Lifeskills 2,743 vulnerable children South Africa

Avuxeni, greetings from Greater Tzaneen!

What an amazing gift you are to the children of Mopani District! Your support goes beyond words. I am truly humbled when I say this, your belief in the work we do, your support in the work we do, the personal messages of encouragement I receive are truly above and beyond. Thank you!

The bottom line is we are only as effective as the support we receive, your funds help us help those in need, those who have lost hope, those who are struggling. Your support gives us hope as an organization. It is tough doing the work we do however knowing you have our backs lightens the load considerably. Please consider just dropping me a line on keepthedream196@gmail.com so that I can share with the staff your encouragement now more than ever.

We, as a nation, have entered Level 4 Lockdown, again. Currently, we have 154,000 infected with Covid that we know of, however, I am sure the number is at least 10x higher because people are not bothering to test especially if they are living with someone who is positive. Over 60,000 have died but on the brighter side over 1,740,000 have recovered.

Level 4 means that we are working from home where possible, that we can no longer meet as large groups but rather as individuals. We could see that the 3rd wave of Covid was coming and prepared materials/programs in advance for the children to continue with at home.

Over the course of this week, we are going door to door, to speak to parents about the programs, meeting with the children, encouraging them, identifying those at risk once again from food insecurity due to the lockdown. Once again, many parents have lost their jobs as owners of small businesses have not yet recovered from last year's 4months Level 5 lockdown where the economy ground to a screaming halt.

We have been able to distribute seeds again for seed gardens and community gardens where permission is available. We have the Tide Turners Program which is about raising awareness about pollution in the ocean and rivers caused by plastic. Another program is the Sustainable Development Goals where children learn about Clean Water and Sanitation, Clean and Affordable Energy; Decent Work and Economic Growth; and Sustainable Communities.

What I love about these programs is the application, for example under the Decent Work and Economic Growth the children learn about entrepreneurship. They have to identify a product opportunity, market their idea, raise cash flow, sell the item and eventually expand their idea. Micro-businesses are the future, this activity will get the kids thinking short and longer-term. I wish I had had a program like this when I was growing up. I have had to learn these skills as an adult which is not always easy.

Looking at Clean and Affordable Energy focuses particularly on using solar as a means to cook, the children get to experiment with making solar ovens that reduce electricity costs and are clean energy. They are also will do home electricity audits and create ways for the household to save electricity and therefore money. Another portion of the project is understanding the importance of purifying water before consumption and what are the various diseases that we will be at risk of if we don't use clean water.

This is just a brief introduction to the projects we are running during the Lockdown, all these activities will assist the children with their school subjects as well, so when they return to school, hopefully, they will be a bit further ahead of their peers.

All of this YOU have made possible. You bring hope, you bring real hope and real change.

Thank you

Blessings

Louise

I started scouts in 2003, as one of the children who were on the pilot phase and immediately loved it. I was a scout for 6 years and I have made so many friends. My most precious experience was when I went to Johannesburg for PLTU Course (Patrol Leader Training Unit), we were trained on leadership skills, how to instruct and first aid. Through the training I discovered my career path, I knew right away that I wanted to work with children.

After getting my Social Work degree I started working for Keep The Dream 196, I have been enjoying it because one of my deepest passions is working with children. Through KTD196 I have been given the opportunity to change and amend the National Scouts Programme for children throughout South Africa to make it achievable for children in rural and developing communities.

One of my special moments as a Social Worker was when my colleague and I were helping out at one of the school groups under Keep The Dream 196. I was in charge of the scout group (age 11-15) and it was doing well, the children were coming to the meeting and actively participating. During one of our troop meetings, a school teacher came with a young boy, looking very angry and she didn’t know what to do with the boy. When she came to me her immediate words were “please help us with this little thief, I am tired, the school is tired and you are our last resort”. After she said that she didn’t even wait for me to respond, she let go of the child and left.

Most of the children in the group started rejecting the boy as well because he was a thief and they didn’t want any of their stuff to go missing. After the 1^st meeting, I asked some of the leaders in the group why they didn’t want him in the troop. They explained that the boy was a thief, he steals pens just to throw them away, he lies and he sometimes doesn’t sleep at home. I was very worried that the boy sometimes didn’t sleep at home, I had to get more information on him. I decided to go back to the teacher who brought him and asked her to tell me a bit more about the boy she brought to the troop meeting.

The teacher explained that the child was basically staying all alone, his mom had a drinking problem and his grandmother sold alcohol as well. The boy practically takes care of himself, he sometimes steals money from his mom not to use it but just to stress his mother. She never attends any parent meetings or cares about how her child is doing academically. The teacher also explained that his grades have been dropping for a while and his mother doesn’t care at all.

The following week the boy tried running away from the troop but I called him and asked him to come and he did, I told the other children that we are not perfect and should support each other. The little boy smiled and he asked if he can part of a patrol. He continued coming, he was very active within the troop and I saw how children were starting to accept him and had stopped calling him a thief. The boy started living a positive life, children who were staying next to him explained that he was always home and had started playing soccer. He was no longer stealing from his mother and would sleep at home.

Through Keep The Dream 196 I have gained a lot of experience in community development, project management, training in Gender-Based Violence, and my self-confidence has improved as well. I have also had the privilege of representing KTD196 at the International level in Thailand and Kenya working on Child Protection Policies because of my Social Work Degree. I am now also working with the World Scout Movement on the Safe Scouting Policy.

KTD196 has opened up so many doors for me to grow and develop but also to influence and bring hope and change to others. The children see me and they see that they too can reach their dreams!

Thank you KTD196 you will always be my home!

Nkulu

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Avuxeni, minjani? Umfekele minjan from a chilly, cloudy, and wet South Africa. We don't normally have rain in winter, and I guess with an average rainfall of over 1.2metres that 30ml is not really rain but still it is wet.

I want to thank you for supporting KTD196, we are making a difference in so many children's lives and it is exciting to see. Our kids are handling the Covid situation well and are looking forward to resuming school properly after the school holidays in July. Of course with our activities, we have had to jump around and change how we do what we do so that we are compliant with all the rules.

Over the last 18yrs, we have worked with approximately 15,000 children and their families to varying degrees. What has been a privilege to watch has been the transformation close hand of some of those adults and children that we work with. Angy is one of those people. She joined us from another organization and was always a naughty person. Naughty in a good way, most of the time. What has been wonderful is to see this passion for people in general and children, in particular, come to the forefront of her character. She has changed so much for the better, but that is her story to tell below.

What I realize is this program works on everyone, it challenges everybody's behavior and attitudes and one gets confronted with who one really is, and then the opportunity to change is available. Even when we make mistakes, as long as we learn from those mistakes, then change takes place. It is so exciting to see adults and children change for the better and become all they want to be in order to change their families and communities.

So let me introduce you to Angy, one of our Field Officers.

Thank you

Louise

My name is Angelina but people call me Angie or Pantsula (the naughty one). I am from Fobeni Village in Bolobedu South.

Before joining KTD 196 I was working at another organization in Tzaneen as Home Based Caregiver Co-ordinator for Motupa area. I had a very good relationship with the clinics I was working with and also with the community at large. That is where I met Louise and Akela (Zabe or Elizabeth).

I never knew that I will get such a warm welcome as I got at KTD196. Keep The Dream196 staff, Rosemary is a joker, Constance also has funny jokes, Catherine cool but naughty, Sevy is the teenager. We also have Nkulu she is a younger sister but also my mentor and Zabe she is like a sister to me, and Louise she is like a mother to me.

I am always happy at KTD196 and I enjoy my job. Meeting new friends, learning new ideas and also learning other people’s culture. I am now able to cope in many situations which I didn't think was possible, like good relationships with anyone irrespective of color, age, and race. It is not always work, work, and work. We also have time to support each other in good and bad times; it’s either personal or work-related issues. We are always there for each other.

If I have a problem with one of my groups I ask Rosemary for advice, if I have a problem with a child, I ask Nkulu because she is a social worker. At the moment I have 7 kids in one of my groups who are all around 15yrs and still in primary school because the teachers have given up on them and say they are stupid. I asked Akela (who is trained as a teacher) to help me because they are failing school every year. These kids I have learnt are not stupid, they are not taught the way they need to be to understand. The classes are too big and these kids don't get the help they need to succeed. I want to help them succeed.

Keep The Dream196 staff make me smile and whistle in all situations no matter how tough. Some times the kids face big problems, even we do as adults. 

I loved working with people but as you all know that we all have some weaknesses. I was short-tempered and sometimes not thinking about others. With the support I get from KTD196 staff, I am now a happy, respectful, loving, and caring woman.

We are like family because we support each other at work and personal. I enjoy working at KTD196 and love what I do daily. When I start working with kids it was not easy because my aim was to make the difference. I was afraid, what if I not to achieve my goals or maybe if kids will not be interested in what I was doing. Working with kids changed my life, I learned to love, care, support, and understand others. I woke up every day with a smile and energy to work with kids and ensure that I am ready to change their lives.

When I started my group, I meet with them every Friday, for 11yrs.

I remember there was this one girl that thinks that because she is poor, she is not suitable to socialize with others. After attending few meetings, she realizes that being poor does not stop you to play with other kids. She is now open and able to stand up in the group and talk or help others. She is doing very well at school as she is now having the confidence to ask questions in class.

Working with KTD196 it’s WOW to me! I have changed so much. This program is not just for kids, all the staff have changed and learnt how to work with kids and with adults and really change families and communities.

Viva KTD196 Viva

With love

Angy

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