Physical Health South Africa Project #10010

Lifeskills for 2,587 Children in South Africa

by Keep The Dream196

Lifeskills for 2,587 Children in South Africa

Project Report | Sep 10, 2018
Future Plans

By Louise Batty | Managing Director

This report is going to be a bit different in that I need your advice!

In the past when we have approached our target I have, under advice from GlobalGiving, just increased the target figure but I have realised that this is probably not fair to our partners because you think we are close and then the goal posts move.

I have two options when we reach our target of $80,000 firstly, I could just increase the target to $90,000 and keep everything the same and there is no issue for those of you who are donating on a monthly basis OR I close off this project and start a fresh one, with the same information just a different project number and new pictures etc. OR I just revamp the current project including and increased target to aim for?

Some of you may realise I have already updated and modified this current project especially in terms of what your donations supply ie kids sponsored in the project, seeds for gardens etc. I have updated because originally the costs were from 6years ago and unfortunately no longer what the costs are today.

So, I am asking if you would be happy for me to just change the target we are aiming, create a new revamped current project or create a whole new look and feel page? Please let me know.

I would also like to know what drew you to us in the first place? Why did you consider supporting us firstly and whats kept you here?

Thank you to you all for your support, advice and direction, I really appreciate the support

Blessings

Louise

ps, just for something different I thought I would let you hear from one of my staff

My name is Sevvy and I come from Burgersdorp Village.

I started at KTD196 as one of the children in KTD196 childrens program in 2005. When I turned 18years, then I became a Rover in 2012, finally a Field Officer with KTD196 in 2016.

I love KTD196 because KTD196 helped me know who I am. I am a young lady who is passionate about working with children. I have learnt that my greatest strength is being in the community working with people. Because I am still young my greatest wish is for the children to see me as their role model in KTD196 so they can come back and serve others.

I grew up without parents but through KTD196 I have many mothers and gogo’s (grannys). They are always encouraging me and helping me to avoid mistakes. I am also free to talk to them about my own problems without being judged.

Through KTD196 I have been able to travel around South Africa to get more training and experience in different cultures, environments and make new friends. Keep The Dream196 enabled me to be who I am, thank you is not enough. As supporters of KTD196 I am your daughter, thank you is still not enough!

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Sep 4, 2018
Spring has sprung

By Louise Batty | Managing Director

Spring has sprung!

Its the 3rd of September, blossoms are out, the weather has warmed considerably and the winds, where I live have started up. The place is looking fairly dry and dusty in expectation of the rains.

In our lives, we go through seasons and often forget we are in a constant process of transition. It is dangerous to think what our life looks like today will stay that way in a year, in a month or even in a day!

34% of teenagers think that suicide is a viable option to lifes challenges, that nothing will ever change and yet nothing stays the same! 1:5 youth attempt suicide and the most at risk age group is 10-19yr olds. 29.1% attempt suicide and need to see a doctor.

This is the state of our nation.

Keep The Dream196 builds resilience amongst our youth to overcome lifes challenges and to understand that there are seasons in life, some harder than others but with support anything can be overcome. To that end we have had 1 attempted suicide of a child who's mother is a Pastor and who only seemed to respond to people in crisis. That situation has improved dramatically through our followup support of both mother and child.

Another young adult who had been in the program, went off to university and got into the party scene. Her friends all became involved in the "Student" culture of the time and unfortunately she did not do so well. After failing exams, being exposed to the party life she tried to commit suicide. Fortunately she survived and after doing a life review realised life turned very sour when she left her peers at scouts and rovers and was overly influenced by her new "friends" at university. The wonderful news is, she went back to school, withdrew from those friends, studied hard and graduated last year after completing a law degree.

Keep The Dream makes a difference, we make a difference in prevention, we make a difference regarding intervention, and we make an impact regarding once the situation occurs. Both young people I am happy to share are back to being all they can be and working actively on their issues.

This is only possible because of your support. THIS SUPPORT IS ONLY AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF YOU!!!

I am serious. We can only do what we are doing because of your support.

Thank you.

The following story was written by one of my kids, she saw a post about the suicide statistics that I use on Facebook to promote the work we do and she begged me to let her write to people talking about what she has overcome and how. I have included it here. I would like to say her battles are unique, sadly they are not.

Louise

*STORY OF MY LIFE* - Jane Doe (Not her real name)

Life is good when you still have everyone around you. Having parents, siblings and relatives who care about you is a good thing indeed! The pain starts when families fall apart, when they start to turn against you, that's when you'll realise that being rejected by a boyfriend or girlfriend is not a pain just a fever .

You will never never understand until you go through it, when you arrive home from school being told your father has passed away knowing he was the breadwinner in the house. When you see a coffin flowing through the cemetery and you cry knowing it was someone who always put a smile on your face, knowing you were his priority, someone who always put you first.

You will never understand until it happens to you, when your mother is only a step away from succeeding going crazy.. coming back from school being told your mom went crazy and she's being laughed at by kids, you'll be crying knowing she was about to change your life and that she loved you like nobody’s business. *THIS IS PAIN*

You will never understand until it happens to you when you think your family will support you through such a situation only to find that nobody cares. Yes you'll never understand, your cousins and relatives isolating you after your father died and after your mother went crazy.

You will never feel it, I pray you never ever feel it when your relatives insult your mom because of being crazy. You cry knowing that your mother was fine and she never wanted to be like that.

You will never understand until it happens to you... being raped by your neighbour and then he turns every one’s mind to believe you wanted it to happen.

You will never understand being pregnant at the age of 17 after being raped and trying to raise a child alone. Having your high school teachers, your friends and school mates teasing, calling you names and judging you badly for being pregnant at an early age. You will never feel the pain when doctors and nurses giving you an attitude and are treating you very harshly, calling you slut for something that you didn't plan for.

You will never understand when you are forced to stay at the house of someone who raped you and who you are not even interested in as part of a traditional arranged marriage. You will never understand indeed waking up in the morning knowing that you have to feed your child when you know there is nothing to give the child.

“Life is very complicated don't try to find answers because when you find answers, life changes questions"

To all women let me tell you that life has its ups and downs highs and lows...at times you may feel as if you are on top of the world, other times you think as if God is punishing you for things you don't know, keep in mind that whatever that is happening now, doesn't define where you are going to be.

I relied on positive words, thoughts and the renewal of my mind...and I got away from the people who gave negative thought, hurtful words and those who tried to remind me of the past. I kept a distance from those who were judging me and also those who were sympathizing instead of helping.

All of my experiences, challenges and difficult moments I have learnt to trust and lean on God when there was no one I could cry out and voice out my challenges to. My past experience cannot measure my future success; the capacity of my potential is not determined by what I have experienced and what people think about me. My suffering, my current situation and my problems will never be compared with what I am about to be.

Keep The Dream196 has taught me not just to surive but how to live and overcome and be who I am destined to be. No words for Keep The Dream196, words are not enough.

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Aug 30, 2018
Making a Difference now and into the future!

By Louise Batty | Managing Director

Dear All,

I just want to say thank you for your interest, your support, your engagement with Keep The Dream196. I hope and trust that you feel like you are part of the team. We literally could not do this work without you. You may not believe me, but I am telling you the truth. Your support means we can keep going when large funders reject our proposals or when their focus and strategies change. This has happened throughout the last 10yrs. We have lost excellent funders because of their institutional changes and its because of your support we can keep going.

So, THANK YOU! Thank you for having the same vision as KTD196. Thank you for seeing the value of the work we are doing and partnering with us. People ask me how can $10/month make a difference? Well, it does. If every one of our past donors gave $10/month we would have in excess of $2870 that equals R28,000 that is a good amount to keep us going for a month. $20/month will keep 5 kids in the program for one month. Currently we have over 2,000 children (we have close to 2,500 unfortunately we cannot get our monthly reports from a group of teachers who have just started with us, so rather than exaggerate I will say 2,000).

We are making a huge difference in the lives of our kids and our communities for the future. We are building tomorrow today. You and Keep The Dream196 are making a huge difference. Dont ever think you are just a donation to us. We would love you to get involved, I would love to receive feedback about our program, website, facebook posts etc. Your opinion matters.

Bless you all, please give feedback, I would hate to be a nuisance.

Louise

Hey guys. My name is Kopano, I'm 19 years old. I started with Keep The Dream196 in 2008 when I originally come from Mokgwathi Village- Limpopo.

Before I started, I wasn't a friendly person. I would always want to do things on my own and not share anything with anyone. I was an aggressive child and loved violence. I had friends who didn't care about school work and I had difficulties completing my own work because I wanted to fit in.

When I joined the Children’s Program, I was taught the scout laws and they changed my life completely although it wasn't easy at first. I now base my life on scout laws. I always thrive to complete my school work on time and I always work hard because I enjoy receiving excellent marks.

I am also proud to tell you that I am the most caring person ever. I care about people's well-being and I hate violence. I've drifted apart with my old friends because I've realized that they don't have the same love I have for education and that it might lead me to compromise my values and principles.

Unfortunately the program stopped operating in 2009, because of lack of funding, so I couldn't go on with it. It was sad for me. In 2012 I moved to North West Province. I had to settle in and adapt with the new environment, school, teachers and friends. It was difficult at first but I managed to get through that stage and I got a chance to meet friends with the same vision as mine (ambitious and caring people).

In 2015, my love for the Children’s Program pushed me to make an effort with trying to find scouts near me. I texted Louise Batty on Facebook and asked her to find me scouts that where near to where I stayed and she did that.

I am and forever will be grateful to her for that. She gave me contacts of the North West District Commissioner. I called him and explained my situation and he arranged for me to meet with one of the Troop Scouters and I joined their group. Unfortunately I was 17 years by then so I couldn't be a scout but a Rover and I also became an "Akela". Unfortunately, it wasn't for long because I had a lot of school work to complete. Now I am planning to attend cub training which allows me to work with young people aged 7-10yrs. I have already attended one so far.

Once I have finished studying professional nursing degree in just over a year, I will be free to complete my scouting training and take up my role as Akela properly. I am so excited. Thank you for reading my story, so far!

Kopano

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