Fund Life-Changing Education for 201 African Kids

Dear Supporters,

The last three months have had two main focuses, finding a reliable and affordable electrician to meet the requirements of the fire department as well as working towards placement of children in foster home. This is to ensure that Ikhayalethemba Sanctuary remains a temporary place of safety and not a long-term placement.

The last three months have been significant for Ikhayalethemba as it has become independent in its operation and does no longer rely on GVI volunteers to assist in its day to day operations. This means, that it now relies on local staff to educate and assess the children, a big step for Ikhayalethemba which has been working with GVI volunteers since 2009. In addition to becoming independent in its educational facilitation, GVI has been working closely with the Trust to lay out a project plan for the registration process to identify

The funds spent over the last three months have been on the wages for the staff who are looking after the property and the children as well as those who actively work on getting Ikhayalethemba registered with the government. Currently, the sanctuary pays R11,000 per month in wages to cover two security guards, two care takers and one gardener. The reason that the staff has not reduced in coherence with the children is due to the need of 24/7 staff, no matter how many children. This means that you need to have workers on 2 shifts per day.

In addition, the director of Ikhayalethemba sourced an electrician to do the electrical work required to meet the guidelines provided by the fire inspection department. The deposit of R5000 was paid and the remaining R10,000 will be paid upon completion.

Thus, the highlight of the quarter was to see that one of the three children who have lived at Ikhayalethemba have now received placement at a foster home, providing him with the opportunity to have a solid foundation and support in the home. The child has stayed at Mama for over five years, which was always meant to be a temporary place. However, this placement shows that patience does pay off and whilst it is emotional for all parties, it is clear that the welfare of the child remains the most important aspect.

Moving forward, the GVI trust will now focus its effort to raise funds for educational equipment for over six educational institutions. All our partners have positive and inspiring teachers who are creative in their learning approach, which is crucial due to the lack of resources. However, small additional learning tools such as blocks, books and paper have a big impact on the learning outcome for the pupils. 

Thank you so much supporting us!

All the best, 

Cape Town Field Team