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 | Feb 21, 2024
Working together to bring real CHANGE!

By Louise and the Dream Team | Director

An angry service delivery strike

So much of what we do, we do out of passion, dedication and commitment to the children and now the parents of the children!

We all need to be encouraged, when you are passion driven, some times that passion level wains when confronted with issues that are overwhelming and challenging. We stir ourselves up, because the work we do is important, however sometimes, I have to admit, our battery levels can dive.

Why am I sharing this, because it’s the reality in which we exist! We all feel this way occasionally, the trick, if there is one, is to not stay there! That is why I repeatedly say, you, YOU bring me hope because you enable us to make significant change in despite the huge opposition we face. Let me explain!

This last week has seen a number of service delivery strikes by the village areas in which we operate.

Let me explain what I mean. A service delivery strike is not an orderly march on to parliament house with placards, shouting slogans with a police presence.

A service delivery strike is the shutting down of roads (particularly arterial roads), burning tires, with people pelting vehicles with stones, setting fire to vehicles, shooting at vehicles, beating innocent people up, all whilst demanding services. (The services in this case is the provision of water to villages around Khujwana, Lepephane and surrounding areas.)

This arterial road prevents us from accessing our SHG parents and a majority of our kids. It is so frustrating. Rather than take the complaint to the people that can change the situation, the village mind set is to stop others from doing their work, disrupt schooling for the learners and general increase the level chaos experienced. This sort of disruption will continue until the general election.

Don’t get me wrong, the provision of water is a right! However, the mind set and the chaos created does not affect those to whom it is aimed at ie the local municipality. That is why the SHG project is so powerful, by working with people and showing them how to approach the municipality with their demands, working with the municipality to provide correct information on what is required to alleviate the issues identified.

Currently, the Cluster Level Association (CLA) the executive arm of the SHG’s has resolved a 20yr outstanding water provision issue in Burgersdorp using this new approach. Five of the Six boreholes have been repaired through this approach, and Nsolane’s borehole has also been repaired and that village now has water, and No chaos! No disruption! The community working with the municipality to reach their goals.

As KTD196, our target this year is another 25new SHG’s and although geographically the area under the violence of the strike looks very close it actually is not that close. (I have highlighted it on the map below). Hopefully, a place where I try and dwell, we will continue with the SHG program and work towards invading the other villages with a new model of engagement with government, this will reduce the thuggishness that currently exists and create much more co-operation.

Just to build on that, we are in the process of opening more groups with the SHG’s, just yesterday a new group opened with Cubs and Scouts in Mankweng with over 60children. It is just awesome. That is what you are supporting through your donations. Transformation at grassroots level.

Thank you for being a part of our solution. Nkomo sweneni ngopfu! (Thank you so much!)

Blessings

Louise

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Feb 14, 2024
Keep The Dream196 DREAMS for 2024!

By Louise and the Dream Team | Director

Thank you so much for travelling on this journey with us, your support enables us to do so much more than otherwise would be possible!

On the 17^th January 2024 I explained I would be sharing our dreams for 2024 a bit later. Well here we go!

We will open 5 Meerkat Dens (that is a new program which we had to wait for funding) for the kids aged 5-7yrs. It will help them get school ready, also assist with basic learning skills. The motivation for this project is human trafficking and poor education outcomes.

Recently 100kids have been found, aged between a few months and 10yrs, at the Mozambiquean Border, many of these kids were to young to know their names, where they were from, what their parents phone numbers or addresses are.

Through Meerkat’s we are hoping to develop a circle of support around our younger kids and prevent them becoming just displaced or lost numbers in a system. It is so tragic. Some parents actually have sold their children to traffickers, others have been tricked by promises of a great education and great life by a philanthropic relative or “friend” of a friend. Others, just stolen.

Increase the number of Cub Packs and Scout Troup’s by 25% this year. This will also form part of the circle of support for all kids. This will increase our numbers by approximately 25% as well. Covid hit us, hard! We are struggling to come back to pre Covid levels but we will exceed these this year.

We are also going to increase our number of Rovers (18-30yrs age), by 50%. We rely on the support of the Rovers at camp and at district events where the kids learn new skills, meet new friends, have plenty of fun as they continue on their leadership develop walk.

We will be hosting 2 colour runs in the different districts where we function, prior to that will training on Child Participation and Children’s Rights for the community and people who attend.

We will be going to camp and training the Scouts on the Spider Tool, a management, monitoring and evaluation tool which we use to empower the children as part of our Child Participation focus for the next 5yrs.

We will be training our new adult leadership in skills required to run a successful den, pack, and troop and move them along their journey of providing exciting and developmental programs to the children.

We are also going to target 25 new Self Help Groups, and at least one new Cluster Level Association Group (this group mobilizes support for community based issues such as crime prevention, service delivery defaulting by government ie water, sewerage and electricity particularly.

We will continue with our Journey of Life Training in 2024, we have funded from an institutional donor to train 340 parents in 2024, this is so exciting because we are starting to get interest from the fathers in the community, so this training will target those fathers, word will spread and hopefully it will continue.

We will also continue our work with the teachers and induna’s (village leaders) to assist them to provide a safe environment at school and in the communities for the children we serve. During this process the children will also have an active voice about issues which are directly affecting them!

As you can see, it is a busy program for 2024. There are other projects we wish to instigate as well however; we will have to pace ourselves and our resources.

Thank you so much for the support we do receive from you. You make our wheels turn. We are able to do these activities because of you!

If you would like to get involved more, I will be sending out requests for once off donations to a particular activity. Once that activity is funded then I will be able to give feedback on its success.

Your support is vital to our success in providing a safety net for our kids.

Thank you so much for allowing Keep The Dream196 to DREAM!

Blessings

Louise

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Feb 7, 2024
Training new leaders to increase our Footprint!

By Louise and the Dream Team | Director

Participants on the Training Course funded by YOU!

Whew what a full on week followed by a hectic weekend where KTD196 had the privilege of training 24 new Adult Leaders and introducing them to our Children’s Program (Scouts). We also had 4 staff from 2 different organizations attend, one a school in Steelport and the other a Children’s Program based in Lebowakgomo, please check the map below to see where we are now working.

On Monday afternoon after the training finished on Sunday, I received photos from Steelport that they had already started. Many of the participants in the training are from our Self Help Groups, they will be returning to their villages to start the program and bring real change to their communities. It is wonderful to see.

It is so exciting. We are reaching more people because of your support. All of the participants could not pay for the cost of the training, the manuals, catering, accommodation, transport etc and that is where you came in. Your support enabled us to provide top quality training to people that otherwise could not afford to come.

On the GlobalGiving site, I have put up that it costs us R1,500 to help 50 kids to go to camp, that is the same cost for 25 adults to attend a 3day intensive training due to resources required. We now have to start planning for a 5day Warrant training with these participants and 5day skills camp. The cost goes up to $2,000. Please if you would like to assist us add a not to the donation saying “Training Adults” and I will know how to allocate the gift.

We are changing the face of families and communities together.

I appreciate your support and ongoing commitment to Keep The Dream196 and the children, women and families we serve.

Blessings

Louise

New Skills being learnt

The End Result!

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