The New Year Begins with a Positive Story!

We begin the New Year sharing a ‘feel-good’ story with a very positive ending. On August 27, 2015 we blogged about 'A Positive Teen on the Run.'  Philly, a young HIV+ boy who had been a member of the VMS Support Group from the tender age of 7 was the star.  Teresa, our VMS PC volunteer, reported that Philly was always “sickly and depressed” because he was not scholarly and had aged out of VMS. But his passion, his hopes and dreams were all tied up in running, the one thing in which he excelled.

Your donations to HFL helped Teresa put together a group of teens who called themselves ‘Positive Teens on the Run’.  Slowly, donation by donation, 24 “extraordinary, determined and goal-focused adolescents” became proud, confident competitors no longer defined by stigma, poverty or discrimination.

Earlier this month, VMS hosted a World Aids Day ceremony with over 300 attendees. Some of the older support group teens spoke openly about their HIV+ status, the purpose of support groups, the importance of testing and the folly of being “ashamed”.

Philly stood out as keynote speaker. He stood tall and spoke about the change in his life through the VMS running club. He showed off his medals and had the audience laughing as he repeatedly called for “no stress and must relax”.  

THIS is what YOUR donations do. They save lives and build futures. Thank You and

Happy New Year!

It’s Here…A New Year and HFL’s New Web Site!

Check out HFL's new website!

We appreciate your feedback…to make the new site interactive, provide for easy navigation and inform on all things HFL.

We remain thankful to web developers Nancy Paris and Dimitri Rimsky who gave so much time and energy to make the new web site a reality and a sincere “thank you” to Dave Mason of Dave’s Logo Design for his ongoing support.

Happy New Year!

It’s Time to Head Back To South Africa

We never take your donations for granted. It’s important to us that we monitor where and how your money is spent. Time to head back to South Africa to check on the charities you so graciously support.

These trips are important but infrequent since the expense is always on us and NOT on Hope for Limpopo, Inc. Travel dates are from January 10 through February 20.  Please be patient with us if communication is slow or non-existent during this period. We promise to return with updates, new pictures and exciting video. For now….

Ka vha sale! (Remain well) 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to All!

A sincere “Thank you!” to everyone who has created a ‘gift opportunity’ for an impoverished child in the Limpopo Province of South Africa through a donation to Hope for Limpopo. You have truly put smiles on children’s faces and joy in their hearts.

We wish you and your families a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwanzaa, and a New Year of peace, good health and prosperity.

Help Our Children and Families This Holiday Season

One child lived with their Grandmother and 10 other family members, one of whom is physically disabled. The father is unknown and mother died from HIV+/AIDS. This family’s story is similar to others in Limpopo.

Please consider sending a donation for another child in a similar situation.

One of our charitable friends is a VMS gardener and cook. She lives in a surrounding village and supports 5 children, 3 sisters and a brother. On several occasions, she took HIV+ children from the VMS Outreach Program into her home. We know of many wonderful villagers like her who contribute as much as they can.

Please consider sending a donation to assist kindhearted villagers like this women and her family.

They Need Our Attention This Christmas

One child lived with a mentally challenged grandmother who used to take the child with her to the roadside to beg for food.  Often the child would accompany her to the local bar afterwards. Mother and Father had both deserted the family and were not seen again. The family barely survived on a small government grant. 

One child lived in a small village with his unemployed mother and 3 siblings.  His father died after a long illness leaving the family destitute and in debt.

 

Unfortunately stories like these are common in Limpopo.

Please consider a Christmas donation for children in similar situations.

Woo Continues to Make a Difference!

The group left to right. Zinzi Maweni, Vhuhwavho (Woo) Nevhungoni , Nomazizi Menze, Katleho Mosimanegape, Conrad Jani, Bongiwe Motsa, Lebogang Motsumi, Kagoyarona Kakanyo.

Recently, Woo, the youngest and only school age participant, was invited to an EHPSA (The Evidence for HIV prevention in Southern Africa) technical forum on adolescents and HIV.

The overall objective of the EHPSA-hosted technical forum, Adolescents and HIV Prevention, was to provide a platform for regional stakeholders to debate pertinent issues related to HIV prevention and adolescents in the eastern and southern Africa region.

This young girl continues to make a difference! Congratulations, Woo!

We Asked and You Answered!

On December 2^nd we asked you to donate funds enabling us to send an impoverished child to school for a year. Timing was important for in honor of #GivingTuesday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is matching your funds up to $1000. We are overjoyed to report that you have met and exceeded our goal. Current donations are allowing us to send 2 needy children to school, which doubles our original expectation.

Please do not stop giving. We have 8 days left in the challenge and cannot wait to see exactly how many disadvantaged children your donations will support. On December 13^th we will announce the final number of needy children you will be sending to school. Please consider joining our #GivingTuesday Team.  

Donate via Facebook Fundraiser 'Send a Child to School'

Donate via HFL website 'Sponsor a Child'                                                           

Send A Child To School

 

Help us reach our goal to send a child to school for one year!

 

About this Fundraiser

In honor of #GivingTuesday, the money raised for this fundraiser will be matched up to $1,000 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Facebook is waiving all fees. Please support Hope for Limpopo's cause, and your donation can be doubled!

 

Amount Raised To Date:   Donate Now through Facebook.

$300 / $600

 

Please consider donating to this Facebook Fundraiser!  Like us on Facebook! 

What Will It Take To Save Our Children?

Too frequently we receive sad news from Sue-Ann, Director of VMS, announcing yet another young, preventable death.

“Last week, Andries, a young boy of 14 died.” By the time Andries was admitted to the hospital, he was already quite ill. His caregiver challenged the hospital’s decision to discharge him after only 4 days and a short time later Andries died at home.

It is at these times HFL recognizes just how important our work is….how critical your financial support is ….how tenuous the difference between life and death.

Andries, an impoverished HIV+ teenager lived in a desolate, isolated village. He and his elderly caregiver regularly attended the support group meetings run by VMS, until funding from Oxfam stopped last April. Funding stopped…outreach workers were let go…outreach support group meetings stopped ….home visits to outlying villages stopped….Andries and children like him died.

HFL has always supported the ARV Workshops for children and adolescents focusing on skills training, healthy diet information and discussions on the social stigma associated with HIV+/AIDS. We continue to support the local adolescents but we just do not have the funds needed to support the entire outreach program.

VMS may have lost Oxfam funding, but they have not stopped caring. HFL continues to support efforts to educate our HIV+/AIDS youngsters and their caregivers. It is crucial that they understand the importance of adhering to their drug regimen so our most recent contribution will be spent on a workshop for caregivers to let them know that at the first sign of a child falling ill, VMS MUST be informed.

HFL will always attempt to find emergency funding for any child who needs immediate medical attention. We are interested in any new ideas on how HFL can best support our HIV+/AIDS youngsters and the Community Outreach Program.

Join HFL on Twitter and Instagram.

Follow Hope for Limpopo on Twitter and now on Instagram!

Cyber Month Giving

Black Friday? Cyber Monday? Giving Tuesday? Any Day?

  

We invite you to share your eagerness to assist others in an automatic way that takes no additional effort or cost on your part. 

Throughout this holiday gift-giving season bring hope to vulnerable children living in the Limpopo Province of South Africa by simply remembering to shop at smile.amazon.com. 

You will find the same prices for gift giving but the added bonus is that Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase price to Hope for Limpopo, Inc.

It’s so easy and costs you nothing extra. Simply...

1) visit smile.amazon.com/   

2) sign in and search for/choose Hope for Limpopo  

3) begin shopping and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your total to HFL at no extra cost to you! 

4) Then share with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or email. This option appears on your confirmation page after your order is complete.

Support Hope for Limpopo when you shop this holiday season

THANK YOU! 
 

VMS Building Addition is Progressing!

Our most recent communication from Sue-Anne Cook, the Director of VMS: 
 

“As I write I can see the staff members cleaning up the slab in preparation for the frames/struts. I had a meeting with Sakki, (our architect/builder/foreman) on Monday and he has completed two big jobs that were holding him back and is now keen to get our building done. His wife is the owner of a roofing and steel manufacturing business and donated all the gladding for the sides and roof.. plus paid for the transport. We did not have much option re: the colour (white) as the sheets were cut too short for another job..  hence the donation !! We are grateful for all contributions!”

New HFL Website!

Another great example of how HFL advocates can contribute to the cause.

Thanks to web developers Nancy Paris and Dimitri Rimsky, who gave their time and energy to this project, Hope for Limpopo will soon have a new interactive website! 

Once completed Nancy and Dimitri will instruct HFL and Volunteer Dave Mason of Dave’s Logo Designs to maintain and update the site, providing our supporters with up to date images and news about HFL programs and projects.

Coming soon…watch for it!

 

We Are Giving "Thanks" for You!

During this wonderful season of ‘thanks giving’ we offer every one of you our deepest gratitude for your kind thoughts, well wishes and countless offerings of support for the impoverished children, women and families living in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.

Our own Thanksgiving wish is for YOUR good health and prosperity. 

Wavho is an 'International Peace Prize' Nominee

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 In early March 2016, HFL supporter Cristina Kessler nominated our own Vhuhwavho Nevhungoni  (whom we affectionately call “Woo”) for the 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize.

The International Children’s Peace Prize is awarded annually to a child, anywhere in the world, “who has fought courageously to promote children’s rights”.

The prize was launched by KidsRights during the 2005 Nobel Peace Laureates’ Summit chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev. Since then, the prize has been presented every year by a Nobel Peace Laureate.

This year a record number of 120 nominated children are in contention for the internationally acclaimed prize and our own Wavho is among them. 

Cristina tells us that KIDS RIGHTS is celebrating Wavho’s inspiring story on 'KidsRight' website.

The three finalists will be announced on November 15th 2016. “Holding our thumbs” that Woo will be among them. We’ll keep you posted!

Please follow HFL on Facebook and Twitter as well as KidsRights on Facebook and Twitter.   

A Sponsor for 10 VMS Preschoolers!

We are always grateful to any and all who can find the space in their hearts to sponsor one of our needy VMS preschoolers but admittedly, we caught our breath when someone offered to sponsor 10 of these wonderful children !!!!

This was especially important to us since 2 of these children are 4 year old triplets. When they were only 2 years old the siblings lost their devoted mother in a tragic car accident.. “Dad” is not present in the children’s lives as he lives in Johannesburg with his new wife and 7 children. Their very old grandmother cares for the children in a neighboring village.

For the first few days at VMS the children would not let go of each other. They held hands at all times making it difficult to get them in the back of the transport car, get them seated for their meals or class activities. They cried and “fought like wild cats” when they were put in the back of the car. “The old granny had no sooner got one in then the next one was climbing out… and then they cried and screamed with their faces glued to the window as the car pulled away.”

A week later and they were very happily jumping into the car waving “Goodbye!” to the granny. They love school and are making friends with the other children. By afternoon, when they are all tired but still happy, they can be found hugging each other for comfort and quiet.

This is just one example of how sponsorship is making a very big difference in children’s lives!

Thank You!

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AUM Group Provides Blankets!

The Aum group in Makhado generously donated blankets to the VMS preschool and the VMS Outreach Program. Any donation, no matter the size, teaches our children about kindness. Thank you for the latest ‘generosity' lesson, Aum group!

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Progress...But at a Cost...but with your help we did it!

Thank you to the generous people who donated the money to complete, install and provide security (see original blog below) for Vhutshilo Mountain School children and staff! We couldn't do it without you... 
Unfortunately, VMS has had security issues in the past. The double gate to the school was very old and had been repaired so many times it was hard to open and close. It had to be widened to accommodate the large trucks bringing sand and cement on property for our ongoing Skills Training Center project. 

VMS Friend, Bax, a retired construction foreman, purchased steel and got a welder to make a beautiful secure sliding gate which moves on steel runners. HFL is seeking funding to purchase the special paint and labor costs (R2000 or $130 USD) needed to complete this project. 

A Generous Offer in Support of Human Rights

The Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Program (TVEP) works tirelessly in support of all human rights but has been most effective in supporting those living in the rural areas of Limpopo, South Africa. TVEP’s goal has always been to generate an attitude of zero tolerance towards sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse & HIV and AIDS related stigma in Limpopo's Thulamela Municipality. Their non-wavering focus on easier ‘access to justice’ for these problematic issues has led them to the creation of an intervention called the Zero Tolerance Village Alliance (ZTVA). Craig Carty, CEO of the Relevance Network and Fiona Nicholson, Director of TVEP have spent 5 years spearheading and developing this successful and proven model program.

We are proud to announce that “TVEP wants to share this model openly and invites any organization to adapt the program for its own use” through implementation of TVEP’S e-Toolkit. “This toolkit is designed to walk you through each step required to effectively implement in your region. It is comprised of several recommended steps and associated documents to ensure that sites targeted for implementation will succeed in taking full ownership of the program.”

Please join us in congratulating TVEP for making an important difference in the Limpopo Province and for their gracious offer to share their findings and methods.

If you are interested in supporting Human Rights, perhaps the e-Toolkit can be adapted to meet your needs. 

VMS will conduct Permaculture Workshop

While the VMS students enjoy a mid June-July holiday, the VMS staff has other plans. Trymore, a young man from Hoedspruit, South Africa, has offered to teach the VMS caregivers and gardeners how to create a permaculture garden.

Permaculture gardening is an ethical approach to designing land use and community systems, to provide food, ecological habitats, and other essentials needed for human survival.  It uses techniques and practices that combine the best of wildlife gardening, edible landscaping, and native-plant cultivation into one low-maintenance, self-contained and productive ecosystem.  

HFL is excited about this workshop knowing that living sustainably and harmoniously with nature is the basic belief held by our friends in the Limpopo Province.

The NGO, Seeds of Light, is supporting this endeavor but we are still in need of R2000 (U.S. $130) for this workshop to become a reality. If you would like to contribute to this worthwhile, self-sustaining effort donate or contact HFL for more information. 

Seedling Nursery Floor Almost Completed

Gardens are a lot of work but so necessary and worthwhile! 

Our seedling nursery floor used to be covered with macadamia nut shells but the weeds grew through and with the overhead sprinklers it was always muddy and not very hygienic for the seedlings. While visiting, Bax, our volunteer foreman managed to concrete half the floor with leftover cement and stone mix from our skills training center project.

We just need a little bit of donated money for the labor to complete the project and our seedlings are ready to be planted!

Your donation to complete this project would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank You!

HFL Awarded $10,000 in #CashforGood Contest!

 

Thanks to the Public Interest Registry (PIR) and OnGood Hope for Limpopo is the official Grand Prize winner of $10,000!

We registered our .ngo domain name, created a profile page and were automatically entered in the #CashForGood contest.

“The judges found our profile page to be “the best…offering great insight into what HFL does to make a difference in a community of people’s lives – through both context and multimedia.”

We are identifying the most pressing needs to put this incredible $10,000 award to good use with plans to support the building of the new classroom and skills training room, help provide ongoing skills training for the school children, caregivers and community and enable Hope For Limpopo to sponsor more children.

Thank you for this incredible opportunity, PIR and OnGood!  

Our ‘Skills Training Center’ Project Has Finally Begun!

Bax, a retired construction foreman from Cape Town, South Africa, arrived at VMS in early March. He immediately set out a plan for construction of the new building which will house our growing skills training workshops and an additional early childhood classroom.

Under Bax’s direction, numerous volunteers began demolishing an earlier poorly devised structure. Rubble has been cleared, tools, some lumber and limited amounts of cement have been donated and HFL has contributed wherever possible.

This project has always been near and dear to HFL since we believe in providing self-sustaining projects for our less fortunate friends in the Limpopo Province.  Hope for Limpopo benefactors have supported and helped to initiate the beads project, home gardens, goat tending, sewing, and computer training among others.

The Skills Training Center will provide much needed space for all VMS educational needs as well as a site for community gatherings. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.

This is a long-range project so please consider helping us fund this undertaking. 

Thank You.

Donate to VMS Skills Training Center.
Like us on FaceBook.
Visit Hope for Limpopo.

HFL Answers the Call for Educational Toys

“Education is the key to success” and is the catalyst to leading all children out of poverty. We did not invent this slogan but HFL has adopted it as our belief and our motto. 

Vhutshilo Mountain School (VMS) now has a total of 71+ preschool students, many of whom are AIDS/HIV+ survivors but just as many are simply impoverished preschoolers. 

When Sue Ann Cook, the Director of VMS, asked for $350 USD to provide carpeting, shelving and preschool equipment for these impoverished preschoolers HFL was able to immediately answer the call thanks to our many supporters.

Thank you for continuing to make a difference!

Donate to Vhutshilo Mountain School.
Like us on FaceBook.
Visit Hope for Limpopo.

2015 Vhutshilo Mountain School Newsletter

Dear Sponsors,      
                                                                                                 
Thank you for sponsoring child(ren) from Vhutshilo Mountain School (VMS). This has been a particularly challenging year for us financially. South Africa is going through an economic slump and the drought has wreaked havoc in the Limpopo region; the price of foodstuffs has shot up and local villagers who were managing to get by are now joining the ranks of the poor.  Without your financial assistance, the school would not be able to ensure that our vulnerable children receive an excellent early education, two nutritious meals and a fruit snack daily, as well as transportation to and from school. 

VMS also assists with accessing social grants, and often the teachers notice physical or mental issues at an early age so we can help the parent/guardian to receive the proper help. Whenever we are able, we supplement our most needy families’ meager meals with surplus fresh vegetables from our garden. The need continues to grow. So thank you for your consideration and your continued support. Your sacrifice makes an enormous difference in the lives of these vulnerable children!

The school has already enrolled 71 children this year and the need for quality preschool education in the Limpopo Province continues to grow. My two young, enthusiastic and dedicated teachers have both received excellent training at Thusanang Trust  (accredited pre-school training in Limpopo). Terry, our Thusang instructor, gave us a resource list of educational games and supplies to enhance the VMS teaching experience. Thanks to a grant from HFL we were able to purchase the suggested puzzles, dolls, blocks, sand toys, peg boards, hula hoops, felt boards, bats, balls, scooters and other educational toys as well as a carpet to cover the cold cement in the ‘Babies’ room.

We are pleased to note that the number of paying students is growing as more middle class families in our area want to give their children a good basic start before they go to their local schools, however, this is not sufficient. VMS only just breaks even and depending on our assorted needs, at times we fall short.  Unfortunately we have lost some of our past sponsors which has put us into a shortfall. Thankfully HFL has picked up 10 sponsorships this year but they continue to look for assistance so please tell your friends that sponsorships are available!

The good news is that our paying children not only help cross subsidise the vulnerable children, but they help to break the stigma and discrimination connected to the HIV+ virus which is still so rife in this rural area.  Sadly, Oxfam Australia is pulling out of S.A. in March and as they funded our gardeners, the outreach field workers and a large portion of Khathu and my salaries,  it is essential that the school manages to pay for itself. HFL continues to help us to find grants and funding to alleviate our financial burden. We are still searching!

But lets talk about the joys: The children are divided into 3 classes: ‘Babies’ who are cared for by various staffers while our two trained teachers have a ‘Toddler’ and ‘Preschool’ class each. The children are both a joy and a privilege and continue to enrich our lives! 

We are loath to take on more staff until the school is more financially stable, and possible retrenchment is no longer a threat. Though we would love to accept additional children who are in need of schooling, we are walking a fine line and are careful not to exceed our limit which would surely jeopardize our entire operation.The school has a vibrant SGB (School Governing Body) which is a good mix of parents/guardians of the vulnerable children and those of the paying ones. At a meeting next month we will be discussing a possible increase in the school fees as the cost of living has increased drastically over the past few months. This will not affect the sponsors as with the current exchange rate the fees are already more than what the locals pay in rand. 

The school has an excellent reputation: this we know from the sudden influx of paying students and feedback from the primary schools where they excel. A real success story is our “box” baby who spent his first few months in a large cardboard box in the school kitchen.  Last year he won a scholarship to attend a really good private school and in all his “exams” came top of his grade out of 281 students !!   At 6 years of age he spends his leisure time teaching English to his small neighbours in the village and VMS makes sure he has plenty of paper, pencils and a stack of chalk slates. His sponsor from Scotland has continued with his sponsorship even though he has left VMS, and this assists with school uniforms and transport as the school is far from his home.

Our little ones excel not only academically: Last year they competed in a singing competition winning 1st prize, and took second place in a traditional dance competition. I hope you can visualize these tiny moppets, dressed in their unique shorts, skirts and t/shirts made from the Venda clothe, singing and dancing their hearts out. It’s always an exciting day for all when the taxi arrives and the children climb in with their buckets of food and cold drinks. 

On Graduation Day, the tent is filled to the brim with parents, guardians, guests , children and their siblings (approx 250 in all). The crowd is wonderstruck when a four year old child steps forward and says in perfect English, “Welcome everybody to our Graduation party. Feel free and enjoy the day “. This is followed by dramas, dancing and singing and the handing over of certificates to our young gowned and capped students. Families join in with much wailing and dancing. This is surely a sight to behold and a fitting end to a year full of challenges, accomplishments, heartache, laughter and always love. We unfailingly hold you in our hearts on these gratifying occasions for you have helped to make them possible.

I am privileged and blessed to be part of the dedicated and loyal team that makes such a HUGE difference in the lives of a few of our children. Without your ongoing support, this would not be possible. Thank you. 

Warm regards

Sue Anne

Madi A Thavha is Back in Business!

On January 7 we reported a devastating fire at our friend Marceilla's beautiful mountain lodge retreat. Madi A Thavha boasts some of "the best local CraftArt in (her) gallery, shop and textile studio...Limpopo's heritage runs through the entire lodge." 

Marceilla has always been eager to assist the women in area villages and has been especially helpful in training many women in the HIV/AIDS support group run by VMS and supported by HFL. The ultimate goal for these women is self sufficiency. Marceilla already provides skills training in jewelry making with beads made by the VMS Woman’s Support Group. Shortly before the fire she was poised to teach sewing skills to 5 women using recently donated VMS sewing machines.

We are thrilled to learn that the women have returned to Madi a Thavha to learn to sew curtains. Khathu tells us that their aprons, dresses, cushions etc. made from Venda cloth are “stunning”!  The women are dedicated and anxious to start their own businesses. Learning under Marseilla, a fastidious teacher, is making them quality seamstresses.

If you have donated to this HFL ‘cause’, please be proud of your efforts! And to others who may be considering sending a donation, please know that you can join us in changing lives.

Thank You!

Visit Madi A Thavha's website.