Where has everybody gone?! After saying goodbye to three children last month, this month we have also said goodbye to lots of our lovely volunteers. It is feeling very quiet in the volunteer’s unit and Mel has also gone back to the States for a few weeks so it leaves just Tim B rattling around the volunteer unit! Ah well, we are making the most of the opportunity and our wonderful maintenance team are giving all the bedrooms a fresh lick of paint.
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| Making music in the unit! |
Those children who are old enough have returned to school after the winter holidays and we are back in the rhythm of the schoolday timetable. We currently have six children staying with us which means that when three of them go off to school each day there are only three left un the unit! We are making the most of this quiet period and taking time to tidy up, sort clothes and do appraisals with all of our House Moms. We are also very excited about the purchase of a new rug for the unit. We know it seems silly but it makes the place feel a little more cosy in the winter and it’s a nice area to do puzzles and read together.
Mandela Day was last week and the children were visited by the local old people’s home who came to play and brought yummy treats. The unit was also blessed with a huge supply of delicious soup and sandwiches from Applewood Preparatory School. We’ve got so much soup that we were able to fill an entire freezer and it means that we can add it to our weekly menu. Thank you so much guys!
Since we’ve discharged Boy B we have been helping to support his new foster Mum in getting established and last week Maz assisted her by taking her to SASSA to organise her grants. We have also been keeping in touch with out other families in the community – out of sight is definitely not out of mind.
We are very thankful for a whole stream of donations that have come in. Maz had just written a shopping list and was preparing to go and buy a big list of items and there is no need anymore because all the items have been provided! God is good!!! Now, as well as the new rug we also have lovely new duvets for the beds and two, much needed, new car seats.
Please continue to pray for our relationship with Social Development and that our registration is approved as soon as possible. There are so many children in need in this town but without correct registration it is likely the magistrate will not place any more children with us.
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| Michael, one of the mentors |
The winter months are tough for those living in the community. We’ve been doing our best to work alongside the other NGOs in town to meet more of the needs in this cold weather. You may remember us mentioning how we have been doing more repairs on shack roofs. Although these acts are helpful and appreciated by the community they are also providing us with an opportunity to see the deeper problems and help to address those where we can. These situations can often be overwhelming at times but, although painful, it is good to have our hearts broken again and be reminded about the real situations of the people we serve. Siphila Sonke, another NPO we work with, and ThembaCare identified the shacks that were most in need of roofing in the community. The most desperate case actually ended up being more about the shack’s inhabitants rather than repairing the construction. Through offering to fix the shack we found that actually the need was for the inhabitants (a daughter and mother living in squalor and dire poverty) needed to be reunified with their family in Khayelitsha and working with Siphila Sonke we were able to identify the family and deliver the mother and daughter safely to the Grandmother where they will be well looked after.
In our sports work the mentors are really stepping up to the plate and we are seeing fantastic results. They are taking on the responsibility of planning and running the sessions and the children are responding really well. It is so exciting to see the empowerment! We have been investing more and more in them and it is really paying off – although we are not suggesting that a trip to see Man United play wasn’t a good incentive too!
Other News
Volunteers:
Saying goodbye to ‘our girls’ who have been serving with us for months was hard. They have all been such a wonderful help and brought a real buzz to the place. They will be sorely missed but we know that God has exciting things in store for them and we are looking forward to hearing all about it. Thank you Ashlyn, Jess, Katia and Lauren!
In the midst of that Team Erwin (Shae, Susie Erwin and her family) arrived to give their time for a few weeks. Susie and Shae have both served before on mission teams but wanted to come back to share their passion with their family.
We have also been blessed to meet Lisa Baldry who has been spending some time with us whilst visiting friends in the area. Lisa is from England and has been putting her photography skills to good use and helping us to capture the work of all seven of the Thembalitsha projects. The images she provides will contribute to a photo library which we can use to promote our cause. Lisa has definitely got the bug and is planning to return in November!
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| The maintenance team improves the shed |
We don’t often speak about our fantastic maintenance team (Johan, Heinrich and Tim B) but that does not mean that their daily hard work is not valued. The effort they put in to improving our environment and keeping things tidy makes a big difference to us. Whilst Rob and Em were away they took the opportunity to get some jobs finished in the Ukuqala 1 house which was very much appreciated by the Houses when they returned. As we mentioned earlier, they have also been painting the volunteers’ accommodation from head to toe and it’s looking great.
London 10K Run
Earlier this month 6 lovely people from the UK ran the British London 10K Run to raise funds for us. Thank you so much!
Events
Cycle To The Sea:
Can you cycle 10 miles? 100 miles? Either way we’d love you to join us on Saturday 8 September as we challenge ourselves to cycle whilst raising money for Thembalitsha.
The challenge:
8 - 16 Miles: A there and back again route from Aylesbury on picturesque lanes in the Chilterns, suitable for all kinds of cyclists and all ages and including families, you just need to be able to cycle comfortably for around an hour at an easy pace. Entry fee is £5 for adults, £2 for children.
100 Miles: A wonderful route through the Chilterns and the Thames Valley before lunch at a riverside inn, then on to the South Downs and the sea at Brighton. You’ll be rewarded with a stopover at a farm and a hearty breakfast before being driven home the next day. Suitable for regular or more experienced cyclists, you need to be able to cycle at a moderate pace for most of the day. Entry fee is £25, which includes overnight accommodation, breakfast and return transport.
Whichever personal challenge you choose, our challenge to you is to raise as much money as you can for Thembalitsha in sponsorship. Are you up for it?!
Contact us: office@thembalitshauk.org.uk to sign up!
How You Can Help
We are never short of ideas on how you can help us out!!!!
• Become a regular monthly giver - Regular givers are like gold dust to us!!!
• Fundraise – Commit to shave your head, host a quiz night, do a sporting event!!!!! – The possibilities are endless and can raise R10000s with enough enthusiasm!
• Pray – need we say more?!
For more information contact us fundraiser@thembalitsha.org.za
Volunteering
We rely heavily on committed volunteers to do the stuff here in South Africa. It can be a fantastic way to give (and receive!) However, we do have some criteria you have to meet in order to apply. For more information on volunteering for Thembalitsha please check out our website or email us at volunteer@thembalitsha.org.za.
Also, please do NOT book ANY flights before your application form has been accepted. Thank you!
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