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 | Jun 3, 2021
Time to introduce some of our Staff - Catherine

By Louise and the KTD196 Dream Team | Managing Director

I am so grateful for this opportunity to thank you for your support, really you are making such a huge difference in the lives of the children and their families. What you are doing is so much more than just donating to a cause. You are saving lives. You are giving hope to children that otherwise would struggle.

We have just finished an evaluation, which I will forward on request when I receive the final document, and what came out more and more was HOPE was what KTD196 brought. Hope that the children can dream and realize those dreams. HOPE that they don't have to become like other kids in their communities, involved in drugs, gangs, pregnancy, etc. HOPE that life can be better and they can advance from their impoverished circumstances.

HOPE is a commodity that is priceless. That is what YOU bring!

It is time to introduce the people who make Keep The Dream196 possible!

We have some amazing staff, who go above and beyond for the children we serve. KTD196 is only as good as the staff we have and it's wonderful to be able to say I am very proud of the team we have, their dedication and commitment to the children are worthy of emulation. So much so that all of the staff are adamant they will continue with us as long as they are physically able despite their age. Such is their dedication.

What inspires this attitude? Implementing a program that works! The changes we see in the children are life-changing and enable the children to realize their dreams despite the structural obstacles in their way. This is turn spurs the staff on to greater effort because we know we are literally saving lives.

Catherine is a HOPE Carrier, she is a very diminutive little lady, she is less than 5ft tall. She could be blown over by a slight breeze but she is like a grizzly bear if you hurt one of her 100 or so kids. She is very quiet, speaks softly, very shy until you place her in front of children. Catherine has a wicked sense of humor, often we will be in a meeting and she will softly say something to her colleague sitting next to her and suddenly that person will erupt in fits of laughter and the meeting will have to stop until that person regains their composure. Catherine just quietly says something and that's the end of the meeting

She participates in the games she organizes, she stands and facilitators with the children, she engages with parents beautifully sharing the program and what support we require from the parents and basically the children just love her to bits. She is their mum away from home.

She is forever surrounded by 100s of kids, ok maybe not 100s but definitely lots and lots.

She is one of my hero's! Before Catherine joined KTD196 she was a Community Home-based Care volunteer for a local NGO. She worked in this role for over 10yrs caring for people who were sick and dying of HIV/AID's, cancer, end-stage organ failure. This is where I met Catherine because I was her coordinator. I watched this little force of nature bravely face a family with compassion and care, doing what she could in a resource-poor community and resource-strapped medical system and what broke her heart was the children being left behind.

She was one of 180 volunteers that I interviewed in 2003 to understand what their biggest heartache was regarding Home-Based Care. Unanimously, it was the children struggling with grief and lack of hope. Dropping out of school, getting pregnant, getting infected with HIV, getting into drugs, crime, or just losing passion for life.

Catherine was quickly someone I identified to bring on the team when KTD196 officially commenced in 2007. She remains a passionate advocate for the children to this day.

I hope, like me, you will enjoy meeting Catherine.

Hi my name is Catherine, I come from Burgersdorp village and I have been working with Keep The Dream196 since 2009.

I enjoy being naughty to my co-workers.

Since starting work with KTD196 I've learned a lot about working with children, my own self-development as well, I have improved in English, computer literacy, and writing my own programs for the children.

I now have confidence in talking to children, parents, and teachers.

I love my job because I get to be with kids, I enjoy exercising and having fun with the children, and going camping because the kids get a chance to get away from often difficult situations and become just kids and have fun. I love seeing the kids change their negative behaviors to become good citizens.

I also love meeting people from different nations, different languages, and different cultures. Through KTD196 I have had the opportunity to host international volunteers from England in my home and to learn from them. I now have friends in other countries. No one else in my village can say that.

KTD196 does not treat me as an employee but as a family member. We work together, it is sometimes heartbreaking work when kids we have known leave the program and go their own ways and follow their peers into drugs and crime. Those kids weigh heavily on my heart. It is usually those kids that just pop into the program and are not serious. They stay for a month or two and then leave because they don't want to commit. That is really hard, I take it personally. I feel like I have failed them. It is a difficult balance at times because you want the best for them but in the end, it is their choice.

I no longer cry when I see children in crisis but now I can offer real help. Thank you for making that possible.

I love you

Catherine

The KTD196 Dream Team

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May 28, 2021
Update on Nozizwe and her quest to be an Advocate!

By Louise and the KTD196 Dream Team | Jack of all trades, master of none!

I am really excited, I am so over the moon!

Recently I shared one of our kid's journies to become a Prosecutor! It was a few months ago, actually, I think at the beginning of the year, that I posted her story and what was happening in her life. Nozizwe was one of our original girls who started in our program back in 2006, so I am talking about 17yrs ago. Her dream, to become a Prosecutor and right wrongs! I will share her story again for those who are new to KTD196 and also to remind those who have been around longer of whom I speaking about.

Anyway, Nozi's family like so many of our kids is without a father, and her mother, until 2years ago worked as a domestic in Johannesburg. Nozi basically raised herself. With all the pressures facing children in the communities especially those without supervision, Nozi knew she needed help to achieve her goal and to reach her dream.

She joined KTD196. Nozi excelled in school, achieved a bachelor's entrance to enter University to study Law. She passed however was unable to secure placement to do her Articles in order to register as a Lawyer in South Africa. For 4years she worked small jobs here and there to help her mother and her siblings to eat and exist. The money was never enough, the food was never enough. But she continued to hold on to her dream.

Nozi eventually started work as a Field Officer with KTD196 2years ago. She loved community work and she loved working with children and since she knew the importance of the program in her life, she wanted to help other children achieve their goals even if it meant delaying her dream.

At the beginning of the year Nozi and decided it was time for her to go to Law School, in effect a shortcut for her to do her Articles once she had completed the 5month course. The catch was, it would cost approximately R50,000 in school fees plus accommodation and food. So together we posted a request through Back-A-Buddy and within a week R20,000 of the tuition fee was raised. Nozi applied for a bursary once she paid the downpayment and started at Law School.

I am so happy to report that on the final day of Law School just 2weeks ago, Nozi signed a contract with the Department of Justice to be an intern, complete her Articles and then sit her National Board Exams all covered by the Dept of Justice.

I love Nozi's story, it is such a testimony to resilience, perseverance, overcoming adversity, holding on to the dream that you have. I also have no doubt that Nozi will become a Prosecutor with a heart and passion to serve the people of this nation. Perhaps she will be the next Thuli Mondesela?

The potential of the children we have is amazing to consider, we may be grooming the next Nelson Mandela and not yet know it but still, we continue. Your support has given Nozi the skills, dedication, and determination to realize her dreams. In her own words, it would not have been possible without the impact of KTD196.

You have enabled this shy, embarrassed, vulnerable child to grow and become an outspoken, unashamed, and resilient young adult with a destiny and a future. Your contribution to KTD196 has done this and so much more! We have seen over 15,000 children over the last 18yrs and each one has their own story to tell about how they have changed and grown through KTD196.

I hope you feel as proud as I do concerning all that we are achieving even through very difficult circumstances. These kids AMAZE me! I hope they do you!

Thank you for all of your support, thank you for your continued support. From as little as $10per month you can change a child's future and bring such hope. Nosizwe is just one of 15,000 stories I can share.

I try and use the same children/adults stories so that there is continuity for those who have been with us over the 8yrs since we joined GlobalGiving. So you can see their development, you can be a part of their future if only vicariously. I hope and trust this is satisfactory. Please let me know otherwise I will continue giving updates on a select few so that you can see their progress and be a part of their dreams.

Blessings to you and your families, you are such an amazing community. Thank you to those who take the time to write and encourage us through this challenging time, it really is so amazing to have that support.

Louise

My name is Nozizwe, I'm 28 years of age. I reside at Shiluvana village in rural South Africa. I joined KTD196 in 2006 and that was the best decision I have ever made because if it weren't for their children's program I wouldn't be where I am today.

I was raised by my grandparents while my mother was in Gauteng working.

A lot could have gone wrong. I could have done a lot of partying, many of my peers did, and have reaped the consequences of these decisions such as early pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, lack of hope and vision, poverty, involvement in crime, jail, drugs, murder, and unfortunately even suicide. I realize that all these consequences come from small wrong decisions that build up over time. Taking one drink doesn’t hurt but it can easily become a lifestyle because of the friends who encourage you to continue.

I could have hung around the wrong friends, been disrespectful towards my elders, neglected my school work, and consequently ruined my future because I had a lot of freedom to do whatever I wanted to do. There was also a lot of peer pressure to conform to doing what other kids were doing at the time. I mean my grandparents were old, they didn't have the energy to watch my every move but thankfully KTD196 introduced their program to help me be a better person and make the best choices.

There were laws that I had to live by, scout laws, and I just couldn't afford to misrepresent KTD196, it was very important to me right from the beginning, I realized I had family and friends who would help me through the tough times. I would have younger adults in my life who could guide me and help me realize my dreams. I didn’t have this at home.

The Laws such as a scout obey orders, a scout’s honor is to be trusted impacted my life greatly, even today. I did everything and followed every instruction given to me by my elders because I knew that they wouldn't mislead me or lead me astray in any way. By being obedient to them I was upholding a scout law.

My grandparents and everyone else trusted me and I did my best to ensure that I didn't lose their trust because that was very important to me as scout laws #1 stated that a scout's honor is to be trusted. In all honesty, it was more about scouts than about myself. It actually felt like I was doing it for them, like it was never really about me but I was wrong.

KTD196 shaped my future because through their children's program I was able to pass my matric and pursue the career of my dreams, LAW. I was able to make informed decisions about my life and the camps I attended taught me to be independent that has also helped me a lot when I went to university because being away from home can be tough sometimes. Many of my friends who were not part of KTD196 didn’t finish high school education; some did but obtained lower grades which resulted in them not pursuing the careers they had always wanted to pursue, and some just settled for so much less.

The program gave me the wisdom to surround myself with friends that were focused on their futures and not be dragged off into the “Campus Life”. Unfortunately once again I saw classmates hijack their futures by partying, taking drugs and alcohol, getting pregnant, failing studies because they put their immediate wants ahead of their futures. I know they too had dream careers that could have been turned into a reality if they worked towards them.

Today I have a Bachelor of Law degree and am now completing Law School in preparation for Articles because of Keep The Dream196 and because of you and your support. I am a prosecutor in the making. It is true that you reap what you sow.

I consider myself lucky and I'm grateful to have been a beneficiary of Keep The Dream196 and I look forward to returning as a volunteer to ensure other children benefit from the program as I have. Thank you so much for all of your support.

Thank you for reading my story

Nozizwe

Nozizwe our Prosecutor in the Making!

Links:

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May 15, 2021
Yay, finally life is retuning to relative normal!!

By Louise and the KTD196 Dream Team | Jack of all trades, master of none!

We have food because of YOU!

Finally, life is returning to relative normal!

We are planning (between Covid waves) to go camping this weekend. We will be taking 15 prospective new Leaders to train them on running our program. We are networking with our local partners who are bringing 8 leaders to add to our7 leaders. PLUS we will be running a skills camp for approximately 40children.

It has been so difficult to plan around Covid. Limpopo was hit with a second wave of Covid over Dec-February 2021. Don’t get me wrong we still have Covid but not to the degree that we had it in our communities during these 3months.

South Africa is expecting a 3^rd wave to come through in June-August, the flu months. Already Bloemfontein is officially in their 3^rd wave. I am hoping and praying that it won’t be as bad as predicted because many people have now been exposed to the virus. Just in my immediate family of 10, we have all had it during December. None of us were tested, none of us are on any official database, we all had the signs and symptoms so we just rested and self-treated. So hopefully our official number of infected 1,600,000 can be multiplied by at least 10 meaning 16million have already had the virus and we are rapidly heading towards herd immunity.

Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune. Often, a percentage of the population must be capable of getting a disease in order for it to spread. For example, if 80% of a population is immune to a virus, four out of every five people who encounter someone with the disease won’t get sick (and won’t spread the disease any further).

Currently, we are at 28% of the population according to my rough estimates however I believe that estimate is much higher because of the number of people who are asymptomatic (do not show symptoms of Covid) and don’t even know they have had. As a family of 10, we all knew we had Covid. The asymptomatic rate is much higher, therefore bringing us closer to herd immunity.

Having said all that, it is still difficult to plan effectively however by following all the necessary protocols we will stay safe and continue to move ahead.

At this point, I just want to thank everyone once again for your support and your continued support especially through the difficulties of 2020 and what continues to be a challenge in 2021. We were able to increase our services and provide much-needed relief to struggling families because of you! We continue to distribute seeds for gardens, we will be purchasing more Epap for the children to ensure they are not affected by malnourishment and stunting during the dry season, and this is only possible because of your support. I am exceedingly humbled that you have chosen KTD196 to get behind in such a substantial way.

God BLESS YOU ALL!

Louise

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