Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

 

Wishing you the best during this holiday season! 

Your spirit of love continues to make all things possible.  

Thank You! 

 

Happy Hanakkah! 

Merry Christmas! 

Happy Kwanzaa!

World AIDS Day

Last year HFL was privileged to support VMS in their partnership with the Phuluso clinic for a World AIDS Day celebration. 330 people, young and old, attended this day of planned events. HIV/AIDS awareness and stigma mitigation were and continue to be the motivating factors.

HFL will support this worthy cause again this year. Many activities underscoring how to live a healthy, productive life have been planned through dance, music, and drama. Health professionals will be on hand to explain and encourage HIV/AIDS testing. At least 500 people are expected this year including youngsters and adults from the VMS Support Groups.

HFL continues to encourage HIV/AIDS education. Your donations continue to support these kinds of worthwhile endeavors. Thank You.

Today is Giving Tuesday!

Today, November 28, is GivingTuesday, a compassionate movement for 'giving' to those in need.  #GivingTuesday challenges individuals and communities to make the world a better place through generosity.

We invite you to check out our web site (hopeforlimpopo.org) or Facebook page and donate or share with friends and family.

Consider making a one-time gift by following this link.

Share this page and encourage others to donate or share.

Please consider 'giving' to Hope for Limpopo, Inc.

Thank You!

Giving Tuesday is November 28!

November 28 is designated as Giving Tuesday, a compassionate movement for ‘giving' to those in need through social media. For the past four years, #Giving Tuesday has challenged individuals and communities to make the world a better place through generosity.

It’s a simple idea.  We invite you to check out our web page or Facebook page and DONATE OR SHARE. 

Make a one-time gift on our page by following this link.

Share this page and encourage others to donate or share. 

We’d like to thank GlobalGiving at http://www.globalgiving.org who has partnered with #GivingTuesday and lists Hope for Limpopo as a legitimate nonprofit worthy of your donations.

Please consider ‘giving’ to Hope for Limpopo, Inc.  Thank You!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Friends. Family. Food.  Life. Health. Kindness. Support. Comfort. Relief. YOU!

We are thankful.

Relief...

Comfort...

Support...

Kindness...

Health...

Life...

Food...

Family...

Friends...

Our VMS Preschool Winners!

The VMS pre-school children recently participated in a choral competition challenging preschoolers from other Vhembe district crèches.  Our VMS children took home the first place win in all categories including best choir, best dressed, best dramatizing group and best conductor. We are so proud of our dedicated teachers who do an amazing job with very little.

And 3 cheers for our VMS preschoolers and their win!

The Healing Touch Program Interrupted by Hurrican Irma

Think Hurricane Irma is “old news’? Our friends Cary and Barb are still living it.

We met St John friends Cary and Barb many years ago when they contacted HFL asking if their background in massage could benefit our South African friends. We are grateful that this resulted in the creation of the Healing Touch program.

Cary & Barb traveled from their St John home to South Africa to teach our HIV/AIDS caregivers the benefits of massage and healing touch. Their introductory workshop classes and supervised practice brought much needed palliative relief to our suffering SA friends.

Barb’s correspondence assured us that they were physically fine. Cary relays “…the reality of this disaster is almost beyond comprehension….we have major cleanup and damage to our home” …  (they arrived stateside) “…shaking, shocked, barely able to complete a sentence and oh so so grateful…”

Our friends were daunted but not broken. They have rescheduled their Sept flight to Limpopo and now hope to arrive sometime in December to continue the program they started.
Cary and Barb represent ‘selflessness’ at its finest!

Positive Teens

It’s that unselfish time of year again and we’re hoping you will join the ‘Generosity Movement’ on #GivingTuesday with a donation to Hope for Limpopo, Inc.

Add November 28^th to your calendar as a reminder to participate.

Please check out Hope for Limpopo's website and Facebook page and do remember that when you ‘share’ and ‘like’ us you are also ‘giving’.

Thank You!

Help a St John USVI Business Rebuild

--> Read more about our HFL friends on St John who were caught in the crosshairs of Hurricane Irma.

Chirag ‘Cheech’ Vyas and Kevin Chipman, two young entrepreneurs living in St John but not quite making ends meet yet, donated all of the beer and soda for ‘One Magical Evening’, our first HFL fundraising event on St John USVI. And that should tell you all you need to know about Cheech and Kevin, but there’s more…

UVM college roommates, Cheech went on to work for NASA in the space program and Kevin worked as a physical therapist in an acute care Boston hospital. Anxious to forge their own way while still young and unencumbered, they bought one-way tickets to St John. They struggled to find their niche but their friendly, helpful manner brought them numerous friends, HFL among them. They encountered endless speed bumps along the way but journeyed from serving beer to brewing beer to owning The Tap Room and creating St John Brewers VI. Their story is inspiring http://www.stjohnbrewers.com .

After 10+ years of providing assistance to others, we find Kevin and Cheech in need of assistance themselves. With the roof blown off their St John house and possessions gone, their business, The Tap Room and their distributing company, St John Brewers, remain…. we think. Communication to and from the island is shaky and we have yet to connect with them personally. We do know that the island is devastated and there are no tourists left to visit their establishment.

Log onto their website http://www.stjohnbrewers.com and send a message asking how you might help them. Tell them their Hope for Limpopo friends sent you.

“Thank You!” for reaching out.

International Day of the Girl Child

Support a young child to attend Vhutshilo Mountain School.

St. John Update: Cristina Kessler

One Magical Evening

 We, at Hope for Limpopo, cherish the many friends we have made from all over the world. We were extremely concerned when we heard of the devastation that occurred on St John, US Virgin islands as a result of category 5 Hurricane Irma which hit St John with 150 mph winds.

St John was the location for two generous fundraisers spearheaded by our dear friend, Cristina Kessler. One Magical Evening held in 2013 and Another Magical Evening held in 2014 raised over $20,000 for Hope for Limpopo Inc. 100% of the money raised was used to sponsor numerous school children, create workshop opportunities for our HIV+ students and provide seed money to begin the VMS school building addition. Untold numbers of children and families were touched by the generosity of the St John residents.

Cristina is an Author, Photographer, World Traveler, Teacher, Mentor, Philanthropist and most importantly, our Friend.  She and her husband Joe are safe but report that the island is destroyed and will take untold months to repair and replace. Homes, businesses, possessions, livelihoods and even lives were lost. Sadly, Cristina suffered a significant knee injury in the aftermath and will seek treatment stateside as soon as they are able to leave the island, but she and Joe are “safe”.

Compassion and Condolences

Our hearts here at HFL go out to all those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Please know that we are all thinking of you with great concern and compassion.   
“Ka vha sale”

"Positive Teens on the Run!' Run Strong and Proud.

 

Congratulations to team VMS 'Positive Teens on the Run'  they did very well on Saturday running the Foskor Half Marathon in Phalaborwa.  Running proud, Wamashudu finished 10km in 47 min, Khuthi in 1 hour and Rabelani ran 21km in 2 hours!   Thank you Mr. Mathumba from Vhembe Athletic Club for working with these amazing youth!

Thank you to the PTOR Global Giving Campaign supporters who made it possible for these vulnerable teens and thier peers!  

Yes, it is possible to live a healthy productive life free from internal stigma, accept yourself, and stay positive!!!!!

You Did It!

Thanks to our HFL friends and 57 committed donors, we have surpassed our $5000 goal by raising $5,158 for POSITIVE TEENS ON THE RUN!

Our teens are thrilled and can hardly believe that so many people have responded to their plea. This is the first time many of these youngsters have gotten any positive feedback, encouragement or praise and it has given them renewed hope for their futures.

Additionally HFL has achieved ‘Superstar’ status from Global Giving allowing us to secure a permanent fundraising spot on the GG platform.

Please continue to encourage others to join our efforts by ‘liking’ and ‘sharing’ HFL news.

We will keep you posted on the PTOR progress and once again, “Thank You!” for your generosity and making this all possible.  

Will We Graduate Today?

Today is the last “official” day for our PTOR campaign and we’d LOVE to reach our $5000 goal by midnight.

We’ve received over $3000 from 54 donors and are more than grateful for the support we’ve received from all over the world!

A $10 contribution brings ‘hope’ and ‘purpose’ to our inspired teens who have never experienced such support before.

Thanks for continuing to ‘like’ and ‘share’ in an effort to put us over the top.

2 Days to Go!

Two days to go...Please continue to share!

...$2976.00 raised towards our goal of $5000.00!...

Thank you for your continued support, for the young women featured here and her running team!

We Are Close!

We asked. You heard. You responded.

 

We asked for help raising $5000 from 40 different donors so we could all assist HIV+ teens to move forward in their lives.

 

You responded with $2,266.00 from 50 donors!

 

We are so close. We have 3 more days to reach this goal.

 

Still needed: $ 2734.00  

   

Please help.  Just $10 makes a difference!

Thank You!

'Positive Teens on the Run!' One Runner's words..

Support this group of committed youngsters from severely disadvantaged families who openly declare their HIV+ status as runners and demonstrate healthy lifestyles! 

Donate to 'Positive Teens on the Run!'

Our Gift to You

Thanks to committed followers, we are moving closer to our goal of $5000. 

At the close of this campaign we will blindly choose 10 donors to receive a packet of 8 beautiful HFL photo notecards as a symbol of our gratitude. 

If you haven’t donated to 'Positive Teens on the Run!' yet, please consider it.

And do continue to share our story and ‘like’ us on fb!

Thank You!

One Goal Reached!

As of this morning we have 44 donors!

Our task is to reach $5,000 from 40 different donors. Thanks to your dedicated efforts we now have $2007.92 from 44 different donors!

One goal down and one to go!

Please continue to spread the word by sharing this project with everyone you know and encouraging them to do the same.

We are now a TEAM and together we can do this!

Thank You!

Let's not lose another teen!    Just $10 makes a big difference!

Click here to make your donation.

Today is Bonus Day!

What does that mean to HFL?

From 9 am to 11:59 EDT today ONLY, Global Giving will match donations at 20%.

If you haven’t already gifted to this wonderful cause, please DO consider giving any amount.

$10 makes a big difference to an impoverished runner.

Click here to make your donation.

Thank You!

'Postive Teens on the Run' in action...

'Positive Teens on the Run!' grow strong while eradicating AIDS discrimination among youth.

Consider helping...

Donate to 'Positive Teens on the Run!'

Positive Teens on the Run and Peter Pan!

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” …    Peter Pan

“Thank You!” to HFL follower Renee and J.M. Barrie, for reminding us WHY we are helping the PTOR HIV+ teens undertake the eradication of AIDS discrimination among adolescents.

Please, help these teens continue to “fly.”  Donate to 'Positive Teens on the Run!'

Thank You!

A 'Positive Teen on the Run'

“When I run, I am proud of myself. I am strong, and I forget all my troubles…when I grow up, I want to be a doctor.”  13 year-old Positive Teens on the Run! team member.

Click here to support "Positive Teens on the Run!'

A Special Tribute to Dads

What better way to honor your father than to make a worthy donation to Positive Teens on the Run! in your Dad’s name. 

E Cards or Printable Gift Cards are available on-line when you make your donation.

Click here to make your donation!

Happy Father’s Day!

Thanks! For Helping Us Launch ‘Positive Teens On the Run!'

We are grateful to the 5 donors who launched our campaign and have taken us $300 closer to helping S.A. teens end the stigma associated with HIV+/AIDS.

Please donate if you can and do consider spreading the word.

Send our link to family and friends, like us on Facebook and 'share' our story.

Give Now!  to Positive Teens on the Run Global Giving Campaign.

Help us Launch Positive Teens on the Run on Global Giving!

Help us launch “Positive Teens on the Run” on Global Giving!
Our Goal is to raise $5000 from 40 donors by June 30^th.
A $10 donation makes a difference!

An Invitation to Help End the Stigma of HIV/Aids for SA Adolescents

 
HFL has been invited to participate in a Global Giving Accelerator crowdfunding campaign to support our HIV+ adolescents in South Africa. 

These youth have chosen to turn their backs on prejudice, disclose their HIV/AIDS status, live healthy lifestyles and urge their peers to do the same, in effect saving lives. 

For HFL to succeed, we must raise $5,000 between June 12^th and June 30^th  from 40 DIFFERENT donors.

Can you help us? Watch for our launch on Monday June 12^th, LIKE us on fb, and help spread the word.

Thank you!

Coming Soon!

Positive Teens on the Run!

A running group of HIV+ South African adolescents determined “to turn our positive status into a positive inspiration for change and awareness, to help end stigma and discrimination throughout the world.”

HFL is determined to assist them through our GlobalGiving June Accelerator Campaign which begins Monday June 12^th and ends Friday June 30^th.

We need your support in this pursuit. Will you help us spread the word?

More information is “Coming Soon!”

Generosity From a Netherlands Author

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In keeping with the HFL goal of ending the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, Hijltje Vink, author of Brenda Has a Dragon in Her Blood, generously sent us her remaining French language picture books for a worthy cause.

Having read our blogs (see Blogs 9-18-12; 10-28-12; 9-2-13) an HFL friend requested our help. Thanks to Hijltje’s kindness, he will soon be traveling to Haiti and will distribute the books to needy HIV+ preschoolers.

SA children with HIV/AIDS are often discriminated against and shunned by family members. HFL is intent on helping youth end the stigma associated with this disease so they can live productive lives.

This is another example of ‘Friends helping Friends’ with a worthy cause.

Thank you, Hijltje and Brenda!

TVEP Training/Capacity Building

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Deborah Sambo, HR and Admin Manager, spoke to HFL about the lack of capacity building for the employees of the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Program. Improved English speaking, writing and presentation skills are needed.

HFL is anxious to talk to any teacher who is interested in a one year volunteer position in South Africa. Housing and a small stipend can be arranged.

We promise that you will never regret this amazing experience!

“Thank You, Sophia!” TVEP’s Empowerment Coordinator

Sophia visiting classroom at Tshilidzini Special School

HFL’s successful fact finding visit to South Africa and specifically to the NGO’s that we support can be credited to Sophia Kekana, the Empowerment Coordinator at the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Program.

Not only did she make the arrangements for the TVEP staff to brief us on their ongoing projects and needs, she also accompanied us to the Tshilidzini Special School. Her cultural knowledge and insight will be invaluable in assessing HFL’s future involvement in TSS ventures. 

We look forward to working with her on additional TVEP and TSS related projects.

TVEP’s Access to Justice Program

Hope for Limpopo recently met with Access to Justice’s management leader, Fhatuwani Manthada. We learned how TVEP provides legal assistance to physical and sexual abuse victims and confirms that the justice system will follow through with its own mandates. They prepare women and children for court and provide support and reassurance throughout testimonies and follow up care. This small team of 3 provides individualized support to an average of 145 clients each month.

Fhatuwani has suggested 3 areas TVEP needs assistance with:

1.   access to sanitary products for young girls so they no longer miss multiple days of school each month which negatively impacts their schooling

2.   repairs to the ZoZo House (built by HFL supporters) which keeps child victims apart from their perpetrators while the children wait to testify in court (see previous ZoZo blog dated August 2011)    

3.   education/training for young males relating to sexual abuse, HIV/Aids and domestic violence

Please share any ideas you may have which would assist HFL and TVEP with these ‘needs.' We will provide more information on this program in the near future. Thank You!

HFL Meets TVEP Management Team

The Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Program (TVEP) is an NGO in the Limpopo Province of South Africa which HFL proudly supports. TVEP provides support, prevention, and empowerment services in five areas including HIV/AIDS; child abuse; domestic violence; sexual assault; and LGBTI issues.

While in South Africa we met with members of the TVEP Management Team to review ongoing programs as well as current and future needs.

We were quite impressed by their professionalism, knowledge, and the progress that has been made in “turning victims into survivors”.  TVEP’s firm belief that there is “no excuse for abuse” or discrimination continues to inspire the surrounding communities to make necessary changes.

In future blogs we will share specific information on what each department is doing and the impact TVEP has had in the Thulamela Municipality. For more information please visit TVEP's website.

"Thank You" from Vhutshilo Mountain School

A few of the dedicated teachers and staff at VMS

 

 

To our Supporters, the following note was received today from Vhutshilo Mountain School. This message is really for each of  you...

 

'As we come to the end of school 1st term, with no subsidy from the government also this year. We would like to take this opportunity to Thank Hope for Limpopo in the USA, Jo Ann Churchill and Nancy Amanti, the people in Scotland, Monica McNeill and Madi A Thavha Mountain Lodge for sponsoring the vulnerable children.  The children’s family and VMS staff are very grateful for your continued support.The children and staff had an Easter play day at the local Mphephu resort on the 30th March 2017. It was a great day with wonderful weather for everyone to play and swim.  We all had a great day.'

 

Thank you to Suzi, Khathu and the wonderful teachers and staff at VMS for being our 'eyes and ears on the ground,' for loving and caring for these vulnerable children each and every day!

Permaculture: Creating a Sustainable Future at VMS

Permaculture (is) a system of perennial agriculture that works with and not against nature, emphasizing the use of renewable natural resources and the enrichment of local ecosystems.”
 
In June of 2016, HFL assisted VMS caregivers and gardeners.  Caregivers received training in learning to create and manage a permaculture garden. This successful program became a catalyst for teaching the importance of good nutrition for those living with HIV/AIDS.

Joyce and Evelyn have become permaculture experts and with the assistance of Caroline, they are able to grow and sell enough food at VMS to replenish necessary garden supplies, provide healthy vegetables for the daily meals at Vhutshilo Mountain School and food packages for many of the local vulnerable families.

Currently they produce 100% organic vegetables and have assisted 10 local families in using this method.  They continue to educate the community about permaculture and the health benefits it provides while preserving the environment.

Thanks to your generosity, one of HFL’s goals of encouraging self sustaining programs has been realized.

Evelyn and Joyce would now like to start an agricultural nursery, propagating and selling landscaping plants.  HFL will be encouraging them and with your help we will assist their efforts with funds for a lawn mower needed to generate mulch as well as materials for a retail kiosk among other necessities.

If you are interested in helping to establish this worthwhile cause, please consider making a donation.

Thank You for making a difference.