UBNTU- I am because we are
Donation protected
It has been just over 10 years since the apartheid ended in South Africa. In this short amount of time, there has been a process of healing and rebuilding for those who faced segregation for several decades. Imagine, having your home and neighborhood bulldozed merely because you were black and you lived too close to the city of Cape Town. Today, the land is still empty.
South Africa is a country rich with culture. There are so many beautiful sights (Table Mountain, beaches, animals on the Safari). However, behind every thing beautiful there is something horrifying.
Seven of us girls traveled to this country last January for a trip of a lifetime. It opened up our eyes to the realism of poverty and the ripple effects of the apartheid on the lives of the black population. We visited the townships and taught in Early Childhood Centers. These centers were little huts- some were in better shape than others. There were no toilets, but instead a bucket outside. Glass covered the area in which the children played. Many children did not have shoes. In some centers, the toys were limited and many were broken. Teachers were paid the equivalent of a few dollars a day, but they often had to wait weeks or months for this pay. The teachers were kind and caring, but did not have any education of child development. Some of the teachers were battling significant health issues, such as Cancer and AIDS.
Children that we met were skeptical of us at first, but then completely engaged with us and the toys we brought. We modeled some teaching to teachers who were eager to learn. We also learned from the teachers. The happiness in the spirit of each of these teachers was inspiring.
We also visited Primary and Secondary schools. If children are fortunate that their parents enroll them in an Early Childhood Center, it is not as likely to continue past this. Primary school costs money ($25 per child per year). Parents are expected to buy uniforms and supplies for the child to go to school. 2.9 million children in these townships have never attended any formal schooling. With this lack of education, there is little hope that the child will escape this poverty. This is a cycle that can be improved with providing the children with resources, such as education.
We are raising money to support these children. This township is in a rural area called East London. Areas like this are even less likely to receive funding as they are not as well known as cities such as Cape Town. Unlike other agencies that raise money to help children living in poverty, our money will go directly to an organization that we connected with personally that is working within the community.
Please help us in our campaign to provide educational scholarhsips to primary/seconday school students as well as an enriching environment for young children. Please help us provide hope for this small community after the horrors of the apartheid.
South Africa is a country rich with culture. There are so many beautiful sights (Table Mountain, beaches, animals on the Safari). However, behind every thing beautiful there is something horrifying.
Seven of us girls traveled to this country last January for a trip of a lifetime. It opened up our eyes to the realism of poverty and the ripple effects of the apartheid on the lives of the black population. We visited the townships and taught in Early Childhood Centers. These centers were little huts- some were in better shape than others. There were no toilets, but instead a bucket outside. Glass covered the area in which the children played. Many children did not have shoes. In some centers, the toys were limited and many were broken. Teachers were paid the equivalent of a few dollars a day, but they often had to wait weeks or months for this pay. The teachers were kind and caring, but did not have any education of child development. Some of the teachers were battling significant health issues, such as Cancer and AIDS.
Children that we met were skeptical of us at first, but then completely engaged with us and the toys we brought. We modeled some teaching to teachers who were eager to learn. We also learned from the teachers. The happiness in the spirit of each of these teachers was inspiring.
We also visited Primary and Secondary schools. If children are fortunate that their parents enroll them in an Early Childhood Center, it is not as likely to continue past this. Primary school costs money ($25 per child per year). Parents are expected to buy uniforms and supplies for the child to go to school. 2.9 million children in these townships have never attended any formal schooling. With this lack of education, there is little hope that the child will escape this poverty. This is a cycle that can be improved with providing the children with resources, such as education.
We are raising money to support these children. This township is in a rural area called East London. Areas like this are even less likely to receive funding as they are not as well known as cities such as Cape Town. Unlike other agencies that raise money to help children living in poverty, our money will go directly to an organization that we connected with personally that is working within the community.
Please help us in our campaign to provide educational scholarhsips to primary/seconday school students as well as an enriching environment for young children. Please help us provide hope for this small community after the horrors of the apartheid.
Organizer
Carrie LeGeyt
Organizer
Centerville, MA
