Hello Friends!

This month has been action packed with our major funders Julie Brangstrup and Chloe Green from Cash & Rocket journeying to South Africa to award new scholarships for 2016 and see the amazing progress happening at Sumbandila. With them we travelled throughout rural Vhembe to tell 11 children that they have won the scholarship. We introduce you to each inspiring student who will join the Sumbandila family next year. We also had a special visit from our Dutch funder Bart Fuijkschot (August Schippers Foundation) who had great time catching up with our students.

Sumbandila Story of the Month

Cash & Rocket Visits Sumbandila! Watch Chloe Green and Julie Brangstrup with Leigh Bristow and the new Sumbandila residential students for 2016.

Julie and Chloe are familiar faces to our Sumbandila children and they were warmly welcomed at the Sumbandila boarding house and Ridgeway College where they met Mr Bruce Wells (new Ridgeway executive head) for the first time.

Both Julie and Chloe were delighted to see the developments as a result of Cash & Rocket’s generous support. These include a projector and screen in the school hall, the paving of the dusty playground at Luvhalani primary, the new boys boarding home, improvements to the kitchen and boarding facilities, a Combi which allows us to transport our children, the children learning to swim, the new Sumbandila offices and much more.

Most importantly Julie and Chloe were able to see the growth and development of the students they welcomed into the family last year and were reunited with both the Outliers and residential students.

En-route to the airport on Saturday we were also able to see the new University residence and meet some of the university students on our Tertiary programme.

Thank you Julie and Chloe for taking time out of your busy lives to share this special time with us. Lotus and Jagger thank you for embracing the experience with such enthusiasm and empathy.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW FULL SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS FOR 2016

We are excited to introduce our eleven new Sumbandila students who will begin their eight year journey with us in January. All on the full Full Residential programme, these extraordinarily gifted youngsters will board at the Sumbandila residence in Louis Trichardt and attend Ridgeway College.

Each child has been hand picked out of hundreds of applications, several rounds of testing and in depth interviews. Rigorous background checks have ensured that they qualify financially; indeed they all come from extremely disadvantaged home environments. These are the students who showed the most promise in leadership and entrepreneurial qualities, academic potential, grit and zest. We are honoured to introduce the 2016 intake:

Rolivhuwa Sithubi stays with his mom in Tshikota. Though he has been fortunate to study on a scholarship at De-Mont Catholic school, has no funds for a good secondary education. Rolivhuwa showed great leaderhsip potential during our testing and impressed us with his English skills and emotional intelligence.

The lovely and shy Khotso Mametja from Maebani Village essentially lives alone because her mother resides in Johannesburg and her grandmother, her primary care-taker, passed away recently. Khotso is extremely bright and excelled in Maths English and the percepyual skills tests during testing.

Mashau Mudau attends Muduluni Primary school and stays with her aunt and cousins. Her tough upbringing has moulded her highly driven personality. Her aunt who grasps the desperation of this child was deeply emotional when we brought her the good news.

Originally from Zimbabwe, Medlinah Mugiyo stays with her mom and twin sisters in Madombidzha. Bursting with confidence, Medlinah shows great leadership and entrepreneurial potential, and cannot wait for her new life to begin at Ridgeway College.

The wide eyed Isaac Masindi was a definite choice from the moment we first met him in his interview. The star pupil of Tshikurukuru Primary, Isaac is an intelligent and sensitive boy who has endured deep trauma, having recently lost his mother. His primary caregiver is now his elder brother. The pupils and teachers at Isaac’s school were delighted with his success and gave him an overwhelming send off. Isaac is now closer to his dream of becoming an astronaut.

Lusanda Masindi, from Siloam primary school, lost both her parents and her only sibling at an early age, but is lucky to have loving and supportive grandparents. In her interview, her love and respect for her grandfather shone through her tears and when we finally met this wonderful man we understood why. She has a gentle demeanour but has both grit and zest.

The boisterous Zwanthesa Mukwevho lives with his unemployed parents and two brothers in Nzhelele. Another obvious choice for the panel, Zwanthesa exudes a confidence and determination, rarely seen at his age. Very aware of his humble upbringing, Zwanthesa is all the more ready to embrace his new life with Sumbandila and “show the way” for his community.

The gentle Nyiko Ngoveni stays with her aunt and grandmother in a lovely traditional home in Bungeni as both her parents work in Durban. She shows maturity for her age and has a fantastic grasp of English.

Ndoswika Lusunzi from Fondwe Primary school lost his father 2 years ago and stays with his mother in Fondwe village. Full of charisma and respect, he shows a keen eye for investigation and science, but also excelled at the Entrepreneurial game.

For the first time ever Sumbandila is awarding two full scholarships to students currently in form one on the Outlier programme. “We are honouring their outstanding school results, commitment and sheer hard work” said Leigh Bristow.

Thendo Luvhengo and Tendamudzimu Mafadza started with Sumbandila in January on the Outlier programme and will now join the Full Residential form 2 stream in 2016, as their IGCSE syllabus commences. They were visibly shocked and overjoyed when Julie delivered the news.

We welcome all these amazing young people to Sumbandila and hope they get a good December rest before the hard work begins! 

Major Sponsor visits Sumbandila 

On 27 October we had the honour of receiving a visit from one of our major, long-time donors: Bart Fuijkschot, Chairman of the August Schippers Foundation in the Netherlands.

This Foundation has donated various facilities to Ridgeway College over a period of 10 years including the school library, extensions to the IT lab, the power generator, ablution blocks, water harvesting system and most recently a high tech sound system for the school Hall.

Most importantly Bart and the August Schippers Foundation has fully sponsored four full Sumbandila Residential scholarships, two of whom are now at University studying medicine and social science and two who will be studying genetics and food commerce next year.

In addition the foundation is still sponsoring a total of four students on full scholarships.

Bart visits Sumbandila and Ridgeway College every year and the students look forward to sharing dinner, conversation and catch ups with him.

Bart said the following at our dinner:

‘He [August Schippers] left in his will that his wealth must be used for the future of the children in South Africa… If given a chance, take it, and always with a smile. My motto is always try to smile.

Leigh thank you for everything you do here in this place. It’s immense, it’s huge, it takes power and you’ve got power. Thank you very much’.

We are always grateful for Bart’s commitment and interest in our organization and thank him for another wonderful visit.

On the 9th of November Leigh, Angela, Thiofhi and Emily attended the Limpopo Minerals Conference hosted by the Fossil Fuel Foundation. Sumbandila attended the function to share information about the organisation, get advice from the industry as to the scarce skills they require and explore the possibility of internships in the mining sector..

Sumbandila was lucky to get a presentation slot during the conference and their presentation was received with enthusiasm, particularly the possibility of B-BBEE benefits for companies.

We would like to thank Mike Cresswel at DRA for referring us to this conference, the organisers Denise and Oliver for a successful and fruitful event and most importantly to all the contacts we made; thank you for your advice and guidance for the future.

Sandra attends engineering field trip

Sandra Rabulanyana is currently doing her third year in Civil Engineering at the University of Pretoria. On the weekend of 23 October her class went on a field trip to Barberton in Mpumalanga, a prime geological site known for its green-stone belt.

Sandra says the trip really put a lot of the theory she has learnt into perspective, especially in terms of soil types and geo-technology, and the idea that ‘every rock has a story’. They also visited the Mall of Africa as a case study for their modules on steel and concrete structures. We are pleased to see one of our very first Sumbandila girls travel the country and excel in this rigorous four year degree.

Kind regards

Leigh Bristow

Thank you Sumbandila! Can’t believe it is already been a month since our visit!
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Hello Friends!

As we draw to the end of a year that has been characterised by troubled waters both at home and abroad we must remember Albert Einstein’s wise words:

“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding”

How better can we achieve understanding than by ensuring a quality education that teaches respect, tolerance, accountability, and the importance of service in leadership.

Thank you to all of you who help us to achieve this !!!!!

• Happy holidays to all our friends and supporters.
• On the 28th of November all our Residential and Outlier and many of our University students gathered with friends and staff at Ridgeway College to celebrate our achievements in 2015.
• This month we honour the August Schippers Foundation and Mr. Bart Fuijkschot, long term supporters of both Sumbandila and Ridgeway College.
• Sumbandila students excel at Ridgeway’s Honours evening.

Sumbandila Story of the Month 

August Schippers Foundation and Mpho Netshifefhe

• In October Mr. Bart Fuijkschot from the August Schippers Foundation paid his annual visit to Sumbandila and Ridgeway College. The August Schippers Foundation have sponsored a total of nine students on the full residential programme since 2008.
• In 2016 five of their students will be at University: one in third year social science, two in second year medicine, one in first year bachelor of science (genetics) and one in first year bachelor of commerce. Four remain at Ridgeway College.
• We are very pleased to announce that the foundation have also just agreed to sponsor Mpho Netshifefhe for his final year at Ridgeway College.

• Mpho has not only just scored 100% in his form four pre AS-level maths exam, he has also been appointed onto Ridgeway’s council and as prefect at the hostel.
• Watch this video to find out more about The August Schippers Foundation’s dedication to Ridgeway and Sumbandila, and Bart’s personal connection with our students:

Dear Friends

December 1st was World Aids Day and here at OAfrica we have declared the entire month of December AIDS awareness month.

Even though Ghana is not facing an AIDS crisis on the same scale as some other countries in sub Saharan Africa, there is still a lot to be done in terms of education and changing perceptions regarding the disease.

HIV and AIDS has impacted our OAfrica beneficiaries either directly or indirectly.  Children directly affected are those who are infected (at birth, via mother to child transmissions) and those who have lost one or both parents to the disease. It also includes those who have siblings or parents living with HIV and AIDS – an indirect impact.

We have 14 beneficiaries who are directly affected. This figure is much higher when you consider the indirect impact, as entire families feel the effect when loved ones are diagnosed with HIV. With the help of Cash & Rocket, OAfrica can help these children to live longer and to live better quality lives thanks to medication such as ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs).

OAfrica assists families who have been impacted by HIV and AIDS with financial and psychological support. Children who are infected are given the necessary ARVs and our trained social workers are equipped to give the necessary emotional and psychological support to those infected with and affected by the disease.

In order to respect the privacy of the children/young people mentioned in this newsletter, names have been changed to protect their identities.

David – 15 years old

David is living with HIV.

He lost his mother when he was just six years old. His father is still alive however his HIV status has not been explored.

Due to problems at home, David ended up living on the streets. He slept in the open at night and eventually dropped out of school.

Because he was living on the streets, he defaulted on the anti-retroviral drugs he was supposed to be taking.

Sick and malnourished, he arrived at OAfrica, after a referral from the Department of Social Welfare.

He was placed on OAfrica support in October of 2010, and was placed in foster care with Mama Francisca Asare.

Now back at school, he attends the Carol Gray International School at Somenya and receives retroviral therapy from the Korle-bu hospital.

David is a sweet-natured teen who wants to be a mechanic someday. He loves listening to Gospel music and playing football. He describes himself as “obedient, hardworking and kind.”

Robert – 10 years old

Robert is one the cases of mother to child transmission infection.

He has a very difficult and complex family situation and thus he is in the care of an OAfrica foster mother. This provides him with a family unit, stability and the correct supervision in terms of taking his anti-retroviral drugs.

For fun, he likes to draw. He is a very quiet and introverted soul but once he feels comfortable with those around him, he comes out of his shell

Deborah and her brother, Felix – 17 and 10 years old

When AIDS doesn’t only affect the individual who is diagnosed as HIV positive, it also has a massive impact on their family members, who often have to bear the financial cost and act as care givers and providers of emotional support. This is the case with brother and sister, Felix and Deborah.

Currently, Felix and Deborah live with foster mother, mama Edith. Felix lives with HIV. His mother died of AIDS and his father is HIV possitive. As the older sister Deborah, has to date, been administering his medication, and reminding him to take them, which she does diligently.

This is an enormous responsibility for a young adult like herself, so we try to do everything in our power to support her emotionally and so that she can be a pillar of strength for her younger brother.

Felix is your typical ten-year-old boy. He likes playing football and his favourite player is Messi. He has big dreams for the future – he wants to become a lawyer someday.

His sister Deborah likes to watch popular Ghanaian TV shows when she’s not doing her homework and studies. She dreams of going to university to study medicine after school. She explains, “I wish to be a doctor so I can help people”.

Tano – 5 years old

Abandoned as a new-born, Tano was found some open fields by a local farmer. He was later taken to the Police Station and then brought to OAfrica. He is currently in the care of a Foster Mother. He lives with three other children and he loves to read his storybooks and play football with the other boys.

He was infected at birth (mother-to-child transmission) and is one of the youngest beneficiaries at OAfrica living with HIV. Thanks to the team at OAfrica he has access to medical care and emotional support as well as anti-retroviral drugs, which are crucial to his health and well-being.

Thank you very much Cash & Rocket friends for your amazing support!

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear Cash & Rocket Family,

“The holiday season is the perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek out ways to make life better for those around us.” -Terri Marshall

This quote beautifully summarizes what the holidays mean for us. It’s been an amazing year of strength, partnership, bravery, transformation and teamwork. We are so proud of our accomplishments this year and are looking forward to a beautiful 2016.

We are excited to share some updates happening on the ground in Sierra Leone. Our students and Family Support Program (FSP) children and their families are having their Christmas party at Muddy Lotus Primary School. All of the community is invited and there will be food, music and games! They will open presents that the Shine On team has purchased for all students and FSP children. The students are out of school until January – they are grateful for the break but also excited to get back to school next month!

The holidays are a time to sit in deep reflection on all that we are grateful for. Please enjoy this TED Talk, “Want to be happy? Be grateful.” The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you’re going, and above all, being grateful.

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_…

The team at Shine On Sierra Leone extends our most heartfelt wishes for a
Happy Holiday to you and your loved ones. SHINE ON!

Tiffany Persons, Founder

Tara Smith, Global Goodwill Ambassador

Selita Ebanks, Global Goodwill Ambassador

Happy new year to all our friends and funders!

2016 Got off to an excellent start with some wonderful results from school and university students and lots of excitement as school leavers arrive in the big cities to start university and our new Sumbandila scholars start high school and primary school.

Exciting news in this newsletter:

• Rosie Tshanduko Mudzanani, one of the original Marwyn children. graduates from the University of Cape Town. Read the story of the month for more.

• Results: Cambridge AS, Cambridge IGCSE, IEB and NSC

• 27 New tertiary students in 2016

• Leigh in the running for Clarins most dynamic woman of the year

STORY OF THE MONTH

Rosymary Tshanduko Mudzanani graduates from the University of Cape Town

Most of you will be familiar with the tiny girl featured in the Harbers Foundation video, and many other Sumbandila videos over the years. A tiny malnourished but determined 13 year old, she was selected in the very first Marwyn group of 9 girls in 2007.

The defining theme of her entire life and her 8 year journey with Sumbandila is one of extraordinary courage and triumph over extreme adversity.

Despite being orphaned at 7, losing her only sister in her final year of university and many other hardships Rosie passed her BCom degree in Economics and Finance at the University of Cape Town at the end of 2015.

It’s very exciting, I’ve never been this excited in my life’ says Rosy with a beaming smile.

Rosie’s schooling was funded by Marwyn Investments (London) and her undergraduate degree by Studietrust, Investec and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Enormous thanks go to these funders and supporters.

To add to her joy Rosie has now been accepted for a BCom Honours in financial analysis and portfolio management at UCT for 2016.

Rosy is a realist in her sense of personal responsibility. Her tough and sometimes cold determination comes from having to be a fighter from a young age. Perhaps this explains why, only days after celebrating her graduating triumph, she began worrying about funding.

‘It’s not easy to get funding for your honours. But if you worry about funding, all your time literally goes there, you can’t focus on anything’.

She was relieved to hear that her Investec bursary will continue into honours.

‘It’s great to wake up knowing that I don’t have to worry about who’s going to pay for my fees. I can’t say that for so many students in our country because, it’s not like that’.

“I must thank the Sumbandila, Studietrust and Investec families. I wouldn’t have made it without them, they’ve been helpful throughout the way’.

Excellent school leaving results for our students

Full Residential Students (Cambridge & IEB)

Phuluso Mawela (AS Level): 1 Distinction (Biology 87%) with average of 72% average. He will studygenetics at the University of Pretoria this year.

Timothy Mukansi (AS Level): 2 Distinctions (Biology 83%; Maths 86%) 75% average. He will study engineering on a scholarship at Wits this year.

Karabo Manuga (IEB) She has received a full Vodacom bursary to study Marketing Management at the University of Pretoria.

Outlier Students (NSC Exams)

Our Outlier students have produced a set of matric (Government NSC) results that rivals top schools in the country. Their average for English is 72%, Maths is 63% and Science is 64%. The majority of them received at least one distinction, and many of them have more. Among the most successful are:

These excellent results reflect the additional tuition and counselling that our Outliers received over the past five years. Many of them have university acceptance for their desired courses and degrees and with our help are in the process of consolidating their bursaries and funding options for 2016 (see next story).

What exactly do we do in our Tertiary Programme?

‘This time of year is perhaps the most critical of all. What good is the five year programme for the students if they find a dead end after matric? It is our mission to bridge every student into the world of tertiary’ said Leigh Bristow.

We assist with:

• Advice on field of study

• The application process to university

• Finding them funding

• Sorting out their accommodation

• Transporting them to their universities

• Liaising with Universities

• The registration process

• Provide small loans to tide them over until their funding kicks in and/or to supplement inadequate funds.

Welcoming our new 2016 residential students

The year started with a bang for our 12 new Sumbandila students. To minimize the inevitable culture shock of becoming boarders and attending Ridgeway they all attended a week of orientation from 4 to 8 January.

All parents and guardians were invited to the hostel to see the residences, the school and to meet the Sumbandila staff. Leigh Bristow encouraged them to take an interest in their children’s progress and to keep them rooted in their home communities over weekends and holidays.

In true Sumbandila spirit, the idea of this orientation was first introduced last year and executed by our graduates themselves. Wanting to assist the children who come after them, Thiofhi Lambani and Shadrack Khorombi are the stars who set this it in motion.

‘We don’t lie to them and say it’s going to be so easy and wonderful to be at Ridgeway. It’s going to be hard and they’re going to have to work hard’, says Thiofhi, who is doing a course in marketing at CTI this year.

‘Orientation week teaches them to accept themselves as they are. So that when they get to Ridgeway College they don’t start comparing themselves to other kids and feeling inferior’.

Shadrack, who remembers the struggle of adapting to a middle class school said ‘the orientation and tuition classes help them get a feel of their new environment. We can’t throw them in the deep end without teacing them to swim. They don’t know how to swim’.

Orientation also plays an important role in strengthening the “sibling” bond between the new students who will have to look out for each other in the months to come. Thanks Thiofhi, Shadrack, Mpho, Tshumelo, tutors and staff who assisted on this program.

Form 4 Residentials shine with Cambridge International IGCSE results

We are very pleased with the IGCSE results of our form 4 students which were published on 19 January. Our four full residential students wrote these challenging exams after only three years with Sumbandila, and did very well. We are particularly proud of Thiofhi Mammburu who received 2 distinctions for Biology and Physical Science. Herewith the full set of results:

Fabulous soccer gear from Cash & Rocket

Julie Brangstrup from Cash & Rocket, on her last visit in 2015, decided to spoil our residential boys when she saw how enthusiastic they were about their favourite sport, soccer. The Sumbandila hostel team now has a brand new soccer kit for every player. This includes soccer shirts (team numbers), trousers and socks. Thank you so much Julie and Cash & Rocket for your generosity!

Our new Primary and pre-Primary scholars

We welcome four new Sumbandila children onto the primary school and EDC (Early Childhood Development) programme for 2016.

Providence Manyamba and Oritonda Nemalale will join Langanani Ravele (who joined last year) in Grade 5 at Ridgeway Independent School. Zwiswa Ravhuhali and Hope Maluleke will replace Nommy Makhubele at the preschool. Nommy is now starting her first year at Ridgeway Independent.

We wish them all a joyous year full of fun, learning and laughter!

Leigh in the run to be Clarins Most dynamic woman of the year 2016

We have pleasure in announcing that Leigh Bristow was nominated for and is now a finalist in the Clarins Most Dynamic Woman of the year award! Every year the title goes to a South African woman who is caring for disadvantaged, ill or orphaned children.

Leigh was nominated by Thiofhi Lambani, a Sumbandila scholar and the wiz behind our social media.

We are thrilled to be honoured in this way by Clarins and were delighted to host the Clarins team last year.

‘Remember it is many South African dynamic women I represent. Our staff, teachers, funders, students and the moms, grans, aunts and sisters who stand behind them’ said Leigh.

The winner will be announced at a function on the 2^nd of February.

Buy the February issue of Fair Lady, Sarie or True Love to read the featured article with Leigh and the other two finalists.

Kind regards

Leigh Bristow

Dear Friends,

OAfrica and Cash & Rocket are working very hard to improve people’s lives and make a difference in this world. As the year 2015 came to an end, it is time to look at results!

Children and Families: 

• 76 children and their families were supported through the Family Support Services program. That means 76 vulnerable children who were formerly living in an orphanage or at risk of abandonment are living in a safe, stable and loving family (biological, extended or foster families).
• 4 children, who were previously in foster care, were reunified with their families. Start up packages were provided to the families and the children’s progress was closely monitored by their respective social workers.

• 25 families on Income Generating Activities program who received support in setting up a business as a way to generate their own incomes in order to support their families.

Young Adults:

• 76 young adults received emotional and financial support, exposure to life skills training and opportunities to do internships through the Young Adult Support Services program.

• Graduations: 8
• University admissions: 2
• Internships: 6

Education: 

• 307 children were supported to continue their education in local primary, junior and senior high schools.
•  Support includes: school fees and related costs such as uniforms and books.
•  Those with learning disabilities received extra classes and tutoring.

MEET THEO

Francis Anipah - OAfrica staff profile

Dear Friends

 January and February have been very busy months, settling new form one students into Ridgeway College and the Sumbandila residences and even more challenging settling new university students into their respective universities.

The continued strikes and rioting at the universities delayed registration and in some universities the troubles continue.

Sumbandila Story of the Month

Sumbandila is thrilled to have its founding director Leigh Bristow win the Clarins Most Dynamic Woman of the Year Award for 2015. The award comes with prize money of R250 000.00, an AVIS car for a year, and of course all the publicity and recognition that is so necessary to gain support and raise funds for our organization.

 “Although one tries to always remain grounded and humble in one’s work, it is very special to be acknowledged and appreciated in this way” said Leigh at the Clarins Press Conference.

It was a Sumbandila student who nominated Leigh for this award – thanks must go to Thiofhi Lambani (2009 intake) for nominating Leigh and for embodying the spirit of Sumbandila by giving back in this way .

Sam Wright, one of the many bloggers covering the final Clarins function, was inspired to write about Thiofhi in her blog. 

For Sumbandila this experience was so much more than simply receiving an award. Firstly the visit from Lynne Hanna (Clarins CEO South Africa) and her team meant a great deal to our students, giving them an opportunity to show off their school and their home away from home. Secondly for a small organisation in a forgotten province, the idea of being honoured in this way by an international brand like Clarins, means so much to our students and to our community, it is truly aspirational. We are so touched and privileged to be part of the very special family called Clarins.

Upon receiving the award at the Woman of the year Clarins function, Leigh spoke about the many challenges of education in South Africa, but emphasized how helping only one child can have a ripple effect and make an enormous impact.

‘This organization requires huge human resources and it’s expensive. But our underpinning philosophy is rather take a few children all of the way than take many children some of the way’ said Leigh.

Leigh also stressed the incredible role that women play in supporting children.

Read this month’s issue of Fairlady, Sarie, and True Love for Leigh’s featured article on winning the award.

Vhonani graduates from TUT

Vhonani Makhado was selected as one of the very first Sumbandila residential girls in 2008. Fully sponsored by Marwyn Investment Management London for secondary school and by Studietrust  and Sun International for tertiary, she is now the proud recipient of a degree in Hospitality Management from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

She admits that the road was not always easy. The transition from rural village life to an independent school in the local town meant coping with very different cultural norms and coping with the guilt of having so much more than other family members. Adjusting to the large city when she first went to Pretoria had other challenges including a mugging incident. The confident young woman she is today, moves with ease in all the different shades of our rainbow nation and she herself stresses the importance of the invaluable support of Sumbandila and Studietrust.

‘I believe Sumbandila is a giver of hope. They give you a vision of saying ‘You were down once, you didn’t have a way to go, but I believe you can be bigger than what you are today’ says Vhonani.

When asked why she so often burst into tears as a younger student she replied,

‘It was more the fear of being stuck in poverty. When you know you have potential and you know you’re not going to get anywhere with it holding you back’ .

Vhonani describes hospitality as a perfect fit for her. She loves working with people, and her strong organizational skills allowed her to specialize in the management side of the industry. She is thrilled to have obtained her degree from TUT within the minimum time, quite unusual in our tertiary system.

Vhonani is now ready to enter the workplace and already has several internships lined up. Her ultimate goal is to have her own company and partner with other Sumbandila graduates to make it work.

Vhonani adds that with Sumbandila ‘I can be anything I want, I don’t have to choose anyone else’s path, I can start my own path’.

Congratulations Vhonani! We are so proud of you!

Visit from Philip Hewitt

Philip, a psychoanalyst from London who has been visiting Ridgeway College and Sumbandila over the past six years, recently paid us a visit.
 
He was able to visit our university students at the Sumbandila house in Pretoria on Friday 12^th February. Students traveled from Johannesburg and Pretoria to join us for the Friday evening.
 
Philip implemented the peer support system in Ridgeway College in 2011 and has participated in  the coaching of the peer support ever since.  It is a wonderful and very important part of our school culture and we were delighted to have him coaching the 2016 peer supporters.
 
Philip spent valuable  time with both the Sumbandila and Ridgeway staff supporting them in their role as teachers and counselors. We are so grateful for his wisdom and his years of experience as a counselor in the school context.
 
Most importantly Philip was able to facilitate a workshop for Sumbandila staff, university students, and school students. The objective was to reflect on the last eight years and look at the lessons learnt, challenges and success stories and get the students themselves to think about the way forward.
 
It was a wonderful two days and very special to spend time with our students ranging from the very first group to our newest intake.
 
Thank you Philip for the years of travelling from London to Louis Trichardt and for becoming part of the Sumbandila and Ridgeway family. We treasure all that we have learned from you.

Amazing talk by Everest Climbers!

When Lynne Hanna, CEO of Clarins sub Saharan Africa, visited Sumbandila with the Clarins team, she gave us a small insight into her extraordinary life and that of her husband Noel Hanna.

Leigh asked them if they would consider visiting Ridgeway and Sumbandila and telling all the Sumbandila and Ridgeway students their remarkable story.

The generous couple took a day out of their busy schedules to fly all the way to Limpopo and present at the Shandukani Hall at Ridgeway College.

Lynne left school at a young age and started her career in a department store selling cosmetics, through sheer hard work, determination, a love of people and a natural ability in sales she is now the CEO of Clarins sub Saharan Africa. In a country with thousands of children who do not have access to tertiary education this is a wonderfully inspiring story.

Her husband Noel started his career as a policeman in Ireland and then gave it all up to become an endurance- adventure sportsman and now leads tours all over the world.

Noel has summited Everest seven times and Lynne and Noel are the first married couple to ever summit Everest. They are about to repeat this extraordinary achievement in April of this year and have kindly agreed to carry a tiny flag with the Sumbandila logo to the summit. “Showing us the way” to the summit of the highest mountain in the world.

Lynne and Noel’s presentation, filled with visuals, was so personal and told with such enthusiasm and sincerity that Mr. Wells the headmaster commented “I felt I was there with you climbing those icy peaks and walking on those rickety ladders over dangerous culverts, the suspense was tangible”.

Lynne emphasised the point that so often on these climbs or long marathons, it is easy to simply give up but to pick oneself up and finish the race is such an important theme to carry throughout one’s life.

In her thank you speech at the end of the presentation, Sumbandila student Khanyisile Tshotwane described the Everest story as metaphor for life, the mountain representing each of our individual struggles that we continually strive to conquer.

Thank you Lynne and Noel for the gift of your valuable time and your wonderful stories.

New full scholarship student shines in athletics

• 1st place in 800m and 1500m (Saturday 23 January, Louis Trichardt High School)
• 2nd place 800m (11 February, 9 schools at Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane)  Well done Tenda!
• Special mention also goes to our other Sumbandila students for the 11 February competition in Polokwane:
• Ronewa Rambau 3rd place – 1500m
• Joyce Khunoane 3rd place – 400m

Academic achievements

Kind regards

Leigh Bristow

Tiffany Persons

Founder

Tara Smith

Global Goodwill Ambassador

Selina Ebanks

Global Goodwill Ambassador

Dear Friends,

OAfrica currently supports a number of children who have special needs. These include those with physical conditions as well as mental/psychological issues. We have beneficiaries living with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, learning difficulties, behavioural problems, physical disabilities and handicaps, and those who are Visually and Hearing impaired.

Our relationship with the New Horizon Special School is one that has been in existence for 14 years now. There are currently 11 OAfrica children enrolled at the school, who receive specialised education and care thanks to the highly skilled teaching staff and assistants.

The philosophy of the school is to develop each child to their fullest potential, working with whatever physical or mental limitations they may have. The principal of the school, Miss Vanessa, prides herself in creating a safe and supportive environment in which the children can progress to the best of their abilities.

Sensory integration is a concept not taught at traditional schools but is part of the curriculum at New Horizon Special School. Because children with special needs have diminished sensory ability, these sessions are designed to help them re-access their sensory ability again.

Children with special needs require special care, and education tailored to their specific needs. For example, children with Cerebral Palsy or those who are wheelchair bound, often require assistance with walking and visiting the washroom. This is where the teaching assistants come in – they provide the necessary support and assistance to those children who face physical/movement challenges.

OAfrica not only pays for the school fees of the children who attend this school, but also all the other associated costs. This includes equipment needed by each child; such as back braces, wheelchairs, and crutches. Obviously school fees to attend a special school are substantially higher than traditional school fees for non-impaired children. This is because of the specialised education offered as well as the highly trained staff contingent. Having the services of an on-site physiotherapist, and assistants who are in class every day to aid pupils with mobility difficulties equates to additional costs. OAfrica covers all these expenses thanks to Cash & Rocket.

On turning 18, the young adults leave the school environment and join the vocational skills training facility of the school, also on the premises. Here they are taught practical skills such as how to weave baskets, or the local Ghanaian way of tie-dyeing material known as batik.

The items they make are then sold at the local shop and 50% of the proceeds go back to the individual who made the item. These young adults are acquiring a life skill which can then be used as a means to support themselves financially thus ensuring they are autonomous adults who are able to provide for themselves.

Four ex-OAfrica beneficiaries are now working as craft assistants – assisting craftsmen of varying trades, earning monthly incomes and thus are self-sufficient individuals.

This is thanks to their vocational training they received at the New Horizon school.

Pictured above, Dinah receives physiotherapy from a specialist physiotherapist with a view to improving her motor skills. This is critical for those children suffering from cerebral palsy and other related conditions.

Assistants provided by OAfrica ensure that kids with mobility issues are given a helping hand to get around during the school day.

Wisdom is one of our Foster Family Care beneficiaries attending the New Horizon School where he benefits from smaller classes – which means he receives more attention from his teacher – and classroom assistants who are on hand to help assist with his physical limitations (as he is wheelchair bound).

Patricia is 18 years old and is in the vocational training programme at New Horizon School. Here she is taught valuable skills such as basket weaving, sewing and batik – a cloth dying process.

The finished items are then sold at the schools’ shop and she receives 50% of the proceeds.

This is just one way that OAfrica assists the young adults to become autonomous and independent.

Children born with special needs are most at risk of being abandoned.

These children need specialized care and support in order to lead healthy and happy lives. As many families are not financially or physically capable of keeping their children due to their special needs, OAfrica provides this care through the Foster Family Care. This program has been supported by Cash & Rocket since 2013.

Thank you very much Cash & Rocket friends for your amazing support!

This has been a relatively short month for Sumbandila as Ridgeway College and government schools broke up on 18^th March for a welcome Easter break. Some of the universities unfortunately had to catch up for lost time at the start of the year so for most of the University students it was a very short break indeed.

Sumbandila Story of the Month

Bon voyage Vhonie

Vhonani Makhado featured in our last newsletter as one of our first graduates, has found herself a job in Dubai and will be leaving South Africa for the first time at the end of this month. We wish her all the best in her new endeavours and look forward to her returning with loads of experience in the restaurant trade hopefully to start her own business in South Africa and show the way to other aspiring entrepreneurs.

Another visit from Bart

On 29 February we received a visit from our much loved funder and “family” member Bart Fuijkschot. This time he was accompanied by a friend and colleague Michael.

They were given a guided tour of the school and hostel facilities and then had dinner at Leigh Bristow’s home with the headmaster of Ridgeway College,members of staff and the matric students from Sumbandila. Mpho Netshifhefhe thanked Bart for his continued support and for the fatherly role he has played in Sumbandila for eight years.

Sumbandila children participate in Ridgeway production.
On the 10th of March Ridgeway participated in the annual Inter-schools Drama Festival competing against two prestigious schools Stanford Lake College and Mitchell house . The winning play was Ridgeway’s presentation of  “The Foe” produced and directed by Andrew Hofmyer.

Ridgeway also took the prize for best actress. The Foe is a magical realist piece with 10 actors and 11 dancers. It interrogates the herd mentality of society and our tendency to blame a collective ‘them’ out there instead of facing our own foes within. The play resonates with a growing culture of blame worldwide and in South Africa.

 ‘I am so incredibly proud of the cast” said Andrew Hofmyer
“The Foe is not an easy text, the language is advanced and many of our students are not first language English speakers. I saw each cast member realise their potential on the winning night, they loved performing and they rose to the occasion  when their moment arrived on stage, They had a great time’.

Six Sumbandila students participated in this performance, Mpho Kutama and Joyce Khunoana took lead roles and Gladys Ramatsie, Phophi Mulanduli, Asakhakhi Mashikhwa and Nkhaviso Mdaka were part of the dance team. Sumbandila encourages students to participate as much as possible in school activities and the learning achieved in participating in such a production was immense.
Congratulations Andrew and your wonderful cast!

First Aid training for Sumbandila Staff

Our Sumbandila students excel

Dear Friends,

with March 8th declared International Women’s Day, we are celebrating Women’s Month at OAfrica. Today we meet two amazing women who are helping ensure that one of our beneficiaries with special needs grows up in a happy, loving and stable family environment.

Meet Ester, biological mom to Albert (16 years old). When her husband passed away, she was left to raise Albert, a child with special needs (Cerebral Palsy) as well as his two siblings. OAfrica stepped in to provide her with financial and moral support.

OAfrica provides Ma Ester with the support of a carer/nanny, Miss Martha who lives with the family. Martha helps with activities such as bathing and dressing Albert, and moving him between his wheelchair and elsewhere – due to his limited mobility. Miss Martha also attends school with Albert so that he has around-the-clock care and assistance. She is even there when he goes to his physiotherapy sessions three times a week at the specialized school he attends.

Martha has been assisting Ma Ester and Albert for three years now. She told us she enjoys her job especially when she sees Albert happy and smiling.

Ester describes Albert as a loving and well-behaved boy. His performance at school has been really good and his teachers sing his praises in terms of his schoolwork and behaviour. He always has a smile on his face and a positive attitude.

As for young Albert, he wants to become a soldier someday. He loves listening to Azonto music (a popular Ghanaian genre of music) and supporting his favourite football team – the Black Stars. A typical boy, he loves watching action movies. His favourite subject at school is Art – he loves to paint and explore his creative side, something kids with special needs are encouraged to do.

Ester’s greatest wish for Albert is that he will grow up to be healthy, successful and happy in whatever he does.

Thank you very much Cash & Rocket friends for your amazing support!

For the month of April, Stacey, our Director of Education Zoe, and I will embark upon an inaugural journey to Sierra Leone! This month we are shining light on our Family Support and Inside Out Programs! Our Family Support Program (FSP) supports 67 children who have been orphaned by Ebola and focuses on their physical health, academic development, psychosocial and emotional requisites. Through Cash and Rocket’s incredible support, we have been able to provide each child with a caring family environment and access to education; including tuition, school uniforms and supplies, bringing extraordinary light to their future. These children are now in their second year of school under our care, and it truly means the world to them!

Thank you Sumbandila! Can’t believe it is already been a month since our visit!
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Hello Friends!

As we draw to the end of a year that has been characterised by troubled waters both at home and abroad we must remember Albert Einstein’s wise words:

“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding”

How better can we achieve understanding than by ensuring a quality education that teaches respect, tolerance, accountability, and the importance of service in leadership.

Thank you to all of you who help us to achieve this !!!!!

• Happy holidays to all our friends and supporters.
• On the 28th of November all our Residential and Outlier and many of our University students gathered with friends and staff at Ridgeway College to celebrate our achievements in 2015.
• This month we honour the August Schippers Foundation and Mr. Bart Fuijkschot, long term supporters of both Sumbandila and Ridgeway College.
• Sumbandila students excel at Ridgeway’s Honours evening.

Sumbandila Story of the Month 

August Schippers Foundation and Mpho Netshifefhe

• In October Mr. Bart Fuijkschot from the August Schippers Foundation paid his annual visit to Sumbandila and Ridgeway College. The August Schippers Foundation have sponsored a total of nine students on the full residential programme since 2008.
• In 2016 five of their students will be at University: one in third year social science, two in second year medicine, one in first year bachelor of science (genetics) and one in first year bachelor of commerce. Four remain at Ridgeway College.
• We are very pleased to announce that the foundation have also just agreed to sponsor Mpho Netshifefhe for his final year at Ridgeway College.

• Mpho has not only just scored 100% in his form four pre AS-level maths exam, he has also been appointed onto Ridgeway’s council and as prefect at the hostel.
• Watch this video to find out more about The August Schippers Foundation’s dedication to Ridgeway and Sumbandila, and Bart’s personal connection with our students:

Dear Friends

December 1st was World Aids Day and here at OAfrica we have declared the entire month of December AIDS awareness month.

Even though Ghana is not facing an AIDS crisis on the same scale as some other countries in sub Saharan Africa, there is still a lot to be done in terms of education and changing perceptions regarding the disease.

HIV and AIDS has impacted our OAfrica beneficiaries either directly or indirectly.  Children directly affected are those who are infected (at birth, via mother to child transmissions) and those who have lost one or both parents to the disease. It also includes those who have siblings or parents living with HIV and AIDS – an indirect impact.

We have 14 beneficiaries who are directly affected. This figure is much higher when you consider the indirect impact, as entire families feel the effect when loved ones are diagnosed with HIV. With the help of Cash & Rocket, OAfrica can help these children to live longer and to live better quality lives thanks to medication such as ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs).

OAfrica assists families who have been impacted by HIV and AIDS with financial and psychological support. Children who are infected are given the necessary ARVs and our trained social workers are equipped to give the necessary emotional and psychological support to those infected with and affected by the disease.

In order to respect the privacy of the children/young people mentioned in this newsletter, names have been changed to protect their identities.

David – 15 years old

David is living with HIV.

He lost his mother when he was just six years old. His father is still alive however his HIV status has not been explored.

Due to problems at home, David ended up living on the streets. He slept in the open at night and eventually dropped out of school.

Because he was living on the streets, he defaulted on the anti-retroviral drugs he was supposed to be taking.

Sick and malnourished, he arrived at OAfrica, after a referral from the Department of Social Welfare.

He was placed on OAfrica support in October of 2010, and was placed in foster care with Mama Francisca Asare.

Now back at school, he attends the Carol Gray International School at Somenya and receives retroviral therapy from the Korle-bu hospital.

David is a sweet-natured teen who wants to be a mechanic someday. He loves listening to Gospel music and playing football. He describes himself as “obedient, hardworking and kind.”

Robert – 10 years old

Robert is one the cases of mother to child transmission infection.

He has a very difficult and complex family situation and thus he is in the care of an OAfrica foster mother. This provides him with a family unit, stability and the correct supervision in terms of taking his anti-retroviral drugs.

For fun, he likes to draw. He is a very quiet and introverted soul but once he feels comfortable with those around him, he comes out of his shell

Deborah and her brother, Felix – 17 and 10 years old

When AIDS doesn’t only affect the individual who is diagnosed as HIV positive, it also has a massive impact on their family members, who often have to bear the financial cost and act as care givers and providers of emotional support. This is the case with brother and sister, Felix and Deborah.

Currently, Felix and Deborah live with foster mother, mama Edith. Felix lives with HIV. His mother died of AIDS and his father is HIV possitive. As the older sister Deborah, has to date, been administering his medication, and reminding him to take them, which she does diligently.

This is an enormous responsibility for a young adult like herself, so we try to do everything in our power to support her emotionally and so that she can be a pillar of strength for her younger brother.

Felix is your typical ten-year-old boy. He likes playing football and his favourite player is Messi. He has big dreams for the future – he wants to become a lawyer someday.

His sister Deborah likes to watch popular Ghanaian TV shows when she’s not doing her homework and studies. She dreams of going to university to study medicine after school. She explains, “I wish to be a doctor so I can help people”.

Tano – 5 years old

Abandoned as a new-born, Tano was found some open fields by a local farmer. He was later taken to the Police Station and then brought to OAfrica. He is currently in the care of a Foster Mother. He lives with three other children and he loves to read his storybooks and play football with the other boys.

He was infected at birth (mother-to-child transmission) and is one of the youngest beneficiaries at OAfrica living with HIV. Thanks to the team at OAfrica he has access to medical care and emotional support as well as anti-retroviral drugs, which are crucial to his health and well-being.

Thank you very much Cash & Rocket friends for your amazing support!

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear Friends

April has been a very busy but rewarding month for us here at Sumbandila. We’ve been assisting our Outlier students with their tertiary education process, as well as following up with our students currently doing practical work as part of their learning . In the middle of the month we were delighted to have guest students and leaders from ALA stay with us, it was an absolute pleasure to have them and you can read their full story below. Finally, Leigh met with AVIS at their headquarters in Pretoria for the handover of her complementary car as part of her winning Clarins “Most Dynamic Woman of the Year” – how exciting!

Sumbandila Story of the Month

Long-term teacher, parent and supporter at Ridgeway College Jernay McLeod makes generous donation to Sumbandila.

It is always very special when Sumbandila receives a donation from a community member and we were delighted to receive the generous gift of 60 tubes of Oral-B toothpaste from Jernay McLeod.

Jernays contribution to both Sumbandila and Ridgeway goes far beyond this latest gift. In her 15 years at Ridgeway she has taught both biology and maths to eight generations of Sumbandila students and she is embedded in the very fabric of Ridgeway College and Sumbandila.

Her contribution goes far beyond the classroom, to the sports field, to her deep love and concern for each student, for the endless extra hours and for the relationships that go beyond the school years.

It is impossible to adequately pay tribute to someone who has given so much over the years but as Henry Adams said “A teacher affects eternity; she can never tell where her influence stops.” Thank you for the profound influence you have had on Ridgeway and Sumbandila.

We thank you too for thinking of us and the health of our children’s teeth with this most recent and generous gift.

African Leadership Academy “Global scholars program” visits Ridgeway and Sumbandila

The African Leadership Academy was founded in 2004 with the vision and mission of this extraordinary institution to be “to transform Africa by developing a powerful network of over 6000 leaders who will work together to address Africa’s greatest challenges, achieve extraordinary social impact, and accelerate the continent’s growth trajectory.”

Sumbandila shares a similar vision and was delighted to make contact with Sara Mierke who runs the Global Scholars Program at ALA.

The outcome of this connection was a visit from a group of ALA staff and students from April 10th to the 17th; the students stayed in the Sumbandila hostel, attended Ridgeway College for a day and had the opportunity to share with Ridgeway students about their wonderful Academy and all that it offers.

Ridgeway Form Four students were privileged to receive a days “BUILD- in- a- box” workshop, facilitated by the staff and students from ALA

ALA Students hosted at Phadzima Village and visit the Sacred Lake, Fundudzi

For three days staff and students of ALA together with staff and alumni from Sumbandila were hosted in the lovely village of Padzima by the family’s of three sumbandila students: Zwanthesa, Mutshidizi and Naho.

The ALA visitors got to experience village life, traditional Venda food and hear more about Venda Culture. This included a visit to the village chief Radzilani who welcomed them to the village and awarded them their own Venda names. Our students were delighted to hear about the cultures of our visitors Isaac, Bowen and Tucker from America, Yeltsin from Guatemala and Farai from Zimbabwe.

Lake Fundudzi is a rare and beautiful geological phenomenon, in that it was formed by a landslide, but the local press people see it as far more mysterious. They believe it is defended by a python – who lives in the mountains surrounding the lake and the ancestral spirits who inhabit the lake are said to be guarded by a white crocodile. It is spectacularly beautiful and unspoiled by visitors on account of the treacherous roads. Despite this we braved the rocky terrain and descended into the beautiful valley that cradles this lake. It was a magical experience for all.

We wish our ALA family a wonderful few weeks for the remainder of the trip in Africa and look forward to seeing them again in the not too distant future.

Sumbandila Outliers

The Sumbandila Outliers get their name from Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Outliers”. The term outliers in this book refers to those who are exceptions to the rule in terms of their success, they fall outside of the norm.  That is why these extraordinary  children are so-called.

They are selected in Grade 7 and embark on a five-year journey with Sumbandila starting in Form One. They travel to Ridgeway College on Saturdays and during the school holidays to receive extra tuition in Maths, Science, English, Accounting, Geography and Biology. They have access to IT and science laboratories and are given mentorship and counselling throughout their school careers aswell as career counselling in the final two years. They are then supported to apply to tertiary institutes and for bursaries to finance tertiary education. Once they enter the tertiary domain they are supported and mentored along with all Sumbandila University students.

Current Sumbandila Outliers

Yvonne Mulaudzi one of our first outliers received the Golden Key award in 2014 and is now in her fourth year medicine at Wits University.

She often speaks of the importance of being a role model to her contemporaries in her village. Recently while doing her practical at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg she commented that “the diversity of patients and doctors made the experience in the emergency department a great learning curve and reaffirmed my dream of becoming a doctor”.

Tshilidzi Siavhe also one of our first outliers, did a three-year degree in food science and s now doing her fourth year interneship at Rich Products Corporation of South Africa, where she is responsible for co-ordinating activites related to product testing and quality maintenance.

AVIS generously donates car to Sumbandila for one year

On April 19th the Avis team handed the keys of an elegantly branded VW Polo to Leigh Bristow in honour of her Clarins award. Thank you Avis for this wonderful gift and we look forward to further partnerships between you and Sumbandila.

Vhonani Makhado pictured in Dubai where she is training for her post at Al Habtor Hotels in a Mexican restaurant called  Zoco as a runner. The restaurant opens in May so she is now just getting to know the place and enjoying Dubai.

Mutshidzi Ramaveheya and Kamogela delivered excellent speeches at the Ridgeway orators on the evening of April 19th. Kamogela (pictured) spoke about poverty.

I would like to close with a quote from Malcolm Gladwell’s book the Outliers.
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
― Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success

Kind regards

Leigh Bristow

Dear Cash & Rocket Family,

April has been an incredible month for us. Shine On’s founder, Tiffany Persons has spent the past four weeks in Sierra Leone, working with our school staff, and with our architects for the upcoming secondary school. On April 21st, our new executive director, Stacey Scarpone met Tiffany out in Sierra Leone for her first trip to visit our programs.

In just two weeks out in Sierra Leone, Stacey has immersed herself in all things Shine On and met all the important people who make us who we are as an organization. It was so great to collaborate with our communities on the ground and have them meet our new head.

From meetings with our Family Support Program Social workers, to visiting the new land for the secondary school, to helping cook our delicious bone soup for the entire community, we are thrilled to have officially introduce our newest Shine On family member to Sierra Leone.

This upcoming month, we are shining light on our Bone Soup Program! When schools reopened one year ago after the Ebola crisis, we faced a significant health and attendance issue with our students and community members due to food scarcity.

After an exchange of ideas with the community, our special Bone Soup was born. This soup is filled with nutritious ingredients found in bone marrow, and the super plant Moringa. Cooked alongside sweet potato, onions, and salt, we are able to provide a full, healthy lunch for our students and staff at Muddy Lotus Primary School, along with the community members of Bonged.

This month Stacey and Tiffany are working along side the district Paramount Chief to create a sustainable model that can be replicated in neighboring communities/schools. This program has the immense potential to provide nutrition in an unprecedented way to the people of Salone and beyond.

It is with Cash and Rocket’s support that we were able to turn this into a reality and we cannot thank you all enough for your continuous investment in our work in Sierra Leone. We are so proud to watch our programs grow and we are are thrilled to be on this journey with all of you.

With gratitude, and shine on!

Shine On Sierra Leone

Dear Friends,

with April being Health & Medical Support Month, we shift our focus to the health and medical support we provide to our beneficiaries and their caregivers. We take the health and well-being of the children in our care very seriously, as we understand that a healthy child is a happy child.

The children in the care of OAfrica receive medical support based on their respective requirements. Those beneficiaries living with HIV are provided with the ARV treatment so that they can still live a quality life.

The biggest challenges facing children in Ghana today are diseases such as cholera, typhoid and malaria. Over a quarter of all child deaths in Africa are due to Malaria. We take education around this illness very seriously. All our foster mothers are given training and information on how to best protect the children in their care from this deadly disease. All the children in our care sleep under insecticide treated nets, which can reduce child mortality by 20%.

Every December, we also hold our annual Health Fair at Ayenyah. This event has been running since 2014 and is a great way to end off the year but also a very key occasion from a medical point of view.

For the 2015 Health Fair, the guest speaker was Dr. Raj from Egon Clinic who educated the participants on UTI’s (Urinary Tract Infections), as well as the prevention and treatment thereof. It was also a day for the attendees to take advantage of the free health screenings, which included eye testing, and screening for diseases such as malaria, typhoid, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and UTI’s. This day was packed with fun activities for both beneficiaries and family members alike. It included various activities such as music, cultural performances and dancing as well as games, face painting, drawings and other recreational activities. In attendance, were 76 beneficiaries under the age of 18 years and then 40 beneficiaries from Young Adult Support Services program. Because siblings and families of beneficiaries also came along for the day, we saw a total of around 300 people in total participating in the day’s activities.

Not just about medical matters, the day was also about the beneficiaries having some fun in the lead up to Christmas and the end of the year. The face painting was one of more popular activities amongst the kids!

The Health Fair provides the perfect opportunity to educate the children, young people and caregivers on pertinent diseases such as malaria, cholera and typhoid.

As we look ahead to the next Health Fair at the end of 2016, and to future events, we aim to include more screenings for STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) and also to look at offering more services for our special needs beneficiaries.

We believe our annual Health Fairs are a great opportunity to engage with the families we support, and more importantly, to provide a platform to educate these families on pertinent health issues.  It’s also a way to ensure early detection of health issues – many of which would otherwise have gone unnoticed – so that they can be treated right away.

Thank you very much Cash & Rocket friends for your amazing support!