Below are a few of the groups of youths who have taken part in our experiences and initiatives:
Baphumelele Children's Home
Baphumelele Children’s Home was created as a place of safety for abandoned, abused, neglected or orphaned children and is one of the first homes of its kind in the township of Khayelitsha. Founded in 2001 by Rosalia Mashale, aka “Mama Rosie” and a trained primary school teacher, it was an initiative of Mama Rosie’s since 1989 when she started the Baphumelele Educare centre from her home to look after children who were left unsupervised during the day. The name given to this project was Baphumelele (pronounced: ba-poo-meh-leh-leh), a Xhosa word meaning “you have progressed”.
Today Baphumelele is an established community crèche and Grade R (preschool) caring for roughly 250 children aged three months to six years old. It also provides temporary shelter for young adults with chronic diseases and HIV/Aids and skills development for the unemployed, early childhood care, alleviation of poverty, and healthcare information to the community in Khayelitsha and surroundings. It is a community project, which through the hard work, determination and help of the community and various friends of the project, has developed and expanded to include the Adult Respite Care Centre, Child Respite Centre, Hospice in the Home, Child Headed Households, Fountain of Hope and Rosie’s Bakery/Sewing Project, in addition to the Children’s Home and Educare Centre.
We have loved working with the Baphumele community and Mama Rosie and are always inspired by their generosity of spirit and ability to uplift all those around them. Our outings with the children of Baphumelele have included a fun cultural morning at the Art Jamming Studio at the V&A Waterfront, an educational day at Giraffe House as well as the creation of a Madiba Mural on the wall of Baphumelele to inspire the children on a daily basis of Madiba’s magic.
Find out more about Baphumelele here:
Website – http://baphumelele.org.za/
Instagram – Instagram.com/baphumelele_
Emmanuel Educare Centre
Emmanuel Educare Centre, a new early-learning centre has recently opened its doors in the sprawling township of Khayelitsha. It is owned and run by Head Teacher Elthia Mgauli who holds a Level 5 Educare certificate and further qualifications in pre-school education. Elthia’s staff consists of three Assistant Teachers each holding Level 4 Educare certificates and a General Factotum. Currently 39 children aged 2 – 6 years are enrolled at the school, but the overwhelming demand for childcare has been so great it hopes to expand the facilities to accommodate 60 children. Parents needing to get to jobs in the city drop children off as early as 5am and this wonderful school offers a sanctuary to these kiddies whilst feeding and stimulating them in preparation for their more formal educational years.
Considering their minimal resources, the staff is enthusiastic and motivated and the children are well adjusted and happy. It is a joy to see the kids benefitting from the limited toys and educational equipment they do have and happily participating in the varied and interesting daily programmes Elthia has designed for them.
The children receive three meals a day, with mid-morning and afternoon snacks and the school is always in need of food contributions to increase the quantity and quality these children receive with some not receiving adequate nutrition at home. Realising that the foundations of hope, love and an inquisitive mind is nurtured from our early years we as Co-Active are committed to supporting this school in their quest to give these kids a better start in life.
Along with providing resources such as clothing, toys and food we are also looking to create beautiful sensory and uplifting outings and experiences for these young kids to nurture their imagination and create positive memories. We are looking forward to an impactful 2020 with these gorgeous young souls.
Ukhozi Girls Club
Ukhozi means Eagle…to soar…to encourage the girls to, “Be powerful, strong, beautiful and most importantly to be themselves”
-Nqobile Hobane, CEO, Ukhozi Girls Club.
Based in Cape Town’s Joe Slovo Park, Ukhozi Girls Club seeks to build confidence and empowerment in young women through committed motivation and creating a positive mindset. Led by the incomparable Nqobile Hobane, the girls are taught to look beyond their backgrounds and seek their dreams, without limitations.
The core tenets of Ukhozi are Community Service, Educational & Career Development, Life & Health skills, Artistic Self-expression and Sports & Recreation. It was this ethos that inspired us to help them work towards their goals. By facilitating exciting experiences and encouraging mindfulness, we hope to expose them to a spectrum of opportunities and aspirations.
Our outings have included Table Mountain, The Aquarium, The Planetarium, Seal Island, Artjamming and The Waterfront Theatre School. Each outing has seen the girls grow in knowledge and confidence, while inspiring each of us in the process.
We’re looking forward to another year of adventures with these amazing young women.
Find out more about the Ukhozi Girls Club here:
Website – ukhozigirls.org.za
Instagram – Instagram.com/ukhozigirls
Marsh Memorial Home
Marsh Memorial Home, based in Rondebosch, is an incredible children’s home that provides short term care for children who have experienced abuse, neglect or abandonment in the Western Cape. Marsh Memorial Homes residential care programme operates on the Woodside estate in Rondebosch, surrounded by open fields and tranquil gardens. Each house accommodates ten children cared for by trained and registered Professional Child and Youth Care Workers. Marsh also provides intentional life skills programme, along with multi-disciplinary therapeutic support and counselling in order to assist children to find healing, rebuild their self-respect and confidence. We have a lot of respect for the work that Marsh does for these children.
Our first experience with the Marsh children was back in 2018, where we arranged a trip to the Aquarium. We have since arranged further courses at the Aquarium, beach clean ups and a trip to the movies with different groups from Marsh Memorial Home. It is a pleasure to work with this incredible home, and we hope to arrange more experiences in the future that enriches their lives.
Find out more about Marsh Memorial Home at http://marshmemorial.org.za
