Dear Sponsors,
As 2018 progresses, we gratefully acknowledge everyone who
has supported our children, their extended families and the staff of the
Vhutshilo Mountain School. Without your generous assistance we would never have
been able to provide each of our with an
excellent early education, two daily nutritious meals, a fruit snack as well as transportation to
and from school and second hand clothing as needed. Occasionally the need for
immediate medical attention is necessary and because of your financial support
we are able to swiftly meet those needs without having to wait until specific
funds can be raised.
VMS also continues to supplement our most needy families’
meager meals with surplus fresh vegetables from our garden. Unfortunately the irrigation pipes recently
burst and we now must find the money to replace them. Additionally, we are in
desperate need of a new water tank which is crucial to our very survival.
Hopefully you can begin to understand why we so appreciate your sponsorship and
financial assistance. We know that your earmarked sponsorship donations will
allow us to take care of our vulnerable children regardless of Vhutshilo
Mountain School’s financial shortfalls and budgetary constraints.
The VMS ECD program continues to be divided into
3 classes: ‘Babies’ who are cared for by various staffers while our two trained
teachers have one ‘Preschool’ and one ‘Grade R’ class each. It is thrilling to
watch them grow and learn. Knowing that they are developing skills and
experiencing educational/social opportunities otherwise unavailable to them
must be just as rewarding to you as it is to us.
Our integral approach to learning includes all indigenous
cultural practices (i.e. dancing, singing and drumming). Recently the VMS
children participated in a choral competition challenging preschoolers from
other Vhembe district crèches.
Our VMS preschoolers took home the first place win in all categories including
Best Choir, Best Dressed, Best Dramatizing Group, and Best Conductor. Thank you
for allowing these youngsters to experience improved self-esteem, satisfaction,
success and pure joy.
We are proud of them and their talented teachers but more
importantly our preschoolers are proud of themselves!
Our reputation as a top notch school offering a quality
preschool education continues to grow but so does our need. We accept HIV+
orphans, vulnerable as well as typical children living in the Limpopo region of
South Africa. We are unable to accept all of the area’s vulnerable children for
to do so would require additional staff, additional educational supplies, etc.
and we would not want to jeopardize our existing operation. Although more
middle class paying families are choosing to send their children to VMS, we
continue to just break even and at times, depending on unforeseen emergencies,
we fall short.
So please understand that your continued support is vital to
our existence. How wonderful if you would share this information with your
friends, family, neighbours and colleagues encouraging them to pick up one of
our ‘always available’ VMS sponsorships! Know that your sacrifice continues to
make an enormous difference in the lives of these vulnerable but worthy
children.
Thank you for a wonderfully successful 2017!
Warm regards,
Khathu Nemafhohoni
(Outreach Coordinator and Administrator)
