Our Projects

Projects for 2019/2020

Education

• Envisioning a 2021 -2025 education plan to ensure registration of children in better local school. Start an education fund for this purpose and raise funds through donations.
• On the childhood educational front, we would like to source suitable partners for special needs children and expose all children to more cultural, musical and sporting activities – for the purpose of social growth and development.
• Provide weekly art and craft stimulation for all children at the homework centre.
• Train and fully equip the ECD Centre so that it is fully operational for all children in the settlement by January 2020. Raise funds to secure payment for ECD practitioners and provision of adequate meals for the children.
• Provide daily healthy snacks for all school children in the homework centre and daily meals for all pre-schoolers.
• Purchase a container and all relevant equipment to start a soup kitchen, including training a volunteer within the community and providing remuneration.
• Starting a sustainable vegetable garden that will provide much of the food required for the soup kitchen.
• In addition to the Homework and ECD Centres we already have in place for the children, we aim to further utilize our on-site containers for the following projects:

• • Skills development: to teach the women of Malacca various skills: sewing, knitting, creative arts, etc.  Anything that would empower them to generate and sustain a business venture.
  • Life Skills Training: to develop and strengthen coping mechanisms; decision-making skills; and communication skills.  In so doing, empowering the people of Malacca to make responsible and informed life choices and promote healthy relationships.

Health

As part of the ECD Centre project, two ECD practitioners from Malacca will be equipped with basic first aid training and there will be a stocked first aid kit on site.  We’ve also identified the need to nominate a Community Health Advocate who can to educate families on general health issues.

We are in conversation with an NPO involved in healthcare who will be providing a primary health care clinic at the settlement.

Environment

An upgrade to the current sanitation facilities can only take place in partnership with the Municipality and relevant service providers, who will need to investigate the best possible means of separating grey water and toilet waste.  In addition, the issue of good water damage in rainy seasons, and a means of suitable storm water drainage, requires attention.  In striving for a healthy and safe environment, additional required interventions include, but are not limited to:

• More taps in closer proximity to the dwellings;
• Several black refuse bins for rubbish;
• Collection of refuse by DSW and a regular supply of black refuse bags;
• Mass dumping into supplied containers;
• Attending to trees that are old and break in the strong winds causing damages to the homes;
• Education about cleanliness and health issues – followed by a mass clean-up of the settlement and surrounding area.
• Pursue a litter recycling project through Litter 4 Tokens.

Community

Understanding the importance of the family unit in bringing about transformation, our overall goal is to help one family at a time.  In order to do so, we need to collect and evaluate information pertaining to their current situation, mindset and potential for change, using specific intervention strategies.

2017-2019 Accomplishments

Focused on the children in the settlement

• All School going children have been registered at local schools, and supplied with school uniforms, shoes and stationery
• Paid for school taxi transport, and funded all school excursions,
• Registered two learners at Northwood Boys High school.
• Started a homework center for Primary school children focusing on English and Math literacy,
• Run a Grade R stimulation class,
• Provided extra lessons for some high school learners through a mentor program run by Northwood High School,
• Commenced partial care registration process to start and ECD center,
• Started a play group for the preschoolers,
• Feed every child a nutrition porridge meal in the morning,
• Commenced a life skills program for vulnerable youth to assist them to cope with peer pressure, sexual issues and substance abuse,
• Provided post matric support for two youth to pursue potential careers,
• Provided extra mural lessons for some of the children;
  • Enrolled three young boys into karate lessons,
  • Started ballet lessons for 11 little girls.
• Completed hearing assessments on all the pre-school children in the settlement.

Working with the disabled

• Obtained a sponsorship for assistance with a disabled learner to pursue their dream in dramatic arts,
• Provided private transport to and from school and all drama extra mural requirements,
• Provided assistance to partially blind and deaf people in the community.
• Identified children with learning difficulties and put a program in place for Occupational Therapy.

Working with the aged, vulnerable and infirm

• Provided private transport to local clinics and hospitals,
• Assisted with all SASSA related requirements and provided private transport to draw monthly funds,
• Assisted with medical emergencies for the community by providing private medical support and transport,
• Provided meals where possible for the aged and unemployed.

Working with women in the community

• Identified four women in the community to trained as ECD practitioners,
• Enabled four women in the community to be qualified in basic first aid training and assist with community health issues,
• Provided learnership opportunities for women to study business administration and project management courses and increase possibility of employment.
• Sent four women on the Wholeness Course run by Grace Family Church.

Working with the community

• Addressed water and sanitation issues within the community by provided improved drainage of wastewater,
• Installed an additional tap within the settlement for easier access to water,
• Built a staircase for safer entrance into the settlement,
• Created a water channel at the tap used for general water requirements and washing clothes to assist in reducing stagnant water and debris lying around,
• Assisted with disaster management funding caused by fire and flooding,
• Provided funds and private transport for the community to apply for ID documents, both new and replacement,
• Developed good relationships with community leaders to develop plans that will benefit the community at large.