By Louise Batty | Managing Director
I can’t believe another 3months has passed since I last wrote. What an amazing and challenging time we have had. With the Global Financial Crisis gripping not only individuals and multi conglomerates but nations it has been very satisfying to see that our donations have stayed stable in these times. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your commitment and I trust that you will continue to support the work that we are doing and the lives we are changing by partnering with us in Building Tomorrow Today.
In this 3months we have finalised the Food For Life Project with over 1,400 children being taught to make food gardens including activities such as: grey water harvesting, crop rotation, composting and also selling their produce. This creates sustainable livelihoods and a source of small income.
We are restarting this project in November 2012 to assist with poverty alleviation, food security and income generating projects with another 350 children over the course of this coming year.
Mark McNamara and Katie Dee the cycling Koala are in Port Elizabeth and should arrive in Cape Town around the 25th of November after an epic 11months in the saddle. What an achievement and a testimony to good will from people you don’t know. Mark found Keep The Dream196 on the internet when he was looking for a charity to support through his journey. He happened to come across KTD196 and loved the photos of healthy happy confident children. He didn’t know I came from Australia and it was by happenstance we both came from Adelaide. This journey has been followed by all the adults and children of Keep The Dream196 who have been praying for his safety and also by Marks students back at Mercedes College in Adelaide.
During this time we have been joined by Hannah and Max, two German volunteers who have come to support Keep The Dream196. In the mornings they help with administrative tasks and around 1200 they head out to the villages to work with the adults and children, running games, activities, trainings and whatever else they are called upon to assist us with. They have been our first international long term volunteers and after only 10 weeks we are seeing the positive impact of these young people in the communities and with the people they are having contact with.
We have recently formed a partnership with the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, and I (Louise) have been asked on to a steering committee and interim board of new Non Governmental Organization to assist with moral regeneration of Limpopo, what that means we are unsure but 2013 will prove to be a very interesting year. We are also negotiating with World Vision to introduce Scouts to their Vembe District. We have already 5 groups in Vembe so this could potentially explode our work and double our reach to the community.
I'm Hlulani Homu, I live at Petanenge village but I attend Scouts at 1st Mohlaba. I was born 6/11/94 and started Scouts in 2009. The reason why I joined Scouts was because of the games that were being played.
After two months I went to camp at Westfalia and I realized that Scouts was not all about games but to teach young people how to live and behave with other people and I was quite surprised because I came across many things I had not been taught in school. Those things made me a boy who respects others; I am also helpful, kind, loyal and useful to other people.
Now I call myself a Scout because I live according to the Scout Laws and Promise. I have learnt not to lie and when I think of lying I feel totally guilty. I've developed morals and I enjoying living with different people that I met at camp as they are from different cultures.
I’m proud of myself because I'm honest to everybody even if people don't believe by looking at me. Scouts have been nothing but helpful to me and in my mind I am now clean in thought, word and deed. Scouts have kept me away from harmful things like drugs, alcohol etc. I'm engaged to the BP Spirit and NO ONE will remove me from it.
To those who say Scouts is stupid. Can you imagine a person who sacrificed his life for us. The man left his family, friends and profession as a teacher; he took leave from his job to help fundraise for Keep The Dream196 and Scouts.
The man lives in Australia but he started his journey in Uganda until he cycled to South Africa. His name is Mark and he doesn't cycle alone he cycles with a Koala called Katie Dee which looks like a monkey without a tail. Katie is very cute but she is also shy to talk, she only talks to Mark.
May God Bless Keep The Dream196 to have ever lasting life as well as Mark and his Koala/Monkey. All of you who read this article I wish you to spread the BP spirit so that all may have a better life. Hlulani
I trust you can see the impact we are having with the children we are serving. Thank you for partnering with us and making a difference. As Christmas is around the corner I have opened a registry for people who particularly want to give donations as presents to family or friends or to assist orphan and vulnerable children this December and January. The link is: http://www.globalgiving.org/dy/registry/gg.html?cmd=previewreg®id=7277
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