The Path Out of Poverty (POP) Programme have been very successfully implemented on the Goedgedacht farm for the last 12 years. The programme on the farm deals with issues of farm worker families, particularly farm worker children on 32 farms in the Riebeeksriver Valley. After 12 years of implementing the programme on farms and seeing the change in the lives of children, we decided to replicate the POP model in rural areas where similar levels of poverty exist. As a result we were very lucky to open the doors of our first POP Youth Centre in a small rural village called Riebeek Kasteel.

This centre has been showing real growth over the last three months with a number of very exciting projects for children from that community. We now have a daily After-school project where about 140 children come to the centre to get assisted with finishing their homework, completing school assignments and where they also get a plate of food. It is also worth mentioning that all the work is being done by 6 highly motivated and dedicated volunteers, who contribute their time and skills without receiving any form of compensation. One of the volunteers remarked two days ago: “I don’t want any money for what I do because I do it for the children of this community and seeing them happy is more than enough compensation”.

One of the community leaders who visited the centre one day said that: “The volunteers are the real hero’s”. I can’t help but agree with him more. The one thing that all people can give, poor or rich, is something of themselves. We therefore are very blessed to have volunteers who are willing to give their time and skills so selflessly.

Please go to our contact section if you are inspired to make a contribution towards the Path Out of Poverty Programme.

Talk to you soon.
Jeremy Maarman (Programme Coordinator)

COOP was inspired by an article about several women who had hiked through the Drakensberg, with babies on their backs, to raise money for impoverished children and babies. Lisa Copeland, a young Mother with three children of her own was so motivated by the story that she approached a few friends (Liz Olbrich and Ann Harrison), determined to get a group of women together to do something similar in Cape Town. Mountain biking seemed to be a sport that would appeal to most women and so the idea of a cycle tour for charity was born.

At Path Out of Poverty we were blessed to have a group of 38 women from COOP (Cycle Out Of Poverty) doing a cycling-tour from 5 – 8 November 2009 to raise funds for our organization. It was so inspiring and successful, the ladies are doing another COOP!

The dates are Thursday, 14 October 2010 – Sunday, 17 October 2010 and Thursday, 28 October 2010 – Sunday, 31 October 2010.

They will start with a quick breakfast at the pre-school on Goedgedacht farm and will finish in Elgin. They have two groups of 40 women for the two events and a waiting list as well.

Email Liz from COOP for more information or join the COOP Facebook site to show your support.

On 9 August every year the people of South Africa celebrate national Women’s Day. In fact the entire month of August is regarded as Women’s Month where we commemorate the sacrifices, efforts and commitment of women in this country. This commemorates the national march of women on 9 August 1956 to petition against legislation that required African persons to carry the “pass” [special identification documents] which curtailed an African’s freedom of movement during the apartheid era. On 9 August 1956, 20 000 women staged a march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act (commonly known as the pass laws) of 1950. They left bundles of petitions containing more than 100 000 signatures at Prime Minister J.G. Strijdom’s office doors. Outside they stood silently for 30 minutes, many with their children on their backs. Those who were working for Whites as nannies were carrying their white charges with them. The women sang a protest song that was composed in honor of the occasion: Wathint’Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo! (Now you have touched the women, you have struck a rock.). In the 54 years since, the phrase (or its latest incarnation: “you strike a woman, you strike a rock“) has come to represent women’s courage and strength in South Africa.

So in keeping with the commemoration of Women’s Day we at Path Out of Poverty also joined in by hosting our own event for women on the day. We invited 40 women from farms around Goedgedacht to a day of pampering and beauty. We were very fortunate to have two schools from Wales (Brynteg Comprehensive School and Bishop Gore School) for the week on the farm where they were on a Cultural Exchange experience with the African children. What a week we had together, but more on that in a next post. We however took the opportunity to have the learners from Brynteg, Bishop Gore and our Tiener Aksie (Teenage Action) youth group pamper and wait on the 40 women for the day. What an incredible day we had together!

Ms. Sarah Jarrett, who is a Home Economic Teacher at one of the schools proved her excellent cooking abilities by dishing up a three course meal with the help of three of the students. A beauty salon was on site where the 40 women were given a full spa treatment which included hair and make-up. Six of the boys were waiters for the event and they were absolutely exceptional. These 40 women had a most enjoyable time and for that we want to thank everyone who made this day possible.

• The COOP (Cycle Out Of Poverty) ladies from Cape Town for the donations of gift packs.
• The teachers and students from Bishop Gore and Brynteg for their generous support and great performance.
• Rev. Elsabe Booyse our main speaker for the wonderful message encouraging women to “get back to basics”.
• Tiener Aksie youth for their hard work and beautiful performance.

Please go to our contact section if you are inspired to make a contribution towards the Path Out of Poverty Programme.

Talk to you soon.
Jeremy Maarman (Programme Coordinator)

The Path Out of Poverty Programme operates every weekday and has 17 interlocking projects, which include a pre-school for farm children, after-school support and life skills projects as well as school holiday programs. One of the most important aspects of the programme is our food security project, where we provide food to children and young people when they attend the different projects. We have been successful in providing food to children during the week, but over weekends we are very worried that the children may not have a decent meal to eat. Why? Alcohol abuse by parents remains one of the biggest challenges affecting the lives of children on African farms. As a result of alcohol abuse children are often neglected and very vulnerable over weekends.

When I started working for the Path Out of Poverty Programme, I remember feeling very inspired by the Safe House project that we currently have on 9 farms around Goedgedacht. The Safe House project came about as a result of engagement with our Home Based Care volunteers and feedback from our youth members. The Safe House concept is an indigenous response to the challenges of alcohol abuse, domestic violence and the resultant child neglect and starvation over weekends. Each Safe House is run by a volunteer, whom we call a Safe House Mother, who live in the house and provide food, give care and affection to the children of farm workers over weekends.

In a recent study on our safe house project that was done by Ms. Julia Janssen from Stanford University, she indicated that the establishment of “an educational Safe House Programme that serves as a catalyst for greater change by inspiring community members to speak out, all stakeholders must be involved in order to take advantage of all available networks.” Although the safe house project started out as a means of providing nutrition, safety and care for children on farms on a weekend, the project has brought about a few very significant opportunities. One such opportunity has been the fact that safe house mothers are now more than just mere providers of food and care, but are now also a leader in the community. Safe house mothers are regarded as a valuable source through which critical information are communicated to the farm, they receive monthly training sessions where they are taught how to give basic first aid and health related information. One of our safe house mothers have also been recognized by the local magistrate and social worker as a temporary care giver, who is now caring for a child that has been abused.

We believe that the possibilities for the safe house project are endless and with your support we want to take on the challenge of ensuring that each one of the 32 farms that are served by the Path Out of Poverty Programme, has a safe house over the next 24 months.

Go to our contact section if you are inspired to make a contribution to our safe house project.

Talk to you soon.
Jeremy Maarman (Programme Coordinator)

What is health?

WHO definition of Health (1948) – Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

WHO Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1984) – Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living.

Definition of children’s health

“The extent to which individual children or groups of children are able or enabled to:

• develop and realize their potential
• satisfy their needs
• develop the capacities that allow them to interact successfully with their biological, physical, and social environments”

(US National Academy of Sciences, 2004).

South African Under 5 mortality

MRC Burden of Disease Study – 2000

Reported cases of vaccine-preventable conditions

Malnutrition

Poverty

48% of South Africans live below R462/month (2007 Rands)

Failures 1994-2010

• Worsening infant and under-5 mortality as a result of HIV/AIDS

• Poor PMTCT rollout and coverage

• Failure to reduce malnutrition rates

• Lack of progress in improving neonatal health

• High teenage HIV sero-prevalence and pregnancy rates

• Sub-optimal access to adequate secondary and tertiary care services

• Patchy availability of laboratory services and drugs

Successes 1994-2010

• Free health care for children under 6 years of age, children with disabilities and pregnant women

• Increased availability of primary health care services

• Polio eradication, measles reduction

• PMTCT and roll-out of HAART

• Expanded access to child social security grants

• Provision of water, sanitation and electricity to more families

The health of children is everyone’s responsibility

Excerpt of report by Haroon Saloojee at the University of the Witwaterstrand, Johannesburg

Of course not!

But there is someone who is prepared to swim on their behalf  – And he needs help.

Donald Perrott will attempt to swim 35 kms across the English Channel early in August this year. It will take him approximately 14 hours non-stop! He is doing this to raise funds for the PATH OUT OF POVERTY PRE-SCHOOL at the Goedgedacht Farm in the Western Cape, South Africa. This vital Educational project is swimming against the tide and battling to stay afloat.

The Pre-school has been educating children of very poor farm labourers for the past 12 yrs and has been sustained mainly by donations from loyal friends, Funding agencies and Corporate businesses.  Due to the economic meltdown two major donors have been unable to fulfill their promises and as a result children have had to be turned away. This year we have only been able to admit 55 instead of 84 children- and we’re not even sure we’ll be able to keep these beyond 2010 unless we get help. Its been really worrying – and then Don came up with this fabulous idea to help these children.

720 children have already passed through this school and gone on to do well at Primary and High school. In fact we have had 18 of them pass their final year at school thus breaking out of the endless cycle of poverty and illiteracy previously so prevalent in this farming community. It is unthinkable that we should see this excellent pre-school so vital to any child’s education sink.

PLEASE will you help Don keep it afloat by sponsoring his swim?

Update: He did it!! Don finished the swim in 12hrs 16mins yesterday 3 August 2010! Brilliant! Especially as the wind got up half way and made the sea very choppy and the going more tough. If you look at his website www.justgiving.com/my-trip-to-france you will see just how well his appeal has done for the farm children and the amount does not include donations paid in directly to Goedgedacht. His target: £12,000.00, raised so far: £10,849.00 or 90%.

He says he just concentrated on every stroke and his determination to “make it”. He says his support team, (two of his brothers Andy and Geoff and two good friends Rob and Andy) were fantastic and kept his spirits up feeding him on bananas and energy drinks and sending him encouraging messages. Geoff in fact swam behind him for an hour, when he was feeling the brunt of the battle with the waves, which he says was a great help knowing he was there willing him on!

So the family and friends are rejoicing to-day as you can imagine. We spoke to Don this morning and he said he is feeling like he is walking on air having fulfilled a dream he has had for 16 years.  He said he is ready to go again in a few days!! Heaven forbid!!

You can make a once off donation of your own choice or perhaps you would prefer to donate £2 or £5 per kilometre of his swim. If you are happy to help in this way please either :

• Send a cheque to: GROW PEACE( Ref: Don’s Channel swim N214swim) post it to Grow Peace, 27 Lower Brook St, Ipswich, Suffolk. IP41AQ   or

• Make a direct money transfer (Ref: Don’s Channel swim N214swim)
  Account Name: GROW PEACE
  Bank BARCLAYS
  Sort Code: 20-44-51
  Account No: 90040983

Grow Peace is a UK Registered Charity No: 1091687

After almost 6 years of preparation the FIFA World Cup started this past Friday, 11 June 2010, and what an occasion it was. As a nation we are so proud of our achievements since the advent of democracy 16 years ago and the fact that the SWC is making its first stop on African soil, in South Africa is a testament of how far we have come as African people.

As I drove onto the farm last Friday I could not help but to be excited as I saw staff members clad in national colors and faces painted with our national flag. We put-up a big-screen next to our netball court and started a potjiekos fire (food cooked in a cast-iron pot on an open fire). The food and spirit on the day was very special and the noise-levels were increased when Bafana Bafana scored the first goal of World Cup 2010. What a feeling and what a proud moment when the ball flew like a rocket into the back of the net.

We are all rooting for Bafana and hoping that all the supporters of Path Out of Poverty are joining us. The next Bafana match is against Uruguay on 16 June and we will certainly rally behind the team again with vuvuzelas ( an African-horn) and loud cheers. Who knows maybe the ‘golden-cup’ will remain on African soil for the first time.

Wish us luck.

Jeremy Maarman (Programme Coordinator)

Donate a meal voucher and give a rural child hope for a brighter future!

For a hungry child a meal voucher means HOPE.  And where there is hope –  there is a way forward.

Meal vouchers are the answer to more than hunger -  they help to unlock the door to a brighter future for children on our Path Out of Poverty (POP) programme. These children cannot see a future beyond the poverty of their present lives. And one of my greatest challenges is to give these children hope. Hope to visualise a future different from the lives their parents lead as seasonal farm workers. Hope to see themselves in a brighter future, and to have goals and dreams. These children have all the potential in the world, they just need to believe that there is help for them, and that with a little help they can succeed!

The help can come in a simple, but powerful formula that can change a rural child’s life!

Voucher = Food = Brain power/energy/health = children going to school and staying in school = children succeeding.

Why does each meal voucher last for no less than 90 days?

For 90 days (three months) of every year there is no work on the farms for seasonal farm workers. This means there is no money, and no food to put on the table. These three months also fall at a time of year when it is cold and rainy, and the poor are particularly susceptible to illness. This is when families really falter, it is a time of desperation for parents, trying to feed their children, and for children who drop out of school because they are too hungry or weak to learn.

The most tragic thing for me is that this can be prevented. Donate a meal voucher and become a messenger of hope for a rural child today!

If you wish to donate please contact us.

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Simon Occleshaw, who has previously visited Goedgedacht Farm in the Western Cape, South Africa, has raised nearly £1,000 from a triathalon he is running for our Path Out of Poverty programme. Keep up the great work Simon!

Visit his fund raising page on www.justgiving.com to watch his progress, or even better, help him reach his target by making a small donation.

A few weeks ago we started with a baking project at the Southern Cross Youth centre.The volunteers went around in the community informing the people of the project. For the first session they had a test run and made doughnuts and this was given to the children who attend the after school programme. Our aim for this project is to create employment and to raise money to cover the project cost. This project already raised R80 from selling cookies that they baked themselves.

Isn’t it amazing? The local ladies from Esterhof are taking over the POP centre. They are making sure that everyone knows that this centre is for their children and they are determined to make a contribution. They bustle in, in the morning and before you know it they have made some beautiful curtains, got stuck into the cooking and a couple of them are now running the library. We never thought that the local community would feel so proud of their children’s POP centre that they would want to come and involve themselves as well. All we can say is welcome, thank you and please continue.

This past weekend we had a very exciting and successful Community Athletics Day on our lovely sport field. We were delighted by the fact that more than 150 children and parents from farms in the area attended the event. While initially we were very worried that it might rain, the weather cleared up magically on the day of the event.

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Recently we were blessed with a state-of-the-art sound system, donated to Path Out of Poverty by the Rotary Club in Kromboom (Cape Town). We were able to use this sound-system for the very first time this past weekend during the event and it all went very smoothly thanks to the wonderful instructions given to Sophie and me. We wish to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Community Athletics Day and a special word of thanks to the Rotary Club in Kromboom and the hard work and dedication from all the staff members.

Now we are all looking forward to the next event in 2011, who knows, maybe you will be joining us?

We are always happy to hear your comments on our work, so feel free to write to us today.

Jeremy Maarman (Programme Coordinator)