children of previously disadvantaged backgrounds living in impoverished informal settlements within the greater Johannesburg area of South Africa. Its vision is to see its children become educated, confident, successful leaders who have the social, cultural and economic tools to play a positive role in the future of South Africa.

DSF currently provides full scholarships at top boarding schools for 10 scholars as well as clothing, nutrition, health care, and a comprehensive leadership training program. In addition, DSF provides after school tutoring and nutrition for an additional 90 students. To date, the program has raised over $300,000 to support some of South Africa's most needy children.

Ayanda and Lynden, both 14, became Dukathole Scholars as kindergarteners. Ayanda was orphaned by HIV/AIDS and Lynden witnessed his father's death as a result of a home invasion. Last year as seventh graders, these boys were top performing leaders in their school and are receiving both a quality education and leadership experiences. They have impeccable table manners; they have taken self-defence classes and have learned to swim. They have seen Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island and have toured South African universities. They have heard live opera and seen live theatre. They have been interviewed on TV and radio. They are now securing their passports and visas for an upcoming tour of the USA. These scholars can begin to navigate an exciting world outside the dismal streets of Dukathole. In January 2015, both students entered Jeppe High for Boys, a prestigious boarding school in Johannesburg. 

To learn more about the DSF program, please watch the video link below. 

Thank you for your time and support. Please consider donating to our cause. 

Best, 

Christopher Eaglin

Executive Director

Even Ground

Links:

• Dukathole Scholarship Fund Video

Dear Friends of Even Ground,
 
Thank you for your continued support in 2015. As a result of your generosity, Even Ground has been able to carry on its work of providing children and the communities that support them essential health, education, nutrition, and development services.

2015 continues to be an exciting year for Even Ground. This year we are committed to adding new projects to the Even Ground family so we can expand our reach to assist those who are truly disadvantaged. As we move forward with this process, we will ask your assistance and support in seeking out new projects that could be excellent fits for our network. We will send information soon on selection criteria and timelines. 

To keep you abreast of our latest activities, every newsletter we will feature one of our projects. This month we will look at Siyabonga Early Childhood Development Center, located in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa and the fundraising campaign of our Mukono Project in Uganda.

We look forward to your continued to support as we move forward with strength into the second half of the year. Please consider supporting these communities and our efforts further by donating to our cause.

SIYABONGA EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Siyabonga is a local community led early childhood development center located in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa in an area heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS and long standing poverty and extreme inequality. The program supports over 65 children and their families by providing high quality education, nutrition, and community engagement.  Since its inception in 2012, Siyabonga has achieved the following: 

• Served over 50,000 meals to malnourished children
• Engaged over a dozen of community members in the establishment and governance of the center
• Built a new community center opened in 2014 which allows the program to grow and expand

Nonhlanhla Sabela, the community founder, has overcome great odds to start this center. Several years ago, her husband died tragically in a car accident. Nonhlahla and her four children were greatly assisted by the local community in the years following their loss. As her children grew older, she wanted to find a way to give back to the community that was so kind to her family. Knowing that quality education is critical to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty, she and other community members envisioned a learning center that would ensure that all children could get a chance “to learn in life and continue to strive for success.” 

In January 2012, with the support of Even Ground, the Siyabonga ECDC was started in a small building on Nonhlanla's property. Now in its fourth year, the program has grown to serving over 65 students and their families. 

MUKONO PROJECT FUNDRAISING DRIVE

Our project in Uganda has had a lot of success over the past 8 years. This past fall Julius graduated from Kyambogo University with a degree in Automobile Mechanics. 
 
Based on our success, we are planning to add another cohort of six to eight students to the program in the second half of 2015. These students will be selected through a rigorous process spearheaded by local community leaders.

We will enroll them in a local boarding school and provide continuous support so that they might follow the path of others in our program.
 
Global Giving recently visited our project providing useful feedback which will help us better serve our students.
 
We aim to raise $5,000 for the Mukono project by the end of July.  

Donations to both Siyabonga and Mukono and our project, Thanda After-School, can be made through their Global Giving project pages.    

Thanks!