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African Community Outreach |
We are a husband and wife team from the farming community surrounding Vaalwater who became aware of the plight of thousands affected by poverty, high unemployment, malnutrition and disease. We started a Non Profit Organisation 5 year ago with a view to making a difference through our ministry based on Christian principles. Our focus is helping the many vulnerable people especially children and the elderly. Where we are Vaalwater is situated on the central plateau of the Waterberg Mountains within the Limpopo Province of South Africa. We are 3 hours drive north of Johannesburg. The adjacent residential suburb of Leseding is a large and extremely impoverished community. What we currently do We support families in need, visiting with them in their homes providing food, medical care and helping to get children into schools. One of our main focuses is looking after the many widows and orphans that have been left by the terrible Aids Crisis in Vaalwater. There are a large number of women, many of whom are elderly, who have been left to look after small children and teenagers. Many mothers in the 20 to 45 year old age group have died. We also find many children raising siblings or cousins. Due to the high rate of unemployment and poverty, these people have little to no income. In many of these cases we find the young “parents” begging for food from neighbours. In some cases we are able to help people get identity documents to qualify them for the government grant, but even then the income is seldom sufficient to feed a family of between 6 to 12 people. We provide these families with meals at one of our feeding schemes and occasionally give food parcels. Education is key for us, we currently fund 8 college students and have provided education for many children each year. It costs us R400 to educate a child per year. The cost of putting a student through college is R15 000 per year.
In order to help feed the many hungry families in Lesideng we have planted a very large vegetable garden on the farm where we live. This produces 10 varieties of veggies on a large scale, these veggies are used to supply the feeding schemes and needy families. We have built our first crèche in Lesideng.
This project is aimed at providing a safe and loving
environment to pre school children and toddlers that are
often uncared for. The children receive good nutrition,
mental stimulation and a good head start on their
education. Funding
Update August 2011:
Education The early part of the year saw a big drive to purchase school uniforms for students attending the various schools in the area. A big thank you to all who contributed to this project. The sponsored college and school students are all doing well and consistently achieve amongst the top marks in their studies. We are always looking for sponsors to help fund “the dream to a better life through education”. Currently we have a very urgent need for a sponsor to fund the studies of a grade one student at the Waterberg Academy Private School in Vaalwater. She was one of our original sponsored students and is doing very well at this excellent facility. Sadly her sponsor is no longer able to fund her studies (± R1700 per month) and she is currently two months in arrears and will have to leave the school shortly if a sponsor does not come forward. Her mother, an orphan herself that ACO has been assisting for 5 years, is working now but still does not have the means to fund her daughter’s education herself. Zelda Moyo, one of the sponsored college students, is now in her second year at Nursing College and achieved the top marks in her class last year. Zelda will make a first class nurse and be able to support her son Craig as a result. Craig has just been enrolled for school next year. ACO would really like to expand their education arm in the future as evidence shows that education has to be the key to breaking the poverty cycle in our community. Housing The house building program has been going well we have been very excited to build a further five homes in recent months taking our total of homes built for the township area up to 40!!. These corrugated iron structures come in different sizes and are a huge improvement on the leaky, rat infested shacks that many Leseding residents live in. A two room structure with opening windows and lockable doors, complete with concrete floor cost in the region of R10,500 (one room & three room options are also available). Vegetable Growing & Feeding In July Hamish and Terry, the driving force behind ACO, moved home to rented property on Groenfontien close to Vaalwater. This farm has excellent water for the vegetable growing projects that are use for feeding the needy in town. As a bonus there are some established fruit trees which a huge blessing and will contribute to the feeding program. Planting of vegetable seedlings is well underway and already the first crop has started to be harvested. ACO is planning to supply seedlings to others who have access to water and wish to grow food for the poor. Top Priority "Wishlist" Education • Expansion of the education program of sponsorship for college and school students. • Urgent Sponsorship for a grade 1 student at Waterberg Academy. We hope to start a trust fund for Joyce so that money donated can be saved to cover her schooling right through to matric and college beyond. Feeding & Family Support • Funding for the feeding program. (Maize meal costs R78 per 25kg bag or R158 per 50 kg bag, sugar beans costs R42 per 5kg bag) • Monthly donations of non perishable food items (baked beans, pilchards, milk powder and infant formula, personal hygiene supplies i.e. soap, diapers, etc.) • Blankets and usable second hand or new clothing (all sizes) Additional Project Funding Housing House sponsorships of various sizes for families in need (from R 8,500 per unit) Medical Budget ACO funds a number of HIV positive peoples’ ARV treatments at a cost of R 400 per person per month. These are life saving drugs that cannot be compromised on. Funds for doctors’ visits and regular blood tests are also urgently needed. Vegetable Garden & Poultry Project • Funds for the expansion of the vegetable gardens, shade net, seedlings, irrigation pipes, water tanks, fertilizer, etc. • Funds to support the poultry project that currently houses and supports ± 100 chickens. Expansion of this project could also be done if the necessary funds were received. Replacement Vehicle ACO’s 1980’s rebuilt Toyota Hilux that is used to transport people and food all over the Waterberg is nearing the end of it’s life and a replacement will be required shortly. Land Purchase (a Property) The purchase of a suitable property to house and serve as a base for all of ACO’s operations. The property we are currently renting is ideal for all our projects. Thank You ACO would like to convey a huge thank you to all of our current sponsors who support their work and vision they could not do any of it without your wonderful support. To those who would like to become involved or want to know more please feel free to contact us by email or telephone. Please tell your friends about the work of African Community Outreach and how to become involved. Best Wishes God Bless Hamish & Terri Rodgers African Community Outreach Update November 2010:
To support the expansion of the vegetable growing project and to be able to assist interested families in producing their own vegetables ACO is undertaking a seedling production program. Education programs remain a big focus for ACO, the Creche (Day care centre) has recently been set up as a self sustaining business, creating local employment while at the same time providing a safe secure environment for young vulnerable children. Two of the ACO sponsored college students recently graduated. One of them, Hendrik Lefoka, has just spent a year “giving back” by working within the community. Hendrik has now embarked on a new career with the South African Police Forensic Laboratory and ACO and all it’s supporters wish him the best of success and will follow his progress eagerly. The reward for ACO and all involved is to see people flourish when given an opportunity. Two new students are being sponsored, one at the Private Waterberg Academy School and another in Nursing College. In January 2011 ACO is again planning to purchase school uniforms for as many children as they can afford to supply. This is to try and circumvent the sad reality that many children are sent home from school for being incorrectly dressed and therefore they drop out of school simply because their parents cannot afford to purchase a school uniform. The Housing Project is another area ACO is looking to continue with, a simple kit form home that is rat and rain proof can make a big difference to a family. These two room structures cost about R10,500 fully installed. ACO has built 30 of these homes to date. ACO would like to thank all persons for the interest and support given to ACO. Without this generous support received ACO would not be able to continue with all these projects aimed at benefiting the less fortunate persons within our community. I am sure all the recipients would also extend a warm word of thanks. Best wishes and God Bless Hamish Rodgers Chairman: African Community Outreach |
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