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SOUTH AFRICA LINK

 

The Bolton & Rochdale District support the work of Phakamisa out in Pinetown , South Africa .  Glenda Howieson who co-ordinates this work is coming over to the North West in April.  

There will be a celebration event on Saturday 17th April at Bolton Methodist Mission, Victoria Hall. 

The evening will consist of;

6:15pm – AGM

7pm – Buffet

8pm – Entertainment

The Buffet is £5 per person and tickets will be sold in advance

 

For Tickets please contact: 

Dawn Meeson at Walkden Methodist Church 0161 703 9505

OR

Tel: Jill at Victoria Hall 01204 522569

Email: Jill at victoria.hall1@virgin.net

Post: please send cheque (made payable to Bolton Methodist Mission) along with a stamped addressed envelope to:

Jill Heppolette

Bolton Methodist Mission

Knowsley Street

Bolton

BL1 2AS

 

Please join us on the day for the AGM & Entertainment at no cost. 

(There will also be a retiring collection at the end of the evening, towards the work of Phakamisa.)

 

To download a poster about this event, please click here 

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The Bolton and Rochdale Methodist District has links with two Circuits in South Africa : King Williams Town area (Eastern Cape) and  Pinetown, Durban (KwaZulu Natal Province)

Two specific projects/needs have been identified and it was agreed to raise monies in the Bolton & Rochdale  District for:

King Williams Town area (Eastern Cape) :  

   1.  Queenstown  - £3000 for new toilet & shower block in orphanage for street children 

2.      Zwelitsha       - £2000 to support children's soup kitchen 

Pinetown (KwaZulu Natal):

"Phakamisa" at Pinetown Methodist Church , Durban , Kwa Zulu Natal Province , incorporating Educare, Sisanani sewing group, Soup Kitchen and John Wesley School

  Pinetown Methodist Church, Durban            

There are ongoing links & support at individual, circuit and church level, particularly for " Phakamisa" in Bolton Mission, Farnworth & Worsley, Leigh & Hindley Circuits and currently District Network.   

The District aims to:

1. Continue to raise money for Educare and Sisanani

2. Explore and support outlets for economic empowerment projects - beadwork and sewing, especially when on sale in District Churches

The "Phakamisa" Project reaches out to extremely impoverished communities 30 mile radius around Pinetown. Phakamisa seeks to uplift and empower those in need through the provision of education, training, resourcing and support – ‘a hand up, not a hand out’

Ecomonic empowerment programme 

93 Vegetable gardens               

New training kitchen - teach nutritional cooking skills using vegetables from gardens

Beadwork – Christmas decorations & jewelry

Weaving & embroidering grass mats & crosses

Sewing – making dressing up clothes & soft dolls for Educare centres and now ‘to order’  -children’s dresses and liturgical stoles

        Products for sale from Sisanini sewing            

 

   Educare - supporting grandparents caring for HIV/AIDS pre-school grandchildren

 

PHAKAMISA NEWS

 

June 2009 (Please click here)

 

March 2009

VISITORS:

Phakamisa got off to a flying start, with Dawn and Christine, of the U.K. volunteering here for 3 weeks.  Their hands- on- assistance, insights and reflections were very valuable.

EDUCARE NEWS:

 Childminders’ Course:  

This course trains people teaching 0-2 year old children. Our first group of ladies completes the course at the end of March.  Already we have seen an improvement as their little children have blossomed in a structured environment.

Accreditation:

The arduous process of accrediting our Early Childhood Development Course material continues.  As part of the process, the staff has received training in assessing,... and all the while, the Educare teachers continue to learn how to teach more effectively.....and.....the government schools continue to send their teachers to us for training....so we certainly must be on the right track!

PSYCHOMOTOR NEWS:

Caryn Green is voluntarily assisting Elaine Osborn, our psychomotor expert, every day this year. Her help is invaluable as is Helen Anderson’s, who comes in 1 morning a week. The children from the wandering teacher classes are benefitting enormously from their highly specialised lesson at the church each week.

CAREGIVER GROUPS:

The number of Caregiver Groups continues to grow rapidly as more and more children are orphaned and carers seek support.

This has necessitated us offering an additional training class as the other classes were overflowing.  They are: ‘Simple Sewing’, ‘Healthy Cooking’ and ‘Home Based Care ’. 

VEGETABLE GARDENS:

Our wet summer has resulted in very poor yields from the gardens but, 40 of Phakamisa’s vegetable gardens are part of a government pilot project growing soy beans, so our gardeners have been encouraged and motivated by this challenging privilege!

TRAVEL FUND: No one is immune to the global financial crisis.  The poor are affected in a life- threatening way, where even food is prohibitively expensive.  As many participants prioritised their expenses, they found they could not afford to travel to Pinetown to attend the workshops, so we took a step of faith, and are providing transport for everyone to attend the workshops, using the local public transport system, affectionately known as “The Taxis”. It is proving to be a great success!

THOLUTHANDO our HIV AIDS Support Group;

This group provides invaluable support to each other as they work through the crisis of contracting a disease that still has an enormous social stigma attached to it. ARV’s are more easily available in South Africa, but tragically, many do not admit to being HIV +ve, or cannot afford to eat properly and so die before getting on to the life saving medication!  Tholuthando, however, celebrates living life positively.  They are even learning to cook pumpkin pie and other exotic dishes, to increase their vegetable consumption and so build their immunity!

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT:

This continues to grow under the watchful eye of Hilary Coombe, where the motto is: “You name it, we’ll make it”!

FACTORY:

We have a large order for sewn, screen- printed conference bags for the U.S.A. The Fantasy clothes continue to be made, delighting young children as they dress up! Shweshwe items are our new- found ‘brand’. Small items like hats, cushion covers, table mats and runners and individual orders are produced along with traditional Shweshwe outfits and 1st communion dresses for our local market.

BEADWORK:

The beadwork ladies are expanding their jewellery and gift range to include unique orders for companies and gifts. Our web site: www.phakamisa.org displays our range.

FOOD PRODUCTS:

The Kitchen is cooking up a storm- caregivers are producing jams, pickles, biscuits and cakes which are being sold at ‘The Shop’ at the church; through the Hillcrest Aids Centre Shop and for individual orders! Large scale catering for events at our church have been culinary treats!!

CRAZY FRIENDS: Alan and Chummy are walking from Cape Point to Kosi Bay- 2600 kms to raise money for Phakamisa. Please view their web site www.cape2kosi.com to follow their progress!

......IN CONCLUSION:

Our ladies are growing in confidence as their skills improve. Their ability to rise above their circumstances continues to inspire and challenge us!

Glenda Howieson

STATISTICS:

EDUCARE:

150 teachers teaching 8000 4-6 year old children.

60 childminders teaching 800 birth-2 year old children.

CAREGIVERS:

180 Caregiver groups with approx 1700 caregivers caring for over 6000 orphans of 0-18 years. 

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT:

Factory/ sewing ladies: 19

Beadworkers: 22

Greeting card makers: 2

Kitchen team: 4

VEGETABLE GARDENS: 84

Gardeners: 900

Families being fed: 1000

THOLUTHANDO: 30 members

PHAKAMISA STAFF-

Full time: 14

Part time: 11

Volunteers: MANY J                                              

 

Phakamisa Quarterly newsletter September 2008

“Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Leo Buscaglie .

Zola Masikane, one of our Caregiver leaders was deeply troubled after she visited the home of a member of her group. She had found an alert, 11 year old little girl, Siphesihle, imprisoned.   Imprisoned in her body and imprisoned by circumstances.

Siphesihle had been a bright, very active 5 year old, managing well at school, until she began to stumble and fall for no apparent reason. After a few tests, she was diagnosed with TB of her spine. It was really difficult for her mother and granny to get her to hospital for her treatment as they had no financial means and their little tin house was a long way from the nearest transport route. Poverty imprisoned Siphesihle.

Her mother and granny did not understand the severity of her illness.

Ignorance imprisoned Siphesihle.

Her health continued to deteriorate as there was no access to water and sanitation.

No bulk services imprisoned Siphesihle.

Re- infection by the TB virus in a tin house with no windows for ventilation became a reality. Poor housing imprisoned Siphesihle.

6 long years passed and her legs withered away and control of her bladder and bowels ceased. Inadequate health care imprisoned Siphesihle.

And then Zola came to visit:’...the smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around’.

Later others from Phakamisa visited and Siphesihle was asked what she really wanted to do. “I want to go to school’, she replied simply:- An impossible dream for an imprisoned child, but ‘the smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around’.

Her Mum agreed that the family would find a way of surviving without her disability grant, which would be needed to pay her school fees.

Ethembeni School for the Disabled, which has a long waiting list, was contacted and an appointment made to interview Siphesihle-after which she was accepted!!! 

‘...the smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around’.

The long, seemingly unattainable list of requirements for boarding school was circulated - hearts were moved and provisions were provided for her to go to school- ‘...the smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around’.

But on her arrival at school, it was discovered that she had bedsores.  She was not even allowed to unpack her bags.  She was sent straight back home, and told not to return until the bedsores had healed. Was she about to be imprisoned by poverty, ignorance and poor facilities again?

Six weeks later the bedsores had still not healed, but thanks to the intervention of a friend, the correct dressings were accessed and the school agreed to have her return, on condition she brought the dressings. This time, her bags were unpacked and her class mates welcomed her by taking her on a tour of her brand new environment in her repaired wheelchair. Life was turning around!

A few weeks later, Phakamisa received a letter from the school, enthusing about her ability, her competence and her happy disposition. They are already sure she will receive an award at the end of the year for her outstanding academic ability!

“Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Leo Buscaglie .  

Phakamisa’s beadwork ladies, who support orphaned and abandoned children, are rejoicing. They received an order from the Church of the Resurrection (COR), for 8000 bookmarks with little beaded crosses attached, which they were able to fill in 2 short weeks! (That on its own, was an achievement!) In devotions they were thanking God for the gift of that order and the income it had generated. 

Ntombifuthi excitedly related that her family would enjoy a celebratory meal with meat instead of only beans and cabbage for supper.  Then she soberly added that she would share her income with 3 very young children, whose mother had died and they had and no money for her funeral “...the smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around.”

Neliswe has recently moved into a new Reconstruction and Development house.  She told how her neighbour had visited with great concern as she had not seen Neliswe for a few days and feared she was ill.  When Neliswe told her she was working very hard because had to bead 400 crosses for an order, her neighbour just wept.  She was desperate for work, so she could earn money to feed her family.  Neliswe promptly offered to teach her how to make the cross and shared her order with her neighbour. .... “the smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around.”

‘Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Leo Buscaglie .

May you allow your life to be turned around, as you turn around the lives of others!

With loving gratitude from one whose life is turned around constantly.

Glenda Howieson.