Supporting Education for NOAH Orphans

Noah is at its heart a community based and community driven organisation. Our committee members and volunteers represent the communities directly affected by HIV. They incorporate care givers and neighbours of orphaned and vulnerable children, people who are directly responsible for the well being of those children. But our community extends beyond the immediate geographic confines for each individual orphaned or vulnerable child. Our global community includes every volunteer, donor or partner - that means you! Each individual contribution helps to consolidate our communal effort and brings additional layers of support to each child that we care for and each family that we include in our network of care. I would like to share a few short stories with you that illustrate the difference your contribution has made: My Name is Sandile Ngubeni. I am 14 years old. I am a boy. I am doing Grade 6. I live in Blaauwbosch, near Newcastle in KwaZulu Natal. I live with my grandmother and 7 siblings. I would like to say thank you for our cosmetics pack. Since I was a child we always share the face cloths, comb and even a tooth brush. This is my first time to have my own set. I feel so good. I promise I will take good care of it always. Sometimes in this life we take for granted the simple things - a hug from our mom, a warm bed to sleep in and our own tooth brush. Sandile's story reminds me that these things should never be taken lightly as there are children, almost 3.7 million of them in South Africa alone, who do not have them. Through your assistance we were able to give Sandile his own tooth brush and comb. We are also able to help his grandmother take care of him by providing help with his homework, counselling, nutritious meals and most of all - hugs every day and a place where he is welcomed and loved. The second story comes from one of our Arks near Johannesburg, eGoli - the place of Gold. In this city where extreme wealth and poverty live side by side lives a young boy. He is being raised by his grandmother. He comes to an Ark every day in Midrand where he attends the day care. He is always quiet and shy and his teachers let him be. On a hot afternoon in February a volunteer took the time to sit and play with him. They played peek-a-boo, hide & seek and then she read to him. She thought he was shy and did not understand English but continued to play with him as he laughed at her funny faces and games. At 4 o clock in the afternoon his grandmother arrived to collect him. He turned to her and said "Go Away!" the grandmother immediately started crying and the teachers gathered around. The volunteer was apologetic - afraid she had offended the grandmother as the boy was obviously having so much fun he wanted to stay and she thought the rejection had hurt the old lady's feelings. But the tears were of happiness as these words were the first spoken by the boy in the year since his mother had passed away. They say it takes a village to raise a child and every donor and volunteer, no matter where they are or how they come to know Noah, is a part of our village. Thank you for your constant support and ongoing assistance.