“What’s behind the wall?” This question surfaced throughout our visit to Cape Town. It represented many things, but in particular the realization that opportunity and hope may lie beneath the surface of any picture, regardless of the outward impression. We were continually amazed by the resiliency, entrepreneurship and cooperation of the people we encountered in South Africa, and nowhere were these traits more evident than Jikelaza.
At Jikelaza children are taught to dance, but look behind the wall and you’ll find dance being effectively used as a vehicle to teach responsibility, respect, acceptance, and above all hope. The base idea is that if children come to Jikelaza after school to learn to dance they aren’t on the streets, but much more is happening.
The staff and instructors at Jikelaza are keenly aware of the challenges children in the townships are facing and the goal is to educate and support the children to help them avoid the pitfalls. Young women benefit from the program in particular, as the staff addresses teen-pregnancy and low self-esteem issues, which many young women in the community fall prey to. Staying in school is a requirement to attend Jikelaza. Workshops and performances expose the children to people and places they would never otherwise come in contact with, and broaden their perspective of life in the process. The school is also beginning to bring formerly disparate communities together by bringing their children together.
So much is being taught at Jikelaza that one might leave forgetting about the dancing, which is as creative and full of life as the staff and students. Graduates of the school have gone on to professional dance companies and to university. Some have returned to teach at the school, helping Jikelaza’s efforts to break a cycle of despair for children in the community. We left the school inspired and impressed by the idea, the progress being made, and the people we met.
Peter Macy gives an update about the broadening outreach and ripple effect of the GSGC by introducing you to Antony Ranjan of Livingstone, ZA
On our recent trip to Zambia, one goal was to find “eyes and ears” on the ground when we are not around and partners to help support capacity building in a few key areas.
Through our contacts, we were told about Antony Ranjan, a partner at Moorse Rowland accounting firm, who was very dedicated to helping in the community and had already made great contributions. Word was he had taken on so much already that he probably wouldn’t be available but we hoped to least to talk to him for ideas and contacts.
Mr. Ranjan agreed to give me time at the end of his regular working day to chat. I met Antony in his office and introduced myself, the Giving Circle and Tusa Munyandi and Ray of Hope. Before I got too far he left me speechless when he jumped in and said he wanted to help and where he thought he could help.
With a mix of surprise and relief he said that he would a.) be willing to audit the “books” of Tusa Munyandi and Ray of Hope, b.) help mentor and teach them in proper accounting and c.) serve as our “eyes and ears” on the ground.
Why would someone, who was probably one of the busiest citizens of Livingstone agree to be so generous? I don’t think I’ll ever know the deep reason that is in Antony’s heart, but on the surface I think it’s his dedication to help people.
And, subsequent to my meeting, he agreed to meet Priscilla and our two partners; so we had a large meeting with everyone just before we all departed Livingstone. During the meeting Antony repeated his offer, asked our partners to prepare and present their “books” in the coming weeks and even agreed to send us monthly newsletters. Mr. Ranjan is a man of his words, is authentic and has a heart for the people of Zambia.
We are blessed to have him as friend. In addition, Priscilla has agreed to connect him with those that want to send books to Zambia – so that he can fulfill just another one of his many activities, to improve literacy in Livingstone.
The near empty shelves of Ray of Hope’s new library have been yearning for books to meet the demand of eager learners. The recent fundraising efforts made by the classes of GSGC members Ann Larsen and Paige Hasson have been designated funds for books which will be taken to the library in August.
Thanks to the Global Fund For Children, who provided us with some great sample books from their collection, we look forward to stocking Ray of Hope’s shelves with children’s titles such as:
Extraordinary Girls
“Celebrating ordinary girls around the world who do extraordinary things, this book is filled with inspiring stories about girls from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Readers are introduced to girls who travel unique paths to follow their dreams, whether excelling as athletes, artists, scientists, or human rights activists.”
To Be An Artist
“Art is a universal language. Children from Ecuador to India to the United States can be artists by painting pictures, making music, acting in plays, or singing songs. The arts engage children and encourage their creative spirit as nothing else can. With lyrical text and exquisite photographs, To Be an Artist celebrates the many ways children around the world express themselves.”
Children from Australia to Zimbabwe
“This revised edition takes readers on an exciting photographic journey through the alphabet and around the world. Exploring a country for each letter of the alphabet, readers are invited to glimpse into the lives of children from diverse nations and cultures. Young readers will learn what games children play in Nigeria, what houses look like in Turkey, and what sports are popular in Russia—among many other discoveries from around the globe.”
To learn more about the Global Fund for Children, visit their website.
The GSGC grant of $4,000 is making it possible for 200 girls from Jekeleza to attend a YWCA camp for empowerment and leadership workshops. In April the first 50 girls attended and it was a smashing success. Please read the following report compiled by Jikeleza supervisor Renee Kerchhoff about the weekend filled with positive activities.
Back2Basics Youth Leadership Camp – Grabouw, South Africa, April 6-8, 2009
Wow!!! Where to start… Well, there’s no place like the beginning. We arrived at our destination, to the beautiful picturesque setting of rolling mountains; green grass, tall pine trees, dams and prey tell sunshine. I say this because I had dreaded cold and rainy weather, but we were blessed with sunshine for the duration of our stay. The campsite epitomised peace and tranquillity… Exactly what we all needed a healthy dose of. Quiet and calm, a place to absorb, to rest, to relax and unwind, this being the first school break of the year. The girls were also kept very busy lately with rehearsals for an upcoming production. So this was, too most a welcomed break. Needless to say the air was buzzing with excitement as they all poured out of the vehicles, even after their long two-hour drive.
For 2009, the GSGC has expanded to include Jikeleza in Capetown, South Africa.
Overview:
Jikeleza utilizes music and dance to improve the quality of life of children and youth from impoverished communities. Most of these kids come from the “informal settlements” within townships outside of Cape Town and some of the children come from living on the streets. In 2002, the founder, Edmund Thwaites, would drive through one of the townships with a drum and rounded up kids from the streets and the surrounding schools and started using creative arts to attract the children as a positive distraction from the crime and drugs around them.
Six years later, Jikeleza reaches 200 children and exposes them to African contemporary dancing, classical ballet, marimba band, drumming, Spanish dance and Hip Hop. Jikeleza has a pool of highly qualified teachers and choreographers who share their passion and skill with the project. Over the years they have managed to develop and ensure job creation for their five trainee teachers.
When the project started, the children were aged between 5 and 10 years old. Due to the success of the project those recruits have stayed with the program and the 10 year olds are 16 years old now and the 5 year olds are turning 12. Hence the reason for the Workshop/Camp idea. Jikeleza has professional counselors on board who monitor behavioral patterns of the children and they find that there is a strong need to expose them to small doses of these types of workshops/camps, which serves to educate, empower and develop them on different subjects:
* Personal Hygiene
* Substance Abuse
* Violence against Women
* Values & Morals
* Relationships with friends of the Opposite Gender
* Teenage pregnancy
* HIV/Aids Awareness
* Nutrition
* Grooming
* Personal Safety
* Life Skills: Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Coping and Self Managing Skills
Our grant of $4,000 will make it possible for 200 girls to go to a YWCA camp. 4x/year, 50 girls each. For most of the girls, this will be there first time to travel outside of their home area. That experience alone with be special. We will be providing funding for the accommodations at the YWCA camp, transport and food/refreshment. Jikeleza is coordinating the professional counselors who will be conducting the workshops. They will also be including some fun and team building during the weekend.
I spent 2 ½ weeks in March visiting our Giving Circle projects in Cape Town, South Africa and Livingstone, Zambia. Here’s a summary of what I experienced:
Overall
I came away very happy with how the organizations are using the funds that we’ve sent to them. It was such a treat to further our relationship with those running the organizations, to meet with the children and micro-loan recipients that we are supporting and spend time getting a deeper understanding of their projects, their challenges and aspirations.
Jikeleza & Cape Town
Marilyn, Edmund and Rene
This was my first time meeting the organizers of Jikeleza and boy was I impressed! Edmund, Marilyn and Rene make up an amazing team. We met for dinner and they shared their individual stories of how they started or became connected with Jikeleza, the history of the organization and its various programs. I could listen to the stories of Edmund’s life for hours on end (we’ll post something about his life story on the GSGC blog; he is the founder of Jikeleza). The next afternoon they took me to visit one of their new projects (an after school dance program at a primary school), to visit a Jikeleza dance class at a community center, they drove me around the neighborhoods where many of the children in their programs come from and then took me to their main studio in Hout Bay (about 25 minutes from central Cape Town). At the community center they organized it so that both the very young (7 years old) and the young teens performed together to live drumming. How impressive it was to see the talent of the older ones and… how cute it was to see the little ones trying to keep up! The instructor had an amazing way of getting the kids so well organized and trained. It’s clearly evident how dance is building confidence in these kids.
At the main studio, I watched the senior students dance (about 15 girls and 2 boys). The girls then played the drums and was that ever powerful! I’ve mainly seen males drum in Africa and to watch and hear these girls so confidently create music together is an experience that clearly stands out in my mind.
We then sat together and some of them stood up and shared how dance and Jikeleza has changed their lives and they spoke about their hopes for the future. Some hope to make a profession of dance. Others have careers such as becoming a doctor in mind. I’m sure that their responses would have been quite different if it were not for Jikeleza.
Rene chatted with me about the plans for the week-end workshops that we are sponsoring. These will be held at 4 different times of the year, during school breaks. They’ll be at a camp (they are still looking for a venue for the winter workshop) outside of Cape Town. For most of the girls, this is the first time to travel outside the area and to have a week-end away. They’re doing a great job leveraging our support and have teamed up with an organization that will be teaching the girls “life skills” and dealing with such issues as teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. They’ve also gotten a drug store chain to donate some toiletries and each girl will be given a packet of these. Besides focusing on activities that empower, they’ll also be having fun!
Jekeleza Neighborhood Bus
Jikeleza is much better funded than our projects in Livingstone but the needs are so great regarding the issues of urban poverty in South Africa. That mixed with Jikeleza’s success in building an impactful organization in impoverished neighborhoods, emphasizing the need for girls to become educated and empowered is what drew our attention to assisting them. I can’t wait to hear about the week-end workshops (the first is in April and they’ll be sending a report and photos) and… to introduce Giving Circle members to the Jikeleza crew!
South Africa is such an enigma- there is such great beauty, in the landscape and the people, there is innovation, vibrancy, wealth and talent. At the same time, there are the blatant scars of apartheid and racism and of abject poverty. Sometimes it’s a challenge to see the impoverished neighborhoods that Jikeleza supports, located in gorgeous settings, just down the road from wealthy gated communities and wonder these two worlds can exist like this. Such division of wealth is common in our world today. South Africa faces tremendous challenges in overcoming this. But if these challenges can be overcome here, there is hope for the rest of the world and I feel that we all need to participate in overcoming these challenges. What Jikeleza is doing to improve the lives of children in these impoverished neighborhoods, to help them with education and to feel hope of the future, makes a difference and gives hope to all of us. One of our upcoming GSGC Conference Calls will focus on the issues of South Africa and urban poverty. Stay tuned!
Cape Town
Livingstone, Zambia
Besides spending time with Tusa Munyandi and Ray of Hope, I spent quite a bit of time meeting with development professionals and local contacts, expanding our network and getting up to date on the challenges facing the area. I’m extremely appreciative to those who made introductions and ran me around town during my visit.
Peter joined me for an afternoon visiting TM and RofH (he was “on the continent”!) and he’ll be sharing his insights in the upcoming GSGC Conference Call going over the details of what we learned on this trip. Those who run the organizations loved Peter… even as he had them drag out all kinds of records, forms, bank statements et al to make sure everything was in order and added up!
Tusa Munyandi
School Kids of Tusa Munyandi
I spent quite a bit of time with Ernest and Arisius, the two gentlemen who volunteer so much of their time to run Tusa Munyandi. The members of Tusa Munyandi took precious time away from their work (most are market vendors who we have supported with micro-loans) and gathered in TM’s small office for a meeting. We got to know one another better and talked about some of the challenges that they face. I then visited some of the vendors in the market and at their homes and learned more about their lives which we’ll share on the blog.
The children (orphans in the community; most of whom have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS and are living with relatives) who we support with school supplies gathered on the small veranda outside the office and as usual, it was great to take in their smiling faces and their energy. They are very shy when we meet them individually but in a group their shyness seems to dissipate and their wonderful spirits come out. We talked about Obama, their new President (Rupiah Banda) and what they’d like to do when they grow up.
Tusa Munyandi loan recipients
Ernest and Arisius took me to meet with members at their market stalls and in their homes, translated for me and made the arrangements for the members and children to gather. They pulled out all their books as Peter dove into the financial details and went step by step with him to demonstrate what happens to the funds once there are received in their bank. They shared some of their challenges and what they felt was most needed in terms of support.
By observation, through discussions with Tusa Munyandi and in talking to others working with community organizations in the area, three things were reinforced:
1) The need to support these kids with their education is great (and the issue of “dependency” is a non-issue regarding this as the need is so great)
2) Quality training for the micro-loan recipients and for those running the organizations is key; we are on the search for quality trainers
3) I feel really good about working with Tusa Munyandi; they started the organization themselves, have built up a track record, have proven to be responsible with our funding, their communications have been clear and appear to be straight forward, they have caring, responsible people managing it, and the need for their services in the community is great
Ray of Hope
I didn’t spend as much time with RofH on this trip as I have in the past but the time we did spend together was productive and very affirming. Sometimes their e-mail communications are not as clear as we would like but this visit reinforced my original impression of them being a dynamic community organization, willing to take risks and try new things (not easy to find!).
Peter asked them to take us through the process of a member getting a micro-loan from them. They pulled out paperwork that supported each step in the process of someone applying for a loan, the loan getting reviewed and approved or rejected, the loan being made and repaid (or in some cases, defaulted). They also pulled out their bank records and showed us what happens from the time the funds arrive in their account to when they get dispersed. It was impressive!
Peter looks things over at the RoH office
One concern we had from our last visit was the possibility of them overextending themselves as they had just moved into a relatively large sized office with the hope of using part of it as a library and had a lot of overhead facing them. It was so inspiring to see how they have dealt with the challenges and how they’ve sub-leased part of the office space and have gotten the library up and running (with funding from the Firelight Foundation). It was such a joy to open the door to the library and to see the tables filled with young adults studying away. The books they have are few and it’s clear that the demand is there.
Regarding their micro-loan program, they discussed how they are looking into giving group loans versus individual loans as they are frustrated with the level of default on the loans. They are currently looking into developing a group micro-loan project that focuses on organic gardening and chicken farming.
In discussing future support, as with Tusa Munyandi, they would love to receive training, especially for those running the organization, in areas such as project management and evaluation. Assistance with getting books for the library would also be much appreciated.
The Global Sojourns’ Giving Circle 2009 Trip
My visit inspired lots of new ideas for our upcoming GSGC trip. I can’t wait to introduce GSGC members to the organizations and this area! See the itinerary for details.
Located in Livingstone, Zambia, Tusa Munyandi is an organization run by community volunteers with the focus of reducing HIV/AIDS and improving the welfare of orphans and vulnerable children by providing them with moral, spiritual and material support.
As the chairman of the organization, Ernest Maombe a retired school teacher, psychosocial counselor and trained home based caregiver along with accountant Arisus Chivunda, spearhead the operations from their small, computer-less office. The organization relies on 20 communities members, many of whom have been orphaned in their youth, to operate a pre-school for vulnerable children and visit the homes of chronically ill AIDS and TB patients to monitor the welfare of children in these homes.
The majority of children whom Tusa Munyandi is providing material support have lost both parents and are not properly being supported or looked after by surviving relatives. This support centers around: shelter, food, clothes, health care, educational support, social services, etc., with a strong emphasis on educational needs. For the caregivers of the children, Tusa Munyandi provides loans to create income-generating opportunities to help secure stability in the lives of these vulnerable children.
In 2008, the Global Sojourns’ Giving Circle gave a grant of $4,400 to Tusa Munyandi. The funds were allocated to support:
Ray of Hope is a community based organization which started in 1998 by a group of men and women who realized the need to assist orphaned children who had lost their parents through HIV/AIDS related illness and left their families in abject poverty forcing children into streets in search of food and money for their survival.
Since inception, Ray of Hope has been committed to meeting the needs of children by introducing and reintroducing them into schools, paying for school fees, requirements (e.g. uniforms, pencils) and providing food and clothing. More recently, the organization focuses on directly empowering households and caretakers economically, which has been most effective support for vulnerable children and their families.
Mission Statement
Ray of Hope shall endeavor to empower vulnerable families with small loans to enhance improved household economic and food security to benefit the children.
Experience in Community Based Projects
Since inception of the organization, Ray of Hope has given members experience in collaborating with other stakeholders dealing in OVC (orphan and vulnerable children) work.
Ray of Hope has mobilized and trained hundreds of community caregivers in basic business management and many (by 2007: 2,065) OVCs have benefited from the revolving loan scheme project.
Ray of Hope has been sensitizing the community on HIV/AIDS awareness through drama, cell groups participatory discussions on HIV/AIDS, Choir festivals, launch of OVC newspaper (510 youths attended), children camping (30 attended), inter-school quiz (145 pupils participated).
Ray of Hope empowers child headed homes with life coping skills and small revolving loans are given to start a living. The revolving loan fund given to them as capital is not enough for a reasonable business, but now we are able to see that even a small amount can mean a lot to a life of a child in the community.
The organization has extended its activities to districts which are deep in the rural areas
Market stand of Ray of Hope recipient
Challenges
Funds to cope with an increased demand for resources to help vulnerable children.
Poverty levels in Zambia continue to be very high, forcing OVC’s to go into the streets and engage in prostitution
Recently, Ray of Hope’s district has seen an increase of female street traders from neighboring countries- the result is the continuing spread of HIV/AIDS
Need to procure relevant incentives to motivate voluntary workers who are not on payroll
Transport to effectively carry out projects, especially to rural areas where conditions demand a four-wheel-drive vehicle
How GSGC funds were used in 2008
Ray of Hope received US$9,740 from the GSGC in the last quarter of 2007. The majority of the funds were used to provide micro-loans for the caretakers of orphans and OVCs. These funds helped:
children access basic needs and services from their families
caregivers were able to send their children to school from the money they made from their small businesses
provide a steady flow of income to meet the needs of households
Some of the funds were used to help Ray of Hope cover some administrative costs which is helping them to manage their programs more effectively. Funds went to pay for six months of rent and to purchase a computer and some office furniture.
Some of the funds also were used for Ray of Hope to provide training for Tusa Munyandi’s leaders on the computer. This is the first training that they had received training of this kind.
“Economic empowerment has proved to be an effective service. These projects have brought the beginning of true self sustainability for our community.”
“To educate girls is to reduce poverty. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity, lower infant and maternal fatality, improve nutrition and promote health– including the prevention of HIV/AIDS.”
-Kofi Annan, Sectrtary General of the United Nations 1997-2007
Preschoolers supported by Tusa Munyandi in Livingstone.
The Giving Circle chose to support two organizations in Livingstone because it, like many communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, faces many struggles due to HIV/AIDs.
Because the area has been hit hard by HIV/AIDS, many children have been orphaned and/or left economically vulnerable. Older siblings, aunties and even grannies have been taking in the children. Traditionally in these cultures, it is the adult children who take care of their older relatives but due to the heavy toll from HIV/AIDS, the opposite has happened. This has been a tremendous strain on these caretakers, especially the elderly who had not expected to work at this age and to the young siblings who are trying to figure out how to survive themselves.
The children are in a precarious situation when their parents are ill and pass away. The caretakers are struggling to feed these children, let alone send them to school. In Livingstone, like most parts of Africa, the caretakers/parents are required to pay for school fees, uniforms and supplies. Many of the caretakers are struggling to be able to do this and the children are at risk of not going to school and ending up on the streets.
Organizations like Ray of Hope and Munyandi have staff/volunteers who regularly visit the community, keeping a close eye on who is really struggling economically (and in other ways). One of the programs that both of these organizations developed was to provide micro-loans to the caretakers of these children. Loans are given to select caretakers to help them earn a living and support these children. They receive training that helps them learn business skills and they are able to open savings accounts through these organizations and are taught about money management.
By supporting these organizations, we are sustaining communities and families, ensuring children are able to receive an education and transform their future.
The Global Sojourns Giving Circle helps individuals pool their time, talent and financial resources to improve the lives of children and conserve wildlife in sub-Saharan Africa. Members make a direct, positive impact while learning about issues in the region, connecting personally with the projects, and forming community with other members.
