A closer look
The present project in Diepsloot, Johannesburg:
Our office is on William Nicole on the way to Diepsloot past the Indaba hotel. On the left, just before the bridge is the Junxion Center, where you will find us.
A group of volunteers uplifted an Early Childhood Development Centre in Extension 7 of Diepsloot. Here we have met with the orphans and the Caregivers for specific occasions since our inception in 2008. We have gradually increased our numbers of orphans and Home Based Carers as we became more financially able and received the commitment of new volunteers.
At present, with 7 trained Home Based Carers we care for 45 orphans in Diepsloot; Lanseria and Cosmo City. Most of the children from Diepsloot are now teenagers and some have graduated from school as they have been with us for all the 10 years we have been operating. Two new branches in 2014 (Lanseria)and 2016(Cosmo City) began as we trained more Home Based Carers and funding was available.
Since then, in 2015 we have moved our base to Tanganani in Diepsloot where the present development of the pre-school/safehouse is.
ACTIVITIES AT PRESENT
- Some donations from various individuals and a couple of companies.
- Trained Home Based Care workers – start with one that role models and teaches others.
- A 6 week or 8 modules training course, creates the opportunity HBC workers. Generally, there is drop out so we work with the faithful that have attended all meetings and written an exam. They are Volunteers and will only receive stipends once they are working effectively with their orphans. Reports are handed in monthly, to administrate and sustain accountability.
- At the moment we have 7 HBC trained individuals – looking after 45 orphans in these communities. This excludes the extended family, but we do attempt to check the whole household is functioning as close to normal as possible.
- The basics are seen to in the child’s home so there is no major outlay for buildings, electricity lights and water etc.
- We see to basic food, clothing, school, health, mentoring, and care of grandparents, if they are the head of the family, youth mentoring and tutoring. (BUSINESS MENTORING still to be established.)
- We expect a school report from every child to show that they are attending school and making an effort. We also would like to try to assist in getting vegetable patches at their home which they should care for and maintain.
- The church or school or “safe house” acts as a centre for all Hlanganani meetings. The centre can be used for homework, support, physically and emotionally, mentoring, safe place, weekend entertainment/youth work, needs distribution.
So what can you do and how?
- Identify pre-school/school/ as centre with someone within the community you can work with
- Train 5 HBC workers, 5 youth carers. (No cost)
- 5 business men/women volunteer to mentor
- Administration people to move forward.
- Money/Donors
God moves when you make the move!
Needs for the future
- Home Maintenance
- Business Mentoring / Empowerment / skills development for guardians / teens / heads of homes
- Preschools sponsors for children
- Stipends for Carers funds
- Funds for Food / Toiletries / Uniforms / Stationary / Transport / Health Care / Salaried staff
Sustainability
We have found this model to be amazingly multipliable with committed people:
- one company/one church can support one preschool or one primary school or one high school
1 company/church = 1 preschool /school = approx 20 orphans
So if:
12 company / churches = 12 preschools/schools x 5 orphans = 60 orphans
An exceptional change in each community!!!