URGENT MESSAGE - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

URGENT MESSAGE - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

HELP MOKGWANENG.......my friend Dorette Nel visited the facility today. Here's what she said:
(Please take a few minutes to read this through....if you can help, well, you know the drill...contact me IMMEDIATELY! Thank you)

Dear all

I write in English to avoid having to repeat myself...

Today I visited a new facility in a rural area 113 kms from Pretoria that we are going to pack Santa Shoeboxes for.

The pre-school (Gr 0) has 38 kids and a teacher and that's about all.

Two small rooms with NOTHING but bare walls, a cement floor, 8 donated blankets to sit on and one gas plate (set up on floor) to make the kids' daily porridge and a small table overloaded with everything that needs to be kept out of the way.

No educational toys, NO BOOKS, no puzzles, one shoebox with about 60 crayons to share and a few small, exercise books that kids have filled with scribbles...
No colouring in books, no toys, no blackboard, no small tables or chairs, no shelves, no posters or paint on the walls...
No kitchen cabinet, no cupboard, no balls, no... well you get the picture.

A hole in the back yard serves as a toilet. And a tap under a tree provides running water.
The little money they get from parents who can pay, they use to feed the kids (many of whom are orphans, or come from families that live in dire conditions)

I attach a few photos to give you an idea.

And so I appeal to you to PLEASE go through your kids' stuff, use your contacts, open your hearts and help me help the brave teacher who tries her best.

I will pick up whatever you can spare and aim to go there for Mandela Day to upgrade the place. You are welcome to join me.

The youth is this country's future. And I don't mean the youth who go to private schools. I mean these little kids.
If we make a difference to them today, they will make a difference tomorrow

WISHLIST (second hand is fine):
blackboard
Bookshelf
books
toys
puzzles
stationary (crayons / paint / colouring in books / pencils / sharpeners / erasers)
blankets
mats to sit / sleep on
any second hand storage space / cupboard
kitchen cabinet
kitchen utensils
wall paint
hooks for clothes
wash basin / sink (I can have it installed)
roof for toilet
playground equipment
educational posters for walls
desk & chairs
table for kitchen
filing cabinet
lockers for kids
trampoline
bikes
balls / basketball hoop
soccer nets
etc etc

Fear

More food for thought for the Annebel girls - http://pinterest.com/pin/337981147005730203/

The week ahead....follow link

http://theilzehallidayfoundation.weebly.com/1/post/2013/05/the-week-ahead1.html

First steps in helping at a new project - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

First steps in helping at a new project - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

I got involved with the 2nd Chanz Foundation in Eersterust, Pretoria, through Santa Shoebox Project. As with all the others, I noticed that giving shoeboxes during the festive season alleviate some of their needs, but most definitely not all of it. Of course, I don't think I'll ever be able to fulfill in all their needs, but man, I AM going to try to do the best I can. 

These people are doing such a wonderful job in their community already. They've seen the shortcomings of those around them, noted them and then decided on a plan to change it...to change lives. In the past they've done very well with interventions for teenagers. One of their projects was to encourage entrepeneurship among the young adults. They went so far as to find training opportunities at a local college so that young girls, interested in hairdressing, can take a course in becoming a professional hairdresser. 

They also helped younger children with learning problems they have at school. Those that struggled to excel in mathematics and languages were given the opportunity to get extra classes in the subjects they have trouble with. 

Unemployment is a huge problem in their community and they decided to do something about that too. They taught the people how to write CV's, encouraging them to find a proper job. Then they proceeded to source employment for these people, all the while giving support and encouragement. Now they are helping those who got invited to job interviews to prepare for these interviews and this is where I got involved.

We wrote a training programme for these prospective employees in which we address the issue of preparation for interview and how to handle yourself during the interview. This training session will take place on the 25th of May and I'm really excited about it. It is just remarkable how the founders of 2nd Chanz work for the community, in the community and then to proceed to encourage those they helped to complete the circle by returning the fruit of their labours to this same community. I'm sure that there is already a few testimonials out there....people that can testify to the change Breeda, Byron and Theo brought into their lives. I feel honored and blessed to be part of this process. 

Facility registrations update - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

Facility registrations update - The Ilze Halliday Foundation
What wonderful news I received today when our area coordinator sent me the final list of facilities that will benefit from Santa Shoebox Project this year. I am thrilled to report that, out of the 9 facilities I visited, 7 of them made it to registration, with 2 of those on the waiting list. 
There's quite a lot of work still ahead for me, though. The facilities must supply the names of the children, it must be sent to Cape Town head office and then it can be placed on the SSB website.
Also, the venue commitments need to be signed and forwarded before mid-June. These are necessary for the events held at the facilities during which the boxes are handed out to the children.
All in all, it was quite wonderful to contact the facility managers today and give them the good news. They were SO happy!

On another subject....Ikaneng drop-in and daycare received a donation over the week-end and their manager sent me a list of necessities that I can buy for them. Next week I'll be driving out there again to deliver the items. It really warms my heart to see that there is still good people out there...people who really DO care for others. Sometimes I think that we've become blinded by all the evil in the world, blind to the fact that there is a lot of kindness to be had in the world, all you have to do is look for it. And, yes, perhaps this proves that there IS hope for us, after all. 

A HUGE THANKS - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

A HUGE THANKS - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

It is with enormous gratitude that I accepted a donation from the staff of Ackerman's Quagga Centre today. Said donation consists of items marked as redundant and set aside for distribution to charity organizations. Neo heard about us and decided it will be a good idea if the items can be delivered to rural facilities where the need for warm clothing is growing as the days grow colder. Later this week I'll go through all the stuff and decide where to send it. Some of it I will hold on to, as it can be used as fillers for our Santa Shoeboxes in September/October. I hope that others will quickly follow Neo's example and, instead of throwing things away, rather give it to someone who can arrange transport to a place where it will alleviate poverty. (And I'm not only talking about clothing here....remember the furniture, blankets and food?)

What a wonderful week we had... - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

What a wonderful week we had... - The Ilze Halliday Foundation

It's been a busy week here at the foundation's head office (haha...that's funny...its just my house!). Anyway, last week I started a new group on facebook called Goods4Good.
The idea behind this was to source specific items from people I come in contact with, items needed by those that have none. 

In the past weeks I have witnessed the need for certain items at specific facilities I visited. Items that can make the difference, often between life and death. I mentioned my group in an earlier post and also mentioned very specific things that people should consider donating to the foundation so that we can ensure it ends up in places that can use it. As you will remember, most of the places I witnessed, mentioned and reported on in the past are in crisis. Here are but a few essentials that I think can help them through the coming winter months:

• Blankets
• Throw rugs (for the cold, cement floors of the tin huts)
• Mattresses for the children to sleep on
• Warm clothing for ages 0-18
• Wood for fires to bring heat in the absence of electricity
• Gas bottles for the hotplates they use for food preparation
• Food and medications: Powdered and tinned soups, powdered and long life milk, milk formula for babies, cold and flu medicine, vitamins to build immune systems, tinned meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, maize meal, rice, porridge or breakfast cereal, bread, jams, peanut butter and other types of spreads, cocoa or Milo, sugar, etc.
• Other products: baby bath products like oil, cream, bum cream, vaseline, baby powder, teething powders, soap, shampoo, washcloths and loofas, toothpaste and toothbrushes
• Educational supplies like printing paper, books to read, books to write in, craft materials, other stationery items like pens, pencils, crayons, glue, colored pencils, posters for classrooms, black and white boards 

This gives you an idea of the problems these people are having. Other things neededare furniture like beds and cots, plastic tables and chairs for the children,playground equipment, toys....basically everything you will want your own child's daycare to be equipped with. Some of these facilities have no brick buildings; the classrooms are tin huts with few windows (mostly broken), most of them have no electricity and one tap with running water on the property. None of them have child-sized toilets and while most of them have bathroom facilities inside, some have 'outhouses'.

Some of this may sound unbelievable to most of you, and needs to be seen with your own eyes...take the time to browse through previous blog-posts on this site...you'll be amazed to witness such poverty, yet so much determination to make a difference.

Well....this post started out to be a thank you note to a few generous people who donated to these facilities. The pictures above are just examples (not the real - I was so excited I totally forgot to take pictures!) of the things I received. Let me tell you what I got and what I did with it:

• Forever Angels' 'mother' Ursula van den Berg gave us cots, camping cots, toys, clothes, baby carriages and nappies for Madzibandlela, Ikhaya lami lethemba and Odinberg Community Centre.
• Forever Angels' ALSO donated more clothing, nappies, baby bottles, toys and blankets to Tshwaraganeng and Ditebogo in Hammanskraal.
• Our neighbours, the Murison's, donated a kitchen cabinet and book-cases forIkaneng drop-in and daycare
• The Murison's daughter, Celeste Herbert, donated baby clothes forTshwaraganeng and Ditebogo
• My own brother, Pieter Halliday, donated R500 to buy food for the children ofIkaneng.
• And yesterday I heard about more clothing promised by a retailer, which I arranged to pick up on Monday. I will sift through these and decide where it must go, so I'll keep you posted and this time....I'll remember to take pictures!

Don't you think its been a GREAT week for the people of rural Pretoria! Thank you all who donated. I know I did thank you already in the Goods4Good group (repeatedly), but honestly, you are helping so many by doing your share. 

God bless!!!