Lifeskills for 2,587 Children in South Africa

Avuxeni, Min jani? Um fukile!

Thank you for partnering with us for the sake of the children! Thank you for sharing your resources with the children we support and love. Thank you for making the decision to give to KTD196. I know it is not easy, you don’t know me, you don’t know the children, and you give your hard-earned wages to a complete stranger HOPING that we do what we say we do. Hoping you can trust me, us to do what we are doing with the impact we are claiming.

One of the issues of course is that you cannot easily come and verify what we do, I am excited to share that we have been asked to join a pilot project with GlobalGiving to do virtual tours. It will be exciting to see this opportunity to develop.

In 2017 we hosted Tlotlisang, a volunteer from GG who was traveling in Africa, she came to KTD196 and we took her out to some of the groups where we worked, she interacted with the children and leaders, which was wonderful.

Since then you have had to go on faith that we are credible and have the impact we say. Hopefully, with a virtual tour, you will feel more comfortable with what we do, how we do what we do, that we are doing what we say we are doing, meeting us almost in person.

In the meantime, I have updated our YouTube channel with new video’s that I hope you will enjoy. Please take the time to meet some of our amazing kids, see the environments in which they live. Just bear in mind I am not a photographer or filmmaker and have tried my best.

Of course, there is always the option of coming here for yourself and exploring this amazing land. If anyone is interested in Eco-tourism. Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel and building environmental and cultural awareness and respect. We can arrange a series of different experiences from living in a village, with families of some of our children, attending local activities i.e. going to their schools, the local clinics, a soccer match, wedding or funeral if happening, or collecting firewood and water as daily activities. You can be immersed in Xitsonga or/and Sepedi culture, food, and celebrations. We can arrange to pick you up from the airport and transport you safely to your accommodation.

We can also offer day trips or overnight trips to Kruger National Park. The park extends across an area of 7,523 square miles (19,458 sq km) making it the sixth-largest national park across the entire continent of Africa, located in the heart of the safari hub in the north-eastern corner of the country, the iconic national park offers visitors 2-million hectares of unrivaled beauty and outstanding fauna and flora diversity. Other wildlife parks available include Moholoholo Rescue Park, Cheetah Wildlife Rescue Park, Predator Park, or sightseeing this amazing land.

I know travel at present is still fairly restricted however it won’t stay like this forever and coming to KTD196 would mean so much to the children to meet you, their sponsors. Consider coming and experiencing the real South Africa unplugged. Then perhaps you could report back on the platform your experiences and your thoughts? Just a thought.

In the meantime, I want to thank you for your ongoing commitment to the children of KTD196. Together we are changing lives and making a huge difference. Our kids have weathered the storms of Covid and have remained hopeful and positive irrespective. They are determined to be successful. That is because of your support of our program, thank you

Blessings

Louise

Links:

• Our YouTube Channel

Thank you for your support! Welcome to all the new amazing supporters to Keep The Dream196.

I want to show you what we have achieved last year despite Covid!

Finally, the matriculation results are out!

I am ecstatic to report that once again we had a 100% pass rate for our learners in Matriculation.

Sadly Covid is being blamed for the drop in the matriculation results, personally, I think it is a lack of commitment shown by the government to equip particularly rural schools with the capacity to provide minimum services to the students to enable them to achieve successful results. We are still dealing with schools that do not have electricity, running water and adequate security never mind computers, teachers who can utilize computers, and teachers who can teach in English! Still, lessons are taught in local languages despite the fact that the matriculation exams are in English.

The following are excerpts from the TIMES LIVE newspaper as comments from the Minister of Education:

• To obtain a Bachelors pass to access University – the pupils are required to get a minimum of 40% for their home language plus 50% in 4 other subjects and at least 30% in the language of learning.
• For a Diploma – pupils must obtain 40% for their home language and at least 40% for 3 other subjects and 30% for the language of learning
• For Higher Certificate Pass – the pupils home language remains 40% and at least 30% in the language of learning and 40% in 2 subjects and a minimum of 30% in the other subjects.

30% pass is a minimum requirement in all subjects to be awarded a Higher Certificate. So as you can see, the pass rate is very low to start with.

Limpopo had a 66% pass rate. That means one in three pupils in Limpopo failed to reach the minimum standard for a Higher Certificate pass. They failed to achieve 30% of their marks and 40% for language. What an indictment.

For Keep The Dream196 we had 100% pass with no Higher Certificate pass, they were Bachelor and Diploma passes. The children learn to persevere and as you can imagine with two years of Covid limited contact education they needed to persevere. Over the last 13yrs, we have had an average pass rate of 92%. Limpopo Dept of Education 64%.

The difference is our program. Together we bring hope for the future. The Children run with this hope, they identify their dreams, and we assist them to work towards that dream. We give them the skills and abilities to realize those dreams. They learn to study effectively, to manage their time, manage their study load, and work as a team as they identify their strengths and weaknesses. It is so exciting to see more children enter tertiary education on the next leg of their journey.

All of this is because of your support. Your investment in our kids is life-changing and future-creating. You are responsible for their success just as much as they are. With future studying through bursaries, we assist those to access, you are changing not just their lives, their families and their villages as these kids break the poverty cycle.

Can you see why me saying “Thank you” just does not cut it! It doesn’t portray effectively what you have done!

You are amazing

Blessings

Louise

Links:

• Facebook is a great way to stay in touch, dont forget to like us
• Why not visit our website? You are welcome to leave a message!