As a professional nurse and TB / HIV programme coordinator, Shiela witnessed children going to school barefoot. Sheila explains her reasons for starting the project: “I realised that there are still children, especially in rural and farm areas, that go to school without school shoes. This made me realise that many children in hard to reach areas are more disadvantaged than those in urban areas, as they do not have access to social services.”

Back to School aims to assist these children by collecting school shoes, food parcels and address issues such as poor nutation and health. Ultimately, it aims to restore the dignity and self-esteem of the children.

This year, Shiela aims to collect at least 300 pairs of school shoes and food packs for 1 000 children. There are many benefits to wearing school shoes – not only does it prevent a wide range of foot diseases and injuries, it also improves self-esteem and encourages participation in school activities.

Shiela is motivated by the difference that she is making: “I am a firm believer that if you invest in a child, you can change the world one step at a time. Providing a child with shoes is like providing a child with a passport to walk into a bright future. The gratitude and pride on a child face when receiving new school shoes motivates me to reach out to more children.”

This is Shiela’s story of help. If you would like to help:

#YouCanHelp

Because the boy never had visitors Elsabè started spending time with him and in her words, “saw how he blossomed when he received love and attention.  That’s how my path crossed Gershwin’s* in 2004 and this year he is turning ten.”

Gershwin is a special needs child, requiring much time and attention – not because he was born that way, but because of the abuse he suffered before he met Elsabè. Through this meeting Elsabè identified the need for a place of safety for babies in the community. “If there was a place where mothers could leave unwanted babies I believed that such a place would result in reduced cases of  abused children and help to put an end to the cycle of abuse and violence.”

And so Adaliah Home, a baby thoroughfare from the hospital to adoptive parents, started in her back yard in 2008.

Today this project houses six babies at a time between the ages of 0 and 24 months. A rotating staff of six bathes, feeds, loves and even exercises the babies until they find what Elsabè calls their “forever families”, which usually takes at least four months.

“I’m living my dream and can’t foresee a day when I will not be doing this anymore, but I would never have been able to do it without my husband’s steady and quiet support.”

Though love and support go a long way, Adaliah Home does have physical needs. Funds come from donations and fundraisers. Volunteers and baby goodies are always in demand.

*Name changed to protect identity 

This is Elsabè’s story of help. If you would like to help:

#YouCanHelp

Johan is a professional photographer and Estelle asked him if he would be interested in taking photos of the children that they could give out as Mother’s Day gifts. “I never realised that these families do not have photos of their children at all. I thought of my own daughter who has so much and I immediately wanted to help.”

Johan went to visit the school and the soup kitchen which provides 200 meals a day. The meals that are provided are based entirely on the donations they receive. What is truly amazing is that none of the staff at the school receives a salary as there are no funds available.   A young helper, Alicia Jansen van Vuuren is just 20 years old. Estelle is hoping to raise funds to send her for training to become a qualified teacher.

As many of the children’s parents are illiterate, they are not in a position to assist with homework. Others have no parents at all and are cared for by their grandparents. Every child gets a box of cereal each week to take home and this is sometimes the only food that they have to eat. As Trudie Naude, founder of the school, explains: “Some children come to school on a Monday morning and end up eating three bowls of porridge, simply because there was no food at home over the weekend.”

Johan has arranged for a local printer, Q Photo Parkview, to sponsor the printing of the Mother’s Day photos. “When I heard this story, I had to help. I don’t know how anyone would not want to get involved.”

For now, Johan has contributed to making a special Mothers Day for these families. The school is in desperate need of any of the following: food, clothing, teaching equipment and funds to continue the work that they are doing.

This is Johan’s story of help. To find out how you can help:

#YouCanHelp

This remarkable project consists entirely of volunteers and has been in existence since 2009. As Yvonne Spain, one of the volunteers explains: “It is heart-warming to see so many children having fun while bonding with their pets, learning about responsible pet ownership, dog training skills, leadership and team building.”

The dogs receive love, medical attention, vaccinations and sterilisations thanks to the local SPCA. The project has a visible positive impact on both the children and the dogs – which is evident at the numerous demonstrations given by Team Funda Nenja at events in and around KZN.

What makes this project unique is that by working with children and their dogs, it is possible to encourage the values of compassion and respect that go beyond the training ground and demo ring, into their families and communities. By teaching children how to love and care for their animals, the cycle of animal abuse is slowly being changed.

Yvonne clearly has a passion for the work that the does with the charity, “To see these children, who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, every Friday having fun and learning about the rewarding aspects of caring for an animal is what keeps me coming back.”

Funda Nenja will soon be introducing the services of an Auxiliary Social Worker to assist with caring for the needs of children facing difficulties at home.

The organisation needs funding and donations for the programme, including: dog collars, leads, food, treats, bowls and medications. They also need pop-up gazebos, tog bags for the demo team, a sponsor for branded Funda Nenja t-shirts so that they can give one to all participating children.

For more on Funda Nenja, take a look at this clip:

 

This is Yvonne’s story of help. To find out how you can help:

#YouCanHelp

Thousands of patients are reliant on blood transfusions for their survival and SANBS plays a pivotal role in educating the public on being regular blood donors.  As a service driven organisation SANBS focuses on ensuring that there is adequate, safe blood available when required.

As a leader in the blood transfusion service within the SADC region, the SANBS aims to maintain a stock level of 5 days, with a target collection of 3000 units (pints) collected per day to meet the demand, and has one of the highest retention of donors within Africa.

One of the simplest reasons to donate blood is to help save the lives of others. Just knowing that your one unit of blood can save up to three lives is a rewarding feeling.

Blood donation is a relatively simple process. Anyone who meets the minimum requirements to be a blood donor, can visit their nearest blood donation centre or mobile drive . You will be required to complete a self-exclusion questionnaire which looks at your health and lifestyle.  A nurse will go through the questionnaire with you before your iron levels are tested and your blood. The process will take about 30 minutes. An individual can donate whole blood once every 56 days.

There are significant costs incurred from collection up until the time that a patient receives the product. It is important to remember that no patient in South Africa requiring a blood transfusion will be denied it based on their financial  status or race.

Where can people donate blood?

The South African National Blood Service has a footprint in 8 of the 9 provinces with the exclusion of the Western Cape.  Potential donors can visit our website: www.sanbs.org.za or contact their call centre : 0800 11 9031 to find an SANBS fixed donor centre or mobile drive in your vicinity.

#YouCanHelp

The Teddy Bear Clinic (TTBC) opened up 27 years ago as a small Medico-legal Clinic. It has now grown into a comprehensive, multidisciplinary centre, which provides children with access to diagnostic, therapeutic, forensic and counselling services.

As Dalene Bishop, who works at the Clinic explains: “Once a child is abused and they reach TTBC, they undergo what we call a journey to healing.” Indeed, once the abuse has been reported, the affected child faces a long road ahead.

Dalene explains the process: “Once a child has accessed at TTBC, they undergo a medical examination, forensic assessment, therapy and court preparation. All of these services are provided free of charge to children and families, but the cost to the Clinic is a total of over R4 000 per child”.

It is extremely important for children who have been victims of abuse to undergo a medical examination by a doctor who has been trained in abuse cases. “Courts require specific information, and our doctors are specially trained to conduct medical examinations that do not cause further trauma to the child. Any findings from these specialised medical examinations greatly increase the chances of a successful court conviction.”

An innovative prevention programme that TTBC has implemented is the diversion programme for children who sexually abuse other children. “Often, children who have been victims of abuse go on to perpetuate the cycle by abusing others. The diversion programme has shown great success in changing these patterns of behaviour” adds Dalene.

Through these programmes, the Teddy Bear Clinic is making a tangible difference in the lives of children and living up to their motto of “Child abuse no more.”

Funding is always required to keep the Clinic running.

This is Dalene’s story of help. To find out how you can help:

#YouCanHelp

Paul explains his experience: “After visiting one particular soup kitchen, I observed that the people running it not only dished up food, but also dished up hope in a sense. They freely offered support to anyone who needed assistance in making the transition from a position of hopelessness and homelessness to one of self-sufficiency and ultimately fulltime employment.”

It was this experience that encouraged Paul to work at the soup kitchen. Within a few weeks he was fully rehabilitated and volunteering at the same soup kitchen where his life had been changed for the better. At this point, Paul started noticing an alarming increase in the number of young and adult men visiting these soup kitchens.

Paul decided to form an NGO known as ‘Hands of Honour’. They operate from a home which serves as an office and a sanctuary which provides a warm daily meal and emotional to support to those in need.

The programme now focuses on addressing the challenge of unemployment, drug addiction and crime. As Paul explains: “We transform derelict buildings which are havens for drug addicts and criminals into safe, attractive public spaces. It is amazing to see a former drug den acting as a vegetable garden to feed the community.”

There are many success stories from the organisation, such as that of Leyton Fillies. He was a member of the 26s prison gang before he joined Hands of Honour. He now has a job and supports three children in the community, by paying for their school fees.

Another is that of Keith Petersen. He lived on the beach as a homeless man and now runs his own garden and landscaping venture. He now supports his estranged family and grandchildren. Two years ago he received his first Fathers Day card in 15 years.

Paul would like to start a their own recycling plant. In order to do this, he requires financial and non-financial support.

This is Paul’s story of help. If you would like to help:

#YouCanHelp

Prince Mabetha is the founder of an NGO known as Tsoga Mofokeng. The main goal of this NGO is to uplift the youth through skills development.  Prince is a university student and in his spare time he offers tutoring to grade 12 students in mathematics, accounting and mathematical literacy.

Prince knows the challenges that young people face. He was raised in a single parent home along with his three other siblings. Helping others is what it is all about for Prince as he explains: “Helping others to reach their goals is my passion. I want to encourage young people to be successful.”

The desire to develop a self-sufficient, sustainable community structure is what drives the organisation. Aside from the tutoring project, other projects include job creation, creating business opportunities for the youth and supporting entrepreneurship.

Prince believes that with the right support, nothing is impossible and that anything can be achieved. Having the right attitude is vital.  As Prince explains: “It is vital that young people learn to take responsibility for their own lives. Values such as respect, love, humanity – these are extremely important.”

In addition to his studies, Prince runs two other businesses and he still manages to find time to tutor his students.  How does he manage such a busy schedule? Prince says that it is all about balance: “It is important for me to help others. I was lucky enough to have good mentors that helped me along the way and now I believe it is my turn to give back.”

The organisation needs funding for projects, tutors and educational supplies.

This is Prince’s story of help. To find out how you can help:

#YouCanHelp

Jose decided to help others 7 years ago when he began working as a police reservist.  While working with the police, he realised that many of the police officers were being injured on duty and could be assisted through further training. This inspired him to improve their current training manual which took him over 3 000 hours. This programme has now been adopted as official training for all South African police across the country.

Jose receives no compensation for the work that he does. When asked why he helps others he has this to say: “Never underestimate the benefit that you may be to your local community. Even the smallest amount of time that you donate will bring you endless satisfaction – no money can buy the rewards that you will gain when you step out of your comfort zone.”

While working in such a stressful environment is not for everyone, Jose says that there are many areas where people can lend a hand. “Even an hour a week can make a big difference to a community organisation.” He warns to avoid overcommitting yourself but with this caution he adds: “There are so many avenues to help – start exploring, start living.”

This is Jose’s story of help. To find out how you can help:

#YouCanHelp

Through this programme, which has early intervention as a core element, music is used as a vehicle to equip the youth with valuable life skills.  Currently more than 100 learners from the Delft area participate in the programme of which more advanced musicians make up the Delft Big Band. In fact, a number of learners have re-enrolled in school thanks to their involvement in the band.

This new band has already performed to high accolade at a number of high profile events, including the Sekunjalo Edujazz Concert , The Cape Town Big Band Festival at the Baxter and The Cape Town International Jazz Festival. The band has performed in Sweden on two occasions for queen Sylvia for the World Children’s Prize and 5 members recently returned from a ten day tour in France.

What is remarkable is the changes that are being made in young lives. Lorenzo, a former band member is now a professional musician and he has played on the international circuit. Another band member, Adelia, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship to study Jazz at Berklee College of music in the US.

Ian clearly takes great pride in the achievements of his students, “People are beginning to see the phenomenal impact that being part of this band is bringing to the participants, their families, friends and surrounding communities. It is an extremely satisfying feeling to know that we are changing people’s lives in a positive, tangible way through the power of music.”

To see a clip of the Delft Big Band in action!

 

Needs for the band include funding and musical equipment.

This is Ian’s story of help. To find out how you can help:

#YouCanHelp