Outreach Programmes of The Cradle of Hope:
The Cradle of
Hope is already actively involved, either on its own or as
a partner, in the following outreach Programmes :
RAKGOADI:
This is a settlement approximately 60km’s from Marble Hall in the Limpopo Province. The settlement consists of approximately 2000 residents. The headquarters for THE CRADLE OF HOPE is the abandoned old Dutch Reformed Church. The arrangement with the community is that we visit them every second weekend of every month, to promote continuity and mentorship with the training programmes that we have already started.
We have a sewing class that started with 5 ladies and after 4 visits, the attendance of this class increased to 30 ladies. The ladies are taught sewing, knitting and crocheting. We have also started presenting basic cooking lessons for the ladies.
Because of the many funerals as a result of HIV/AIDS in this community the ladies are also taught to make their own funeral reefs from material available in nature.
We have also started with a fair sized gardening project and this has proved to be very successful. We discovered an old borehole with a pump on the church grounds, which we have reactivated, and this is working quite well at the moment. More than enough water is thus available for our gardening projects. We have already received a tunnel as a donation and this project is doing very well.
To save the environment, especially the trees, we have embarked on a “do-it yourself” solar-oven manufacturing project. Our Chairman, Zac Grobler, also leads the Sunday church services in the church when visiting Rakgoadi. The attendance of the church services has increased considerably during the past 4 months. As this is a new project for The Cradle of Hope, we envision many other activities in the near future and we work on a system of asking the community leaders what they require that we could assist them with. We have already formed a working committee in Rakgoadi consisting of three women and two men to keep the projects active in our absence. This system works very well.
VINGERKRAAL
This isolated community outside Warmbaths is regularly visited by our Director Outreaches, Corlien Macdonald, specifically to provide therapeutic care to 6 surviving burn victims, after a large veld fire during July 2010 that claimed the lives of 11 children. Pressure clothing and splints were provided that are regularly upgraded and the children were recently assisted to go for the necessary surgical procedures. THE CRADLE OF HOPE hopes to support the vegetable gardening project in Vingerkraal, the burn victims as well as the many young children in the community. In time we hope to start a creche for the children in the community. Specific needs of other persons with disabilities in the Vingerkraal community, are also addressed.
BURN VICTIMS AT VINGERKRAAL. CORLIEN MACDONALD IS SUPPORTING THEM WITH PRESSURE GARMENTS AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND TEACHING THEM TO USE THEIR BURNT LIMBS AGAIN.
litsemba (swaziland) beanie project and outreach
THE CRADLE OF HOPE has become part of a huge annual outreach to Litsemba in Swaziland. During the July 2010 event, 10 000 orphans and vulnerable children each received a blanket and a hand knitted beanie hat. We are proud to say that we contributed 1200 beanies from all over SOUTH AFRICA towards this outreach. Ladies from all over the country joined hands and hearts and knitted beanies for the event that was held on 23 July 2010. This annual outreach is the brain child of Janine Maxwell of Heart for Africa.
POMFRET ORPHANAGE, CRECHE and COMMUNITY
This
village is situated in the North West Province about 600 kilometres
from Johannesburg. This forgotten settlement has a population of about
4 000 souls. They live under appalling conditions of poverty and
neglect. Especially the children, disabled and elderly suffer in this
community. The nearest town of any significance to earn an income is about
200 kilometres away.
There are no job opportunities and
fathers have left for the bigger towns and cities to earn money, but
many have never returned. This has left the mothers with families to
feed, but with no income. HIV/AIDS has become a very prominent
challenge in the community. Many parents have died, and are still
dying, leaving their children behind without any support. 
An
orphanage was started in Pomfret approximately 4 years ago by a
missionary, Juan van Tonder. The orphanage houses up to 20 children at
a time and has a housefather and a housemother who takes care of the
daily needs of the children. THE CRADLE OF HOPE has been assisting
them, where possible, for the past 4 years with clothing, furniture and
food, and is still continuing to do so. The orphanage has an ongoing
need for children’s clothing, linen, food and finances.
A
community creche was started in Pomfret by an ex-teacher from the
community, Mrs. Meriame Nainda, approximately 5 years ago. This amazing
woman often uses her small pension income to pay the teacher’s salaries
or to buy food for the children. We started to assist the creche during
2010 with toys, stationery, food and furniture. We have fenced the
creche and made the classrooms more child-friendly during the past
year. The creche has an ongoing need for funding, dry-food products and
teaching and learning material.
Our Outreach Director,
Corlien Macdonald, started a specific project to help the people with
disabilities in Pomfret with the necessary assistive devices and home
exercise programmes. There are many elderly people in the community and
veterans from 32 Battalion with medical conditions and disabilities.
Wheelchairs, artificial limbs, crutches and other more basic devices
have been distributed as needed in the community. This part of the
project has an ongoing need for wheelchairs, crutches, bedpans, urine
bottles and any other assistive devices. Basic medicine is also needed.
The
community as a whole is an important part of the project in terms of
education and encouragement to become self-sustainable. Several projets
have been launched to instill pride and ownership in the community, for
instance the community hall was upgraded by painting and repairing the
building. The paint was donated by us with the help of sponsors, but
the community did all the work by themselves. A similar project was
completed at the creche. Mealie seeds were made available for people to
plant themselves in order to feed their families.
A family
vegetable gardening project is planned for this year and this will
benefit the families in Pomfret, as well as the creche and the
orphanage. Help and support is needed with gardening implements, seeds
and fertiliser.
We are also supportive of other community
initiatives like a sewing (needlework) project that is stuggling to
gain momentum, due to a lack of the necessary equipment, finances and
project material. Our aim is to assist with the launching of this
project, with the required equipment, materials and training, as is
required. Any support with this project would be welcomed.
In
order to assist the poorest to survive, we hope to start a soup kitchen
during 2011 providing two to three meals per week. To make this project
a success we require financial support, food donations, as well as the
required equipment.
Once a year, during November, THE CRADLE
OF HOPE hosts a choir competition in the local community hall, and we
sponsor several trophies which the winning choirs then get to take home
with them. This is becoming a prestigious event and one that is looked
forward to every year.
Our Executive Chairman, Zac Grobler
and our Outreaches Director, Corlien Macdonald, remains actively
involved in Pomfret through regular visits to the community. We also
have a service centre in the community from where we reach out to the
community members.
CORONATION PARK ASSISTANCE
Many of the residents of the squatter camp have now received low-cost houses and they will be moving out of the camp soon.
NURSERY SCHOOL FOR THE TODDLERS
THE
CRADLE OF HOPE established a small "nursery school" in the park, during
2008. A wooden hut was donated for this purpose and was
renovated and equipped with pre-school tables and chairs, educational
toys, stationary etc. Two ladies living in the squatter camp,
Ronelle and Marinda, were trained and empowered to present the "play
and
learn" classes and they were provided with proper pre-school programmes
and other necessities.
We were also privileged to be able to send the 5 Grade R toddlers, during 2010, to the Goverment school close-by.
This project is now self-sustainable.
AFTER-SCHOOL HOMEWORK CENTRE
During 2009, with the assistance from donors, we established a homework centre in the squatter camp, using an old container-bin. Tables and chairs were donated and the "classroom" was painted and equipped with magazines, lots and lots of books, and old encyclopaedias. Ronelle, one of the mothers from the squatter camp was put in charge of the homework centre, and she saw to it that the children do their homework and that they received the necessary assistance with school projects.
This project is now self-sustainable.
BABY STIMULATION GROUP
During 2009, we established a "baby stimulation group" once a month, on a Friday morning. The aim of this group was to teach the mothers how to stimulate their babies, using all kinds of items normally found in a household. Donations were then handed out, and afterwards the mothers and children enjoyed cake and coffee. This informal get-together soon became very popular and something to look forward to.
This project is now self-sustainable.
FEEDING SCHEME FOR THE CHILDREN
From March 2008 until March 2011 we ran a feeding scheme for the children of the squatter camp. The children now receive a cooked meal daily at 15h30 from the IKUSASA shelter, in Krugersdorp.
THE CRADLE OF HOPE - 15HA PLOT
A
15Ha plot was purchased with the help of donations from the directors
of the Section 21 Company. This plot is in the Vlakplaats,
Tarlton district, just past the Krugersdorp Game Reserve and will be
utilised entirely for the purpose of THE CRADLE OF HOPE.
We
intend to establish a "kibbutz" on this plot. At this stage the
plot is very neglected and needs a lot of work to be done, before we
will be able to accommodate our first homeless people. The farm
house has to be renovated and we will have to seek donations of
building material, furniture etc. Additional housing must be
erected for the homeless people. However, there is huge
potential and endless possibilities. The soil is very fertile and
crops will be planted as soon as possible.
PRAYER WALK
During
November 2008 a prayer walk was held at the 15HA plot in Tarlton.
Approximately 30 people participated.
Prayer walk, Tarlton plot
Banking Details - OUTREACH ACCOUNT:
| Bank : | First National Bank, Key West |
| Account Name : | The Cradle of Hope T/A Outreach Account |
| Branch Code : | 256 955 |
| Acc. No. : | 6221 476 7272 |
| Swift Code : | FIRNZAJJ |
Please fax the deposit slip with your details to +27 865-289-917. Should you require a Tax Certificate please note this on the deposit slip. Donations for RAKGOADI: Please specify "RAKGOADI" on your reference. Donations for VINGERKRAAL: Please specify "VINGERKRAAL" on your reference. Donations for POMFRET: Please specify "POMFRET" on your reference.
