Reaching out to those in need in the Waterberg

June 8, 2023Africa, Charity, Community projects, Limpopo Province, Nonprofit, South Africa, The Waterberg Trust, Uncategorized, Vaalwater, Vulnerable Children, Waterberg, YouthAfrica, Charity, Limpopo Province, Small but effective grass-roots project helping rural people in the Waterberg, South AfricaSophie Neville

An ACTS OF MERCY REPORT – MAY 2023

Sister Grace continues to support those in need in the Waterberg, encouraging families to establish vegetable gardens to supplement to their meals. As school nurse, she encourages kids to return to school, ensuring they don’t get involved in substance abuse prevalent in Leseding Township. Many school girls continued to receive sanitary pads, pens and pencils.

If you would like to support her work and expenses, you can fundraise or make a donation via The Waterberg Trust’s Justgiving page here

PROGRESS:

Unemployed youth are attending learnership courses when they earn a salary.
School children have access to their daily school feeding scheme.
Families are running small businesses selling farm produce, poultry or clothes.
Those registered for Government Social Relief Distress grants continue to receive money.
Churches visit vulnerable community members, providing food and clothes.

Warm baby clothes made by the knitting club

Vulnerable school children were identified by teachers and supported with donated clothes or Matric school shirts. Food parcels bought from local supermarkets are collected by close family members.

Sister Grace continued reaching out to those in need, however some beneficiaries could not be found as it is harvest time and they have been going to the farms to pick peanuts.

Young Mothers in The Waterberg — Young mothers receiving items knitted by the knitting club

CHALLENGES:

Poor sanitation and lack of a water supply within the community.
Migration has contributed to an already over-populated community.
There are too many potholes to reach those living in informal settlements.
Small children are involved in smoking drugs, gambling and avoid going to school.
People buy alcohol instead of food for their family. This is a huge problem.
Gender-based violence caused by alcohol abuse affects children.

Food parcels for the needy collected by relatives

If you would like to support the needy by making a donation, funds can be sent to The Waterberg Trust in the UK who organise Gift Aid. We have a Justgiving page and can accept cheques or CAF donations.

We would like to thank members of St John’s Church who donated items and guests from Horizon for their ongoing support. The donations make a huge impact on the community.

Report By: Grace

making donations — Distributing donations to the needy in the Waterberg

The Waterberg Trust’s fundraising cycle ride through Bedfordshire and Cambridge is a success

May 15, 2023UncategorizedSophie Neville

TWT Cycle Ride 202 — An enthusiastic team of cyclists gathered on Saturday 13th May to raise funds for The Waterberg Trust

“What a wonderful day… Magnificent route enjoying some wonderful English countryside.”

A great time was had on Saturday 13th May when trustees and supporters of The Waterberg Trust set off on bikes to take part in a challenge ride through Bedfordshire and Cambridge.

The event was held to raise funds for projects that the uplift the lives of young people in the Waterberg. You can read about the challenges they face on our website here.

School nurse Sister Grace donating packs of eco-sanitary pads in schools fo the Waterberg

As well as funding Save The Waterberg Rhino, the Waterberg Trust provides a school nurse who runs an Environmental Club and manages a number of small but effective projects from school vegetable gardens and recycling initiatives to the distribution of food parcels for the needy. You can see recent photos here.

If you would like to support The Waterberg Trust, they have a Justgiving page for donations here and can accept cheques or CAF cheques – details here

TWT Cycle Ride 2023 — TWT Trustee William Orme and his wife Fiona who planned the route and entertained riders

The route was designed to suit every level of rider and all types of bikes were encouraged. Cyclists took in the glorious countryside and were provided with lunch at Southill Park near Biggleswade and refreshments enroute. 37 riders completed the 80 mile route, with 10 taking the 47 mile option.

“Lunch was magnificent and the mid morning scotch egg and flap jacks a highlight.”

Many thanks to the back up team and all who took part

We met at 8.30am at the Orme family’s house Fen Ditton – close to Cambridge North Station for those arriving by train and headed down the cycleway to St Ives, enjoying our first party-stop at Gravely. Refreshed, we headed south west through the pretty villages of Bedfordshire to Sir John Soane’s Moggerhanger Hall before reaching Southill Park for some Whitbread family hospitality. This is where the 47-mile route ended. Most cycled on through the villages of South Cambridgeshire, pedalling via Grantchester, the cycle lanes of historic Cambridge and along the River Cam, to finish back in Fen Ditton for a riders’ & supporters’ party.

“What an absolutely splendid and fabulous day of cycling and general merriment – thank you for organising everything so beautifully (most esp a nice flat car free route ) and for wining and dining us throughout.“

“The setting for lunch was like something from the pages of the novel, everyone was so friendly and interesting.”

The cyclists loved the fen flat, no potholes, totally traffic free cycleway from Cambridge North station to St Ives. Many commented on St Ives’ pretty town centre and the historic stone bridge we crossed. Our mid-morning tea & coffee stop at the George’s, with the now legendary Franklin’s homemade scotch eggs, was a highlight for many. The prettiest countryside came in Bedfordshire after we crossed the A1, as we peddled through Moggerhanger, Northill, Ickwell, and past Shutteworth to arrive at stunning Southill Park for lunch in the garden.

Many made a mountain out of a (mole) hill at Barrington Hill, the only real climb we had all day. Some enjoyed the slower pace of the cycleways through Cambridge, even stopping for a millpond-side pub for a pint amongst the punts. Others cursed the bumpy surface and strollers for slowing them down.

The day was not without its dramas, starting with an exploding tyre only a few 100 yards from the start and a couple of cyclists coming off on slippery corners, thankfully only scratches and bumps. Charlie and Jane provided a magnificent back up service.

“Thank you so much for hosting us and organising such an awesome day yesterday! Loved it.”

Everyone raised or donated at least £100 and it looks as if we have generated a total of £9,000, which is fantastic.

TWT trustee William Orme has an Orme Family Justgiving page for the cycle ride here

TWT Chairman Barry Burles has a Justgiving page dedicated to the ride here

Please let us know via the comments box below if you’d like to commit to a date and start training for 2024. Why not persuade your club or family and friends to come too. Think of organizing a team!

What The Waterberg Trust is doing right now

May 10, 2023UncategorizedSophie Neville

Our school nurse, Sister Grace, has been busy during the Easter Holidays, supporting chronically ill patients in the community in urgent need of food, clothes and proper nursing care. Gender-based violence has led to stabbing and loss of lives.

“During the month of April, we lost 4 patients within a week! All required nutritional support and counseling. I managed to visit some of the patients and bathed them.” She dressed their wounds but sadly the patients died.

“If there was a proper healthcare facility or Hospice in our community some of the issues would have been attended on time and lives could have been saved.“

People of the Waterberg are suffering due to:

THE GOVERNMENT CLINIC IS UNDERSTAFFED AND SHORT OF MEDICATION
POOR LIVING CONDITIONS: OVER CROWDING, NO PROPER TOILETS, NO ELECTRICITY
INCREASE IN COMMUNITY THEFT BY BOYS ADDICTED TO DRUGS
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND KNIFE CRIME
CHILD-HEADED FAMILIES WHO ROAM THE STREETS OR HANG AROUND BEGGING WHEN THEY COULD BE IN SCHOOL
POOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: GRANT MONEY USED FOR GAMBLING AND ALCOHOL
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR INFORMATION ABOUT CHRONIC MEDICATION
FOREIGNERS ARE SCARED TO GO TO THE LOCAL CLINIC AND DEFAULT ON TREATMENT

A 25-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND PASSED AWAY ON 16 APRIL 2023.

Sister Grace has found herself providing post traumatic counseling, passive exercises, nutritional supplements and clothes. “When I come across cases that need further intervention, I refer them to Doctor Farrant and he guides me … I am so grateful to work with him closely.”

Pictures of terminally ill patients couldn’t be shared here due to sensitive content

TWT food parcels and clothing donated through Acts of Mercy has been distributed

THOSE IN NEED WERE IDENTIFIED BY CHURCH ELDERS. BABY CLOTHES AND A FOOD PARCEL WERE DONATED TO A TEENAGE MOM AND CLOTHES TO A CHURCH MEMBER WHO LOST HER BELONGINGS IN A SHACK FIRE

PROGRESS:

The Government has introduced skills development courses in agriculture and poultry farming, basic First-Aid, snake handling, business management.
Cycling clubs help keep the youth occupied and off the streets
The Social Relief Grant has been extended to support families
Community members are back at work, selling farm produce and rearing chickens.
Some sell waste to the local recycling company

MANY THANKS GO TO THE CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AT 24 RIVERS. THE CHURCH COTTAGE HAS ACCOMMODATED THOSE WHO SEEK COUNSELING IN A QUIET ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO TALK FREELY. SCHOOL GIRLS STOP BY TO COLLECT PADS.

Sister Grace would like to thank donors for their ongoing support and donations of clothes, stationery and sanitary pads, which has helped less privileged children and adults. She continues to distribute food parcels for those who have low or no source of income, assessing the home situation and identifying needs. Forty people were aided this month despite damaged roads.

If you are able to support Sister Grace’s work financially, even in a small way, you can find different ways on TWT’s DONATE page. We have ideas for fundraising here.

Help provided for schools of the Waterberg in South Africa

April 8, 2023Charity, Education, Ending period poverty, HIV awareness, Limpopo Province, Nonprofit, South Africa, The Waterberg Trust, Uncategorized, Vulnerable ChildrenAfrica, Charity, Limpopo Province, Small but effective grass-roots project helping rural people in the Waterberg, South Africa, WaterbergSophie Neville

The Waterberg Trust continues to reach out to schools and attend to learners needs. Many learners struggle to read and spell properly when enrolled in High School. Sister Grace is drafting a roster for primary schools to help pupils improve their reading before reaching secondary school. She referred 145 teenagers to the local Government Clinic to help reduce unplanned pregnancy and checks up on teenage mums and supports those who need adherence monitoring – although roads are in bad state after the rains.

Sister Grace says, “I reached out to all the schools to educate pupils about alcohol & substance abuse, bullying, puberty & menstrual issues and general hygiene. These were sessions were planned with teachers to meet each class separately on an allocated schedule.”

Sister Grace donating packs of eco-sanitary pads in schools fo the Waterberg

Learners consulted individually: 355

Pregnant – 10 (4 at Meetsetshehla & 6 at Leseding High School)

Social Issues – 45 (poor living environment, poverty, dysfunctional families, and orphans)

Learning problems – 65 (Those struggling to meet requirements due to visual impairment or chronic conditions who are repeating same grade several times.)

Counseling – 35 (Provided for those taking ARV’s, anti-epileptics, anti-depressants or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, severe dysmenorrhea, sexual abuse or bereavement.)

Medical Issues – 45 (Asthma, HIV, epilepsy, depression/anxiety, otitis media, dental infection, chronic tropical ulcers and common skin allergies.) All these conditions were seen at different schools.

Obesity – 10 (were referred to see the dietician. They are monitored every 2 weeks.)

If you would like to support Sister Grace’s amazing work, TWT can accept donations on Justgiving in eight different currencies

Leaping obstacles facing schools of the Waterberg

PROGRESS:

The primary school has since merged with Mokolo Primary School with additional container classrooms provided. The total number of learners merged was 240 to Mokolo School which now has a total of 1,316 children.

Matric results for 2022 came out. Many did well and passed. Those who failed have been given an opportunity to repeat or/and be assisted to rewrite their final exams.
Learners are kept at school longer to attend extra classes.
The circuit office for Vaalwater introduced a prize giving initiative to honor and award learners who performed well. Teachers and schools with a high percentage pass rate (this includes both Primary & High Schools) were also recognized.
Prizes given were certificates, trophies. Laptop computers were given to those who performed best.
New teachers are filling vacant posts.
Schools conducted inter-school athletics at District level and received awards
Grade 12’s attended a career guidance camp.
Some school leavers were given in internships in farming & poultry production. Others have been placed in surrounding schools to assist teachers and learners. They get a monthly stipend. Contracts run from 8 to 12 months.
A snake handling course was held.

Sister Grace teaching Life Skills in the secondary schools of the Waterberg

WE DONATED 300 WASHABLE ECO-SANITARY PADS TO NEWLY ENROLLED GRADE 8s FROM LESEDING AND MEETSETHSEHLA HIGH SCHOOLS. THE DONATION WILL HELP KEEP GIRLS AT SCHOOL WITHOUT MISSING CLASSES DUE TO MENSTRUAL ISSUES. MANY COME FROM POOR FAMILY BACKGROUNDS AND CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY SANITARY PADS.

THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL DONATION

We will need more next year! If you are able to make a donation, however small, you can find our details on the TWT Donate page here

The Waterberg Trust has found sponsorship for every school girl to receive a pack of Dignity Dreams eco-pads

CHALLENGES:

Protests by the community due to lack of transport for learners to school. Many learners had to miss classes for 3 weeks
Overcrowding of learners due to merging of a primary school which was moved from privately owned land.
Inadequate toilets to accommodate the high numbers of learners.
Shortage of staff in surrounding farm schools .
Poor communication channels between schools and stakeholders.
Undisciplined learners who come to school whenever it suits them.

MATRIC RESULTS FOR 2022:

Leseding High School = 97% Now the leading School in the Vaalwater Circuit

Mohlakamotala High School = 79.7%

Meetsetshehla High School = 60.2%

HEALTH EDUCATION:

Schools of the Waterberg reopened on the 11^th January 2023. Some were not ready due to various challenges: there were no busses to transport learners to school, toilets were inadequate and there was a closure of a primary school located on privately owned land.

New classrooms being delivered to Mokolo Primary School

TWT Cambs-Beds Cycle Ride on Saturday 13th May 2023

February 20, 2023Charity fundraising eventCharity fundraising event, Fundraising for the Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride, Long-distance cycle ride through Cambridge and Bedfordshire, Sponsored ride, WaterbergSophie Neville

TWT supporters are taking part in a sponsored cycle ride through Bedfordshire and around Cambridge on Saturday 13^th May 2023

The route is fantastic, designed for every level of rider and the refreshments will be good. Let us know in the comments below if you can join us another time.

The Waterberg Trust needs funds to continue employing a school nurse. Sister Grace enables children of the Waterberg to attend school regularly, helping to improve their life opportunities. She runs an Environmental Club and manages a number of small but effective projects from four school vegetable gardens and a recycling project to the distribution of food parcels for the needy. You can see recent photos here.

TWT chairman Barry Burles is raising funds on Justgiving here

TWT trustee William Orme has an Orme Family Justgiving page for the cycle ride here

This year’s fundraising cycle ride offers something for everybody. The carefully planned route takes in the cycle-paths of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire with an 80-mile circular loop from Fen Ditton to Southill Park and back.

There is a 47-mile option that ends at lunchtime.

All bike types are encouraged: town, hybrid, road bike or electric – whatever you have.

We meet 8.30am at the Orme family’s house Fen Ditton – close to Cambridge North Station for those coming by train. We head down the cycleway via Hemingford Grey to St Ives, enjoying our first party-stop.

Refreshed, head south to Sir John Soane’s Moggerhanger Hall before reaching Southill Park for some Whitbread family hospitality and lunch at their beautiful home. This is where the 45-mile route ends, 4 miles from Biggleswade station.

Keener cyclists will head east, taking back lanes through the villages of South Cambridgeshire, pedalling via Grantchester, through the cycle lanes of historic Cambridge and along the River Cam, to finish back in Fen Ditton for a riders’ & supporters’ after party chez Orme. 🥂🎈🥳

Please let us know via the comments box below if you’d like to commit to a date and start training for 2024. Why not persuade your family and friends to come too, or organize a team?

We’re hoping to double TWT’s amazing fund-raising total of over £9,000 raised in 2022. Everyone should plan to raise or donate at least £100. For those on the 45-mile trip we can help with returning you and your bike back to Fen Ditton.

TWT has a Justgiving page for donations here and can accept cheques – details here

TWT Chairman Barry Burles has a Justgiving page dedicated to the ride here

TWT North Norfolk Cycle Ride 2022 — TWT’s Fundraising Cycle Ride, 2022

Could you help change lives in the Waterberg, South Africa?

February 8, 2023Africa, Charity, Community projects, Education, Ending period poverty, Healthcare, HIV awareness, HIV prevention, Home Based Care, Limpopo Province, Nonprofit, Orphans, School vegetable gardens, South Africa, The Waterberg Trust, Uncategorized, Vaalwater, Vulnerable Children, Waterberg, YouthAfrica, Charity, Donate, Limpopo Province, Small but effective grass-roots project helping rural people in the Waterberg, South Africa, sponsor a child in Africa, sponsor a school vegetable garden, WaterbergSophie Neville

Sister Grace distributing packs of Dignity Dreams eco-sanitary pads in secondary schools of the Waterberg

ACTS OF MERCY REPORT FOR JANUARY 2023

Sister Grace writes from the Waterberg: “I managed to assist beneficiaries identified this month and moved into one of St John’s Church cottages, which I am renting.” The adjoining church cottage will be used for the Knitting Club, as a counseling room for those going through family problems, and for those who need treatment or adherence support. The cottage can also be used for church related work or by church members who might need a quiet place.

Sister Grace at work in the Waterberg — A meeting held at St John’s Church cottage in Vaalwater

“Since I moved in, I managed to rescue five teenage boys who were addicted to alcohol and involved in substance abuse who are currently placed in different schools. They come once a week to show me their schoolwork and for ongoing counseling. These are boys come from poor family backgrounds where parents are alcoholics. Some are orphans. The matter was referred to the social worker for further intervention.”

Church cottage meeting room in Vaalwater — Church Cottage meeting room in Vaalwater

THE COTTAGE IS WELL SET UP WITH A KITCHEN WITH CUPS, GLASSES AND KETTLE.

Should you need to use it you may contact Sister Grace.

The garden at St John’s Church Cottage in Vaalwater

PROGRESS:

Short term job creation has provided opportunities for the youth
Social Relief grants were extended. Many are receiving the money on monthly basis
Political party leaders and organizations distribute food parcels to needy families

A nutritious sauce made from vegetables grown in a school vegetable garden

CHALLENGES:

Dysfunctional families continue to misuse child grants
Some foreigners fear accessing medical care due to rumors that they must pay for services or that they might be forced to return without help. This increases poor adherence to chronic medication.
Teenage pregnancy remains a big issue in our community. Babies are looked after by grannies when the moms go back to school.
Little has been done to clamp down on those selling drugs to the youth. Many lives are destroyed at a tender age with teenagers dropping out of school.

Produce grown in a school vegetable garden

GOOD NEWS:

FOOD PARCELS WERE BOUGHT AND DISTRIBUTED to four families and a man involved in a car accident who is unable to walk.

Food purchased by TWT and distributed to the needy in January 2023

KNITTING CLUB: We intend to start knitting blankets and beanies before winter starts and need more wool donated. It can be dropped off at the Farmers’ Hall or church cottages in town.

Clothes being donated to grandmothers in the Waterberg

WE DONATED CLOTHES TO GRANNIES AND NAPPIES TO A TEENAGE MUM

Sister Grace donating nappies for a baby born to a teenager mother

SCHOOL UNIFORM: Sister Grace is working hand in hand with teachers to identify those who need uniform support and shoes. We received a gift of pens and pencils as well as clothes.

Sister Grace gathering butternuts grown in a TWT School Vegetable Garden sponsored by EIMS

SCHOOL VEGETABLE GARDENS: Thanks to sponsorship from EIMS, these are yielding impressive crops. Produce is used for cookery classes and school dinners.

We would like to thank all those who donated various items towards the Acts of Mercy. May God bless you all.

If you wold like to support these small but life-changing projects, you can find more information on our HOW TO DONATE page. Even small gifts can make a huge difference.

Grateful for sponsorship for our school vegetable gardens

January 23, 2023Africa, Charity, Community projects, Education, Ending period poverty, Healthcare, HIV awareness, Limpopo Province, Nonprofit, Orphans, Peer Education, School vegetable gardens, South Africa, The Waterberg Trust, Trustees, Uncategorized, Vaalwater, WaterbergAfrica, Charity, Small but effective grass-roots project helping rural people in the Waterberg, South Africa, WaterbergSophie Neville

Kind donations from TWT sponsors Environmental Impact Management Services

The final term of the academic year 2022 saw lots going on with Matric examinations, a career exhibition, educational camps and parents’ meetings.

The Department of Education rolled out a circular which stated that all learners must be kept at school, motivated and provided with extra lessons. In previous years, learners would stay home to study whenever they were not writing exams, but many would be seen roaming the streets and others were distracted by noise within the community. Parents were informed and we all agreed that learners must get extra lessons and not miss school.

All grade 12’s managed to attend education camps to prepare them well before they wrote their final exams. They had to go in divided groups with the top achievers followed by the lower achievers. During that time many learners faced challenges due to the pressure of study. Some grew fatigued and depressed. Sister Grace provided pre-exam counseling and provided coping mechanisms.

SEEDLINGS, COMPOST AND SHADE NETTING WAS DONATED BY ANDREW SMITH OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MANAGEMENT SERVICES (EIMS)

PROGRESS:

Exams went well without any interruptions within surrounding schools.
Dedicated teachers worked longer hours to support learners with extra classes, working over weekends.
The Department of Education introduced a Spelling Bee in schools to help learners improve their English vocabulary as some learners are not able to understand nor spell English words. The Spelling Bee Club members meet twice a week after class.
Some leaners attended a free computer course funded by Afrika Tikkun in partnership with the Waterberg Welfare Society.
Learners who attended computer lessons received certificates at the Farmer’s Hall when various stakeholders were present.
300 reusable sanitary towel packs were distributed to new grade 8 learners at Meetsetshehla and Leseding High Schools in in January 2023.
Each school has a vegetable garden which helps to supplement the feeding scheme and is used by students taking a course in catering.
Learners continue to enjoy balanced meals from school feeding schemes. These help many from disadvantaged families.

MAHLASEDI, MOKOLO AND MEETSHTSHEHLA BENEFICIARIES ACKNOWLEDGED THE RECEIPT OF DONATED SEEDLINGS AND COMPOST. IT WAS A MOMENT OF EXCITEMENT!

THE CIRCURT MANAGER WAS IMPRESSED BY THE SCHOOL PROGRAMME AS SHE WITNESSED ITEMS BEING DONATED TO VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND THANKED THE DONORS FOR THE KIND SUPPORT

Members of The Environmental Club volunteering to grow veggies

CHALLENGES:

A lack or shortage of learning resources such as computers
Broken doors and windows
Shortage of teachers
Some schools will be merged with other schools which will lead to overcrowding and difficulties for teachers
Unemployed school leavers could not access study bursaries and are currently sitting at home doing nothing
Some learners have dropped out of school while others continue to abscond classes.
Some learners are not coping due to peer pressure and poor family backgrounds.
Some continued to abuse alcohol and other substances within the school premises

Community workers keep the school veggie gardens watered during the holidays

LEARNERS WITH VARIOUS ISSUES DURING THIS TERM = 120

PREGNANT – 6 (3 FROM MEETSHETSHLA & 3 LESEDING SCHOOLS)

MENSTURAL ISSUES – 30 (girls with dysmenorrhea. Pads and counseling were provided)

CONTRACEPTIVES – 29 (were referred to the clinic and reproductive health education)

ADHERENCE SUPPORT – 15 (on chronic medication ie: HIV, Antipsychotics & depression)

MEDICAL AILMENTS – 25 (Post abortion sepsis, anxiety, depression, asthma, migraine headaches & mental health)

SOCIAL ISSUES – 15 (Poor family support, alcoholism, age discrimination, poverty & food insecuritY)

NOTE: MORE LEARNERS WERE REACHED IN THEIR CLASSES FOR ASSISTANCE WITH HEALTH TOPICS RELATED TO LIFE ORIENTATION ie. Reproductive health, nutrition, bullying and risks of teenage pregnancies.

FUTURE PLANS:

Sister Grace will continue to support learners from surrounding schools and motivate them about the importance of education and hard work while running the recycling project, gardening and providing health education. She will also continue to liaise with stakeholders and teachers to improve learning in schools.

Very many thanks go to

Andrew Smith and his team from Environmental Impact Management Services for their kind donations which brought inspiration, joy and encouragement.

If you can offer help or make a donation we have more information on TWT’s Donate page

TWT also has a Justgiving page

Small amounts can make a huge difference and any funds are spent carefully.

A kind donation of Dignity Dreams eco-washable sanitary packs were presented to every girl entering secondary school in the Waterberg

Highlights of 2022

January 20, 2023Africa, Charity, Charity fundraising event, Community projects, Education, Ending period poverty, Healthcare, HIV awareness, HIV prevention, Limpopo Province, Nonprofit, Peer Education, South Africa, The Waterberg Trust, Trustees, Uncategorized, Vaalwater, Waterberg, YouthAfrica, Charity, Charity activity and achievements in Africa in 2022, Limpopo Province, looking back on 2022, South Africa, Sponsored ride, The Waterberg in 2022, Waterberg, What we did in 2022Sophie Neville

As the year 2022 began, our school nurse, sister Grace was still busy checking pupils for Covid-19 every morning and face-masks were compulsory.

She continues to lead a busy life attending to first aid and a range of medical problems.

Talks on health form part of the life studies curriculum, covering sex education, HIV prevention and awareness, hygiene and food choices.

The Pretoria based charity Dignity Dreams have produced the book My Body #Noshame to be used with the distribution of washable eco-sanitary pads donated to every secondary school girl so they do not need to miss lessons.

Sister Grace has been able to help teens who have fallen pregnant, providing advice and resources.

She involved volunteers in local recycling projects.

Members of the environment club have also been maintaining the school vegetable gardens.

A range of nutritious greens were grown, providing food for the school feeding scheme and hotel and catering lessons. There were watered over the school holidays by community workers.

Outside of school, Sister Grace helped volunteers prepare and distribute food parcels for needy families.

Food parcels for the needy in rural South Africa

The Knitting Club in Vaalwater made some beautiful jerseys, hats and blankets.

The kind donation of a hand-knitted jersey

These were much appreciated over the South African winter when nights are cold.

Hats provided by the Vaalwater Knitting Club

Sister Grace working in Leseding Township

Other clothes were provided for those in need.

Trustees and supporters of The Waterberg Trust in the UK have been busy raising funds to finance these grass-roots projects that help and inspire so many. If you would like to take part or make a donation, please click here for our address and more information.

Ideas for Christmas gifts that benefit people of the Waterberg

September 27, 2022UncategorizedAfrica, Charity Christmas gifts, Charity donation, Charity fundraising event, Christmas gifts, Christmas gifts that benefit charity, Christmas Shopping, donate for Christmas, South Africa, WaterbergSophie Neville

Would you like to make a donation to charity instead of giving or receiving a Christmas or Birthday present?

Here are a number of helpful gifts – that keep on giving:

£5 will buy seedlings for a school vegetable garden – enabling pupils to learn how to grow food. The produce is made into nutritious school dinners or used in cookery classes by vocational Hotel and Catering courses. School vegetable gardens are watered and maintained by community workers over the holidays.

Help schools grown peppers, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, carrots and kale.

£7 will buy enough wool to knit 7 childrens’ hats – effectively keeping the disadvantaged warm. This gift is a great encouragement to volunteers of the Waterberg Knitting Club who obtain wool at wholesale prices to produce blankets and warm clothing for the needy. They are distributed by nursing Sister Grace when she conducts home visits and pave the way for her to help the needy.

The Vaalwater Knitting Club — Hats to keep children of the Waterberg warm

£10 will buy a pair of hard-wearing school shoes – equipping disadvantaged pupils and encouraging parents to register their children for school at the beginning of the academic year in January. This results in children walking to school with enthusiasm and prevents a ‘street kid’ culture developing. It is carefully administered by volunteers running Lethabo Kids Club in the township of Leseding.

Girl's school shoes in South Africa — School shoes worn in South Africa

£12 will equip a school-girl with sanitary protection while she is in secondary school. Packs of washable eco-pads made by Dignity Dreams, a not-for-profit NGO thats provide sewing-at-home work for women in Pretoria, are distributed by a school nurse after pupils receive a talk on puberty and the importance of contraception. We want to equip every girl in the region so that they do not share pads or miss lessons. This gift encourages communication with the school nurse who is trying to reduce teenage pregnancy that instills poverty and limits girls from reaching their potential.

Dignity Dreams eco-sanitary pads that come in sets of six

£15 will buy a food parcel to feed a needy family for a week – food purchased at competitive prices is packed by volunteers and carefully distributed to about fifty needy people in the community every month. It is usually the chronically ill, the elderly, orphans and or very young single parents who benefit, along with needy people who do not qualify for official social security support for some reason. Local farmers add to the food parcels when they can. Food parcel distribution opens the door for additional nursing support with advice on health and hygiene.

£110 will send a pupil on a 5-day residential course at Lapalala Wilderness School – this grants a fantastic opportunity for a promising student to learn about ecology, achieve good academic results and find out about careers in wildlife conservation. It is one of the best ways of promoting understanding about the importance of anti-poaching.

Students learning about conservation at Lapalala Wilderness School in the Waterberg

Many of these gifts benefit schools of the Waterberg and encourage volunteers.

THANK YOU for funding The Waterberg Trust and the projects we support.

Donating through JustGiving works well as UK Gift Aid is automatically claimed and they accept 8 different currencies. Please click here and specify what gift you would like to chose.

There are a number of other ways you can donate listed on our website here.

If you would like a card with details of the gift that you can give away, please leave a comment in the comments below and we will get back to you.

Continued support for the needy in the Waterberg

September 10, 2022Africa, Charity, Community projects, Education, Ending period poverty, Healthcare, HIV awareness, HIV prevention, Home Based Care, Limpopo Province, Nonprofit, Orphans, Peer Education, South Africa, The Waterberg Trust, Uncategorized, Vaalwater, Vulnerable Children, Waterberg, YouthAfrica, Charity, Limpopo Province, Small but effective grass-roots project helping rural people in the Waterberg, South Africa, Vaalwater, WaterbergSophie Neville

REPORT FOR JULY – AUGUST 2022

Dr Peter Farrant says that Sister Grace continues to do excellent work at various schools in the community. “She is doing home based care, home visits to teenage mums, counselling and support of those struggling with substance abuse, those that are homeless and destitute. This report barely covers the surface of her activity. She attends the schools during school hours. I work with her in a supportive role and also supervise the treatment and therapy as well as monitor the monthly spending and examine the bank account each month.”

The Waterberg Trust — Sister Grace working in schools of the Waterberg

DUTIES:

Sister Grace has continued to support those needing help and was able to monitor the sick. She distributed donated clothes and disposable sanitary pads to teenage girls.

Some previous beneficiaries have managed to get employed on farms, while others have been helped to start small businesses in poultry, livestock or informal trading by the Department of Agriculture’s subsidy to empower local community members. The beneficiaries who received support applied to the Department of Agriculture. In each and every location there’s a vegetable garden, chickens and livestock.

FOOD PARCELS WERE BOUGHT AND COLLECTED

DONATED CLOTHES AND SANITARY PADS.

MORE PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE ON POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

CLOTHES TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN LESEDING TOWNSHIP

CHALLENGES:

The sale of alcohol and loud music in the township disrupts learners busy studying and preparing for exams.
The Department of Home Affairs is reluctant to renew work permits due to expire by December 2022 ,which causes job insecurity for foreigners.
Increase in numbers of teenage pregnancies. Babies are looked after by guardians at home but are vulnerable to malnutrition and illness.
Regular community theft by teenage youths who do not attend school and are under the influence of substance abuse and alcohol consumption
Increased prices of essential supplies including food makes it difficult for those with low incomes to provide for their families

School girls receiving donations to end period poverty

PROGRESS:

Local job opportunities and Social Relief Grants continue to benefit the community.
Learners who go to school have access to daily meals from the schools feeding scheme.
Guests who visit the surrounding lodges have donated clothes and sanitary pads which have been distributed to those in need or to learners.
Locals are benefiting from a recycling project and are able to earn an income after selling the recyclable materials i.e. bottles, card boxes, paper and tins etc

KNITTING CLUB:

A donation of £1 can provide enough wool to knit a hat for a child in need.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

I would like to thank St John The Baptist Church at 24 Rivers, guests from various lodges and individuals who have contributed so much towards the Acts of Mercy Charity which continues to help many people from the community regardless of nationality or cultural beliefs. This has made a huge impact. May God bless you all.

Nursing Sister Grace’s salary is provided by The Waterberg Trust who can accept financial donations in the UK and redeem Gift Aid. You can find different ways of how to make a donation here. Do specify how you wish your donation to be spent, if you like.

Donations of bras and wool are much appreciated if you find yourself going to the Waterberg.

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