Lifeskills for 8 children in South Africa - Pilot

WOW WOW WOW, I am amazed………………the staff have really excelled this year. We are at the end of the year and we are gathering our statistics and stories of success to share with you our supporters as well as with our other donors not on GlobalGiving.

It is thrilling to see how hard everyone has worked but not just that, the increased impact and the importance of the work we are doing and how much it is being appreciated by all the beneficiaries. You are directly responsible for our success; you enable us to do this work. I say that frequently, but I really don’t think you know how instrumental you are to our survival as an organization.

As more and more organizations are fighting for the meagre money, which is available through international donors, it is becoming increasingly difficult to cover costs. That is where your support is so important. You have become the difference between us continuing or closing our doors. You will be receiving #GivingTuesday requests from me personally; we desperately need your ongoing support. I will leave it at that.

I want to just tell you about the Kids Program. Previously I stated we were going to start Meerkats, the program aimed at 5-7yrs. We have 5 Meerkat Dens with 49 children, the Dens are smaller than the packs or troops because they require more support when doing activities.

Regarding Cubs, the 7-11yr olds, with their own individual program we have 32 packs with 794 children involved. They too have their own individual program with their own tailor made advancements and badges to be earned. It is important to establish a pipeline for Scouts but also, get a child while they are young and train them in the way they should go, and they will not forget the values and morals we have impressed upon them. I was a Brownie (Girl Guide equivalent in Australia), I still remember the things I was taught and it shaped me as an adult today.

Now, with Scouts who are the 11-18yrs olds 31 troops with 608 children involved. Again they have their own individual program tailored to their specific age group and requirements. We deviate particularly with Scouts South Africa here because we focus particularly on Children’s Rights and Child Participation. We introduce other training to assist the children to navigate the challenges associated with growing up in poverty, under resourced and under structured villages, with high crime rates, high pregnancy, drug abuse and truancy rates.

The we have the Rovers, the older kids who want to continue but with their own program catering to adult learning, these kids (to me they will always be kids) they are 18-30yrs old. We have 3 crews and 43 Rovers.

We have had a 36% growth this year in the Children’s Program alone, all because of you! All because of your support! You made this possible. Last week I spoke about the change in Ronny, this is the sort of transformation we can bring. This program is so special and loved by all of the children and their parents. It is truly exciting to be able to see the change happening before our eyes. Thank you so much for your financial support. You are making such a huge difference to the lives of the children, to their families and to the nation of South Africa. We are changing this nation one child at a time. I have included a mum’s story below of the change she has witnessed in her children.

God Bless you!

Louise

My children have changed since attending the weekly children’s groups, at home and at school they have improved their behaviour, they are no longer rude or naughty, they do their chores, they do their homework, I don’t have to nag them anymore.

I had one child who was doing badly at school, and I thought he was just very naughty, I used to shout at him a lot and never gave him any attention. Since I have been taught about Children’s Rights by my children and by KTD196, I realised I was not supporting him but abusing him.

I started to support him and show interest in him, his behaviour at school has changed including his performance for this last term. Scouts is giving him the discipline he needs but also it helps me to understand my children and how to do right for them. I wish I could have attended scouts when I was younger, they are learning so many interesting things and becoming such helpful children, not just in our home but in our community as well. Keep The Dream196 is doing a very good job. Mabunda

Links:

• The Ladies are thanking God for KTD196!
• Why not visit our website you are welcome to leave a message!
• Facebook is a great way to keep up to date with what we are upto

AVUXENI! MINJANE? UMFEKILE MINJANI!

What a fabulous day we had last Friday 7^th of November, it was SHG day! A time when the groups came together to celebrate their achievements and to be awarded different trophies according to the criteria established by the CLA (Cluster Level Association).

The CLA organized the venue, sound, and photographer, each group organized their own food and drinks, and my team were asked to be the Master of Ceremony for the occasion. In typical African style, many groups did not RSVP and so 30% were left outside the community hall….! Many came late; Africa time is a real thing, and so were left outside and missed the opening ceremony and the dancing.

The day was punctuated by many ululations and clapping, yelling and loud, VERY LOUD music. I was honoured to be given the opportunity to bring a word of encouragement to the group. In all we now have 10 CLA’s and 115 SHG’s. This means we are working with

• 1,994 women and families
• 5,479 children
• Who have saved R3,854,847.00 which has been utilized to the value of
• R17million
• Over 70% have small income generating businesses.

Next year we are aiming to open a Federation, the final tier to the SHG program where the ladies organize into an advocacy and political organization to bring structural change to the District/Province.

This whole program is making fundamental changes to families and communities. These women are growing in capacity and self-esteem. They are no longer treated badly by their communities for being poor. They are realising their power and authority through this project and the ceiling in their personal lives is lifting as are their dreams.

Below is the story of Sophia, a granny who you have directly supported. You are bringing such joy and hope with every cent.

Thank you for being apart of Sophia’s journey and ours.

Blessings

Louise

Sophia is a 67-year-old member of the Nhlawuleko Self-Help Group (SHG) in Dan Village. She has four children, three boys and one girl—and is a grandmother to twelve grandchildren. Currently, she lives with one of her sons, his wife, and their three children. Sophia's husband passed away a decade ago, leaving her to raise her family on her own. They reside in a small RDP (Rural Development Project) house, which is insufficient for the entire family's needs.

Sophia is an athletic person and belongs to a soccer group for older women, which she enjoys immensely. However, before joining the SHG, she had to set aside her love for soccer. Her son works at a local packhouse, while her daughter-in-law is unemployed, and the three grandchildren are in school—two in primary school and one in early childhood development. The family had to rely primarily on her son’s salary and her SASSA pension grant, which were often inadequate as the children were growing and needed new clothes more frequently. Additionally, her passion for soccer added financial strain to the family.

After the covid hard lockdown, when soccer practice resumed, Sophia was unable to return due to a lack of funds for transportation and training shoes. The soccer field where she trains is quite far from her home, requiring her to take a taxi to get there. She felt she had to pause her passion for soccer to help her son support the family.

In 2024, she learned about a new program in her community and was initially skeptical, thinking it was just “Serf” rebranded (a type of savings group already known in the community). The group's formation prompted her to wait before joining until one of the members explained the details. Encouraged, she decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised by what she discovered. "The SHG has a lot of money," she said. "I was shocked that every week there is money available, cash on hand, savings, loan repayments, and sometimes even fines."

When she joined, her first loan was R50, which she used to buy bread and eggs for her grandchildren. She soon returned for additional loans, gradually increasing her borrowing, which caused her some worry about repayment since her grant was the main source of household income. However, one of the group leaders provided training on business management, which inspired Sophia to recall how her mother taught her to cook peanuts. She took a loan of R100, purchased a packet of peanuts, cooked them, and began selling them. To her delight, the peanuts sold out within days, allowing her to buy a larger supply. From that initial R100 investment, she made a profit of R70 and later taught her daughter-in-law how to help run the business.

With a huge smile, Sophia shares that by June 2025, she was able to return to playing soccer, which brought purpose and joy back into her life. She felt happier, as she was finally doing what she loved without the constant worry of financial strain. Recently, she even traveled to Johannesburg for a soccer event and enjoyed her first experience sleeping in a hotel. It was such a novelty for her that she insisted on making her own bed, laughing as she recounted the story.

Thanks to the SHG, Sophia is now living her best life. She no longer worries about how to cover taxi fares for practice, as her business generates income every day. Her biggest loan to date is R1,500, which she used partly for soccer-related expenses and partly to invest in her business.

Links:

• SHG Day celebrations in all its finery!
• Why not visit our website you are welcome to leave a message!
• Facebook is a great way to keep up to date with what we are upto