Lifeskills 2,743 vulnerable children South Africa

Dear Friends and partners of Keep The Dream196,

Greetings to you all. Well the weather has certainly become very wintery here in Tzaneen, Saturday it was a beautiful 32C and overnight it went down to 5C and has struggled to rise above 24C during the day, which for us is still very cool.

I share this as we are excitedly preparing for three (3) weeks of camp! Yes, I know, camping in winter is not “normal” however unfortunately this is the best time to reach the most young people because we are not competing with other school holidays or competing events. Clearly we are committed to doing whatever is necessary to deliver our program to upwards of 250 children…or more!

This is where we kindly request your help. We are seeing an increasing number of young people in our programs and we are expecting to take 250 children to camp over the three (3) weeks the children will gain many critical life skills (such as), leadership development, safe sexual practices, mental and spiritual enrichment and so much more.  This is our 16th year of camping and we know that this expereince is extremly impactful for each child and what they learn is also lived out in their homes and amoung their peers.

Also, camp exposes the youth to more than just camping under the stars in canvas army style tents. They also learn how to cooperate and negotiate working together in small groups, learning new skills such as: survival skills, outdoor cooking, orienteering, mapping, compass work, environmental education and leadership skills, all of which happens around the core work we want to do. This means the children are assisted with their school work with subjects such as geography and life sciences.

 This work is indeed life transforming and we could not do this work without people like you who faithfully support us.  On behalf of every child and family impacted by Keep the Dream, Thank you!

We are asking you to help us reach a goal of $7,500 which will enable us to serve 250 children for 3 weeks of camping. Your contribution of $30 will support one child for those three weeks. It is our hope that you will consider a gift of at least $30 to help us Keep the Dream of a child desiring to experience the fun and learaning opportunities of camp.  

Your contribution is tax deductable and the long term effects of this gift will last a life time.

We thank you in advnace for your kind consideration and as always we apprecaite you ongoing support of helping us keep alive the dream of a better life, hope for personal aspirations, educational success and urealized opportunities for the young people of this beautiful region of Greater Tzaneen.

If you have any questions or would like any more information, please feel free to reach me at +270732742080 or keepthedream196@gmail.com

I have created a microproject for this purpose and it will be live hopefully some time today. Or if you want to give via what you are used to that is also fine. I will know its an unusual payment and allocate it accordingly

Thank you in advance

Louise

My name is Hlulani, I grew up in a dysfunctional environment where life was shaped by the behaviour of the community, and some may call it peer-pressure. I was born in 1994/11/06 in a family whereby my father was the only bread winner, this had an impact on my growth. As I grew up I had to go to school with people who had enough at their homes. I watched them tease me because I never even had pocket money. I went to school not enjoying because I was forced. When I reached grade 5 I went to initiation school and this was a turning point for me. My life became a mess, I became something I don’t even believe I was now. When I went to grade 6, both my parent had to go and work at Johannesburg to supplement the needs of the family. They left me at home with my neighbour to look after me, I then dropped out of school.

I unleashed my so called “pseudo manhood”, I thought I had it all under control and knew what I was doing. Pity I had no idea I was only fantasising which fantasies would never have had flourished, I became naughty.  I did not listen to people who tried advising or putting some sense into me because I thought I was a man. I repeated grade 6 where I was always fighting and when interrogated about the fights I had no sugar-way of talking to adults I was always rude.

When I went to grade 7 I met people who were almost thinking the same way I did, we influenced each other, wherein a class a teacher could only reach the two-front row. We enjoyed that because that’s what we wanted, we did not want to be in the spotlight with teachers. By this time I was also involved with an organisation called Sizanani which worked together with Keep the Dream 196. Keep the Dream196 focused on changing the lives of teenager to the right path using the scout laws, motto, and promise which also enshrine in them words from the bible. They enforced behaviour change but a lot of us did not take them serious because we thought we were man’s enough to be playing games.

June 2009, Sizanani selected a few learners to attend a scout camp at westfalia, I was one of them with my other two friends. When we arrived at the camp we continually thought it was just for fun and did not take it serious. We continued to play at the camp and they noticed us, they separated us and created competitions. Those competitions ensured that we brought our A-game, we all wanted to win and it came to my attention that it was not about competitions but to ensure that we conform to the group, we respect other members, learn to share and to work with others.

My eyes opened, I saw a future in the scouts, I learnt to live by the laws, motto and scout promise. It impacted my life in a positive way, because they enforced that scouts are not failures, instead they smile and whistle under all difficulties and persist to achieve. I took advantage of Keep the Dream196’s vision and mission and it worked for me, I started advancing on my English, communication, writing and academics. From that point I never failed a grade with guidance provided to me by Keep the dream 196.

Keep the Dream196 monitored my progress, they realised that education provided at schools was never enough for one’s life, it needs supplements from other skills thus, they offered me some skills like teaching or training. Keep the Dream196 restored my life, they continually empowered me in a way that I said to myself that failure will never be an option. Through the leadership position I occupied my focus shifted from fake ideologies I had, to school and scouts only. It shaped what I wanted to be, I decided I wanted to be a teacher or a social worker which had to do with changing teenagers minds. 2016 January after receiving my matric results I attempted to enrol at Univen, Turf and TUT but I could not, Keep the Dream196 again came to my rescue offering me a job which was not necessary a job but skills and experience that enable me to mobilise resources to use when I do enrol at varsity. Currently I have enrolled at Wits University as a second-year social work student because of Keep the Dream196. I am well motivated and I still live by the scout laws, promise and motto, distance may take away my duties as a scout but I will always be part of Keep the Dream196’s program.

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