Morning all, well we have had our breakfast which once again beat expectations. The weather has turned here its gone very cold very quickly this morning we are meeting Sithembakuye. We have already agreed to fund there Grannie support programme, when twice a week 92 ladies who have become the main care givers ranging from 60 to 80+ years old, get together and almost have a forum, similar to a WI meeting I suppose. They participate in other activities including a Football team (We have been told they are very good, apparently they asked England for a warm up game but they declined – probably best for the English team already been embarrassed enough). They also have a net ball team.
We arrived there this morning at 10am, there where the Grannies (Gogo in Zulu) were all sat chatting and waiting for their morning meal prepared in a very small kitchen in a house which has only 4 rooms which during the week doubles up as a crèche for 26 children and one room with seven beds that sleeps 14 children from the age 2 – 17 years of age. There is one toilet and no shower (its the bucket again) Russell the founder of Sithembakuye is showing us round and at the same time running the operation with an army of volunteers from the community! Lionsraw an English charity which has done some amazing things and is based on the principle of helping the countries where the world cup is being held and bringing football fans to build and support projects – they are building Russell an extra building with a lot more space and showers!! Jon the founder is a very nice guy and asked that we have a chat so that we don’t double up our funding. He prepares legacies for all his projects and we of course agreed. Russell stands out and from the start he has been completely open about his monetary position and what comes from where, he has quotes for us he has ideas for us. However its very easy to get carried away and give huge amounts of money, which hinders rather than helps projects like Sithembakuye as they start new initiatives without the capacity this is not helpful. We have a great SA co-ordinator and all through out the trip we have formed some great connections we have actual opened up a great network and what’s refreshing is that gone are the days when people don’t want to support others and only concentrate on there projects. We have to start realising we are in this together, such a small amount if administered properly can make a huge difference. Just thinking of not throwing something away and rather donating it to a charity helps.
We had a really good discussion with Russell and talked about a way forward and we are very interested to help with his enterprise projects which he would involve his Gogos, we also want to offer him a route to market. We discussed what we would expect and how Debbie our co-ordinator would help alongside him to grow at a reasonable rate to create self sustainability not dependence.
Whilst in the valley where Sithembakuye was based we were pointed out a few mounds on the hill. This we were told is a mass grave for those who have died from HIV and have no money to be buried any differently. Cremation is not accepted in the Zulu Tradition. 4,500 people have been buried there in the last 4 years. Without the same respect and grief of those buried in the UK. That is 3 people per day, that’s mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters etc and worst of all children. In an area no bigger than a small village in the UK, all dying from poverty and HIV aids related diseases all of which in most cases in the UK are manageable or even curable.
The point is people like Russell and projects like Sithembakuye and others we have seen are making huge differences, changing the lives of so many and creating development albeit in a small pocket of South Africa but it has to start somewhere. Suffice to say we are both very impressed.
After this we went to Makaphutu which is a model project, they have achieved so much and they are what all projects should aspire to be. It makes a massive difference to see success like this and how our projects could be one day with the right support and management they can become as successful.
I myself have always compared charity and the work they do to a business. Children, Grannies, Mother, and their babies they are the profit. Donations are the investment. Although sometime the profit margins are tight the end product is priceless. Although this model is slightly dehumanising and takes away other factors, when you see what a nominal amount can do and what results that produces. A business that’s upon success and growth delivers development and betterment for others. Get it right now and in twenty years it maybe a very different picture and I may be out of the job and I truly hope so!
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