By Louise | Managing Director
Avuxeni, Minjane? Umfekile Minjani!
The year is rapidly running away with us and there is still so much we need to do.
The children are all sitting exams, mocks or preliminary exams for the end of year exams, however they are still coming to the children’s project, and we have had to open 3 new groups to accommodate the influx. The children know where to find support, care and compassion as well as fun and learning.
The SHG groups are going well and planning their end of year Day, the DAY has now evolved into an awareness and education opportunity. We are hosting CORMSA (Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa), who are coming with Dept of Home Affairs to assist with registration of the many undocumented foreign nationals and their children. Also, we will have representation from a local bank, regarding pitfalls that people with new income often fall prey to false or misleading advertising. Another session will be held by the anti-gambling organization. Get rich quick schemes are everywhere sadly, not all the ladies, who now have access to funds, are financially literate enough to make wise decisions, gambling and “risk free credit” schemes are starting to impact some of the ladies, so we want to stop that immediately.
The programs continue to grow because of you! You are filling the gaps, you are making such a difference, thank you for having our backs and being a part of the solution.
A couple of you have reached out and shared how excited you are about the impact we are having in the lives of the people we serve, and how much they enjoy learning about the staff and their backgrounds, so in that vein, I want to introduce to you and new staff member, Petunia from the SHG Project.
I know you will love her heart as much as we do. Volunteering is something that is actively discredited in South Africa. Volunteering is seen as something that is foolish because you don’t “get” anything at the end of the day. The government has created a pathway and the expectation is, if you “volunteer” you get a stipend, then a job. The heart of volunteerism is not there; it is a means to an end. The actual gift of volunteering is not valued. That is why Petunia and some of the other staff like Mum Rose, Catherine and Angy who started as volunteers, as did I, are so special and appreciated.
I hope you enjoy Petunia’s story.
Blessings
Louise
I’m Petunia, I am 27 years old. I’m a mother to two beautiful girls. I was born in Namakgale village in Phalaborwa, and later I relocated to Pharare Village in Tzaneen.
I love reading, cleaning, hanging out with people, trying new things, and traveling. I’m pretty talkative, but I bring solutions and peace to those around me. I’m super dedicated to what I’m doing and I’m all about embracing new changes.
I started out as a volunteer at KTD196 in April, and I wasn’t expecting much, I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to learn more about SHG and Keep The Dream196. I worked hard, the team helped me to understand what we do and why. It was such a privilege to do this work and make a difference.
When the time came for Rachel to return from maternity leave, I was going to step back to being a member of my SHG, but I ended up with an official position as a community facilitator in August 2025. I really like my job and what I’m doing, the difference I make and with the Children’s Program as well, I am learning and doing so much. I love what I do. Thank you for supporting me, I can now support my family and many other people.
God Bless you
Petunia
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