Life-changing Education for South African Children

Dear Friend of YOUPSA,

We hope you will enjoy this update about the opportunities that we expose the children to. Thank you for your interest and kind support.
Here is a very interesting quote from James Baldwin: "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." It resonates with our experience with the children. They mostly copy the behaviour that they see in others. It is difficult to make a lasting impact on a child by teaching them something with words alone. Children learn naturally and effortlessly from what they see and experience.
In the YOUPSA programmes we therefore emphasize giving the children a wide range of opportunities so they can be inspired by the examples that they see.
However, none of this would be possible without all of you! Thank you, and please enjoy reading this newsletter.

Mountain Adventure
The first time ever for these De Rust children to visit the Swartberg Pass! Winding roads, steep cliffs, high mountains, breathtaking vistas and pristine nature - it was a day of true adventure. The children found all of this absolutely exhilarating and could hardly believe they were there. The Swartberg Mountain Range is the longest in South Africa, and the tallest in our province.

Exploring New Forms of Art
Children in YOUPSA's programmes are very artistic and keen to learn more. We visited the Klein Karoo town of Prince Albert. In the Prince Albert Gallery, the children loved looking at all of the beautiful paintings, photographs and sculpture. We also visited Karoo Looms. The children saw how Mohair from Angora goat and sheep's wool is prepared and spun into yarn, then put onto a loom and woven into various attractive products, like colourful rugs.

Learning Maths with Friends
Every child naturally enjoys Maths - it is in their nature to wonder about the patterns and regularities they observe in the world. At YOUPSA we make this style of wondering, curiousity and thinking part of our programme. We offer playful, hands-on and social Maths learning experiences to children. Recently the children have been improving their Maths skills by using an abacus, and by playing a Maths dominoes game.

English and Reading with Wendy
YOUPSA volunteer Wendy Erasmus runs a weekly reading club with one group of our Afterschool Programme children. The children are improving their English skills with Wendy, since she barely speaks a word of Afrikaans. They love this opportunity to read interesting and beautiful books with Wendy. "Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you." - Louis L'Amour

Learning about Plastic Pollution
YOUPSA's children learned more about plastic pollution - where waste comes from, where it can end up, what harm it does to the environment, and what they can do to help. They absolutely loved using the Hero In My Hood 'Let's go to the seaside' activity booklet. What a beautifully illustrated story with so much to learn!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Inspired by "The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle, the children learned how to draw their own Very Hungry Caterpillar. Just look at the beautiful results! It is a perfect book for new English language learners. Children absolutely love the story and artistry.

The Power and Beauty of Dance
For YOUPSA children it was a dream come true to see a live professional dance performance, and to practice dance together every afternoon. 50 children took part in this 3-day festival of dance. YOUPSA invited Jazzart Dance Company from Cape Town to work with the children. The dancers shared contemporary dance techniques as well as Amapiano (a South African township dance technique).
The children received dance workshops, practiced in small groups and improved their coordination and team work. On the last afternoon the children showcased what they had learned to friends and supporters. This will surely leave a huge impact for their whole life.

We Need Your Support
Each child needs multiple champions in their life to develop their full potential. Would you like to be such a champion? Please consider making a donation towards YOUPSA's work. Thank you!

Links:

• Newspaper article: Life-changing education for De Rust children

Dear Friend of YOUPSA,
You may remember from your childhood that play was your main way of discovering new things. Every child likes to explore and experiment, and by doing so, learning happens naturally. The things you learn with pleasure you will never forget.
At YOUPSA our emphasis is for the children to feel free to express themselves, to experience trusting relationships, and confidently explore new avenues.
A Big Thank You to our supporters who help us give the children the opportunities they need to develop!
Please enjoy the following brief update and photos about what has been happening in the YOUPSA programmes.

Origami and Ruler Skills
The children created beautiful origami butterflies. From a simple template that got colored in and then folded skillfully, a magical butterfly appeared. We love the unique artistry that every child revealed.
In the following session, each child made their own butterfly from scratch, creating their own template. This involved ruler, measurement and geomeetry skills. They were proud of their accomplishment. Most of the children have not learned basic ruler skills in school, and we have been addressing this using various creative activities. Everyone has improved and gained a lot more confidence.

Neighbourhood Clean Up Day
Team work makes the dream work! An important part of our Afterschool Enrichment Programme is learning to speak and discuss topics, so that everyone's voice can be heard. The children expressed that they like it when things are neat, tidy and beautiful, and feel unhappy when others throw rubbish recklessly on the ground. After a group discussion about their concern regarding the large amount of rubbish in their neighborhoods, YOUPSA organized a group cleaning up day.
This experience was full of fun and great satisfaction, working together as a team to make something clean and beautiful. Other young people in the neighborhood were inspired and joined in. The children in our programme have grown into kind and responsible young people who are seen as role models in their community.

Taking A Walk On The Wild Side
One group of YOUPSA children enjoyed the opportunity to visit Lidikwe Game Farm just outside of De Rust. It was wonderful to get out from the daily routine and spend time walking through the pristine bush with friends. There was so much to see, and we even spotted fresh giraffe tracks and some antelope. The red rock mountains, expansive views from up high, and the awe of seeing wild animals so close was an extraordinary experience.

An experience of a lifetime!
Walking with giraffes and seeing many different kinds of wild animals in the South African bush, at the foot of the Swartberg Mountain Range, is a dream come true. It was such a special day for these children, who were full of wonder and excitement. There was so much to learn about all the different animals and their environment.

Healthy Eating
During all the YOUPSA programmes we make sure that every child receives a healthy snack and drink. We regularly discuss healthy eating habits, and help them to learn awareness of what is in the food that they eat. They are now keen to read the ingredients section on food items.
Local farmers have jumped on board this year and regularly donated figs, tomatoes and pomegranates for the children. What a treat!

Creative Toy Making
These wonderful woolly creatures were created by the YOUPSA children! This multiweek project started with the children learning how to do French knitting. They used an empty toilet roll, ice cream sticks and wool. They created 2 circles from the knitted wool, which was then sewn together and stuffed. More pieces were knitted to make arms and legs, and a face was added, made out of felt. Thus each unique creature came alive.

We Need Your Support
Each child needs multiple champions in their life to develop their full potential. Would you like to be such a champion? Please consider making a donation towards YOUPSA's work. Thank you!