It has been a busy six months since our last Community newsletter, with some wonderful projects being completed. With Kristen returning to America to complete her studies, Jennifer has taken over the continuation of the Community Projects.
Tiyimiseleni family in need
As Kristen shared in her last newsletter, we were building a new house for a Tiyimiseleni family in need. Yvonne is a single mother who is HIV+ and supports her two children at home – Zinzle (age 13) and Enough (age 6). The family lives off R750 every month, made up of a R450 social development grant from the government and Yvonne’s R300 monthly income as a domestic worker.
With the generous support from Stichting Een Arde, we were able to transform the living conditions of this family, by not only constructing a new home, but also supplying much needed equipment. The renovated kitchen was stocked with new pots, pans, a stove top, dinner set and some cutlery. The main bedroom has new curtains, blankets, pillows and towels, while the second room in the house has been filled with a new table and chairs, all purchased through Stichting Een Arde’s sponsorship.
Below is the view of the property from the main road, from left to right, the original house converted to the kitchen, the new two-room main house with a water tank at the back, set up to collect rain water, and the toilet/washroom facilities, all enclosed by a new fence and gate.
Pictured in front of the main house is the builder Prince (at the back) and from left to right Mildred (Tiyimiseleni caregiver), Enough, Yvonne and Jane (Tiyimiseleni Project Coordinator).
To the right is the new toilet and washroom facilities.
As you can see, this project has allowed us to help this family in need get set up with a fresh start in this wonderful new home, a long way from the previous one-room building that served as their house. Many thanks again to Stichting Een Arde for your incredible sponsorship of this new home for Yvonne and her family!
Hlayisekani Nursing Home
Government funding has been approved for another year of running costs at Hlayisekani! Unfortunately, there are still critical gaps in the funding. Savanna aims to help cover these costs, while we attempt to secure additional funding. Currently they require an additional R8000 a month for adult diapers, and R2000 a month for cleaning materials. The funding does not allow for any spending on doctors or equipment.
Nyiko was in desperate need of a new vehicle to transport his patients to the hospital for their check-ups or for any emergencies. We are delighted to report that with the wonderful donation from one of our sponsors, we were able to purchase a vehicle for the Hlayisekani Nursing Home. As you can see, Nyiko is thrilled with this new addition which has made his life that much easier.
The government has indicated that funding may be increased in the future if Hlayisekani is able to accomplish several objectives laid out by the Department of Social Development. These include building a mortuary room and a sluice room for the laundry.
Mketsi School
We mentioned in the last newsletter that David, the Principle from Mketsi School, was in need of help to fix up some of the school classrooms. Through some of our generous donations, we have been able redo one of the classroom floors and are hoping to complete the other classrooms shortly, to give them a fresh look.
Before
After
Going the Extra Mile Together!
On September 21st, 2 Savanna staff members and 11 representatives from the Tiyimiseleni Home Based Care Centre (9 kids and 2 caregivers) participated in The Extra Mile Trail Run. Through the Extra Mile Trail Run, we aim to raise awareness and funding for the orphanage centre and the communities that keeps these kids healthy, happy and safe.
Tiyimiseleni children, caregivers and Savanna staff members welcomed the runners as they crossed the finish line. We would like to extend a special thanks to Regina Dominican High School for the donation of running shoes, Gr8 Gifts Apparel Printing for our runners’ uniform and water bottles and to Matumi Dry for their donation of energy bars for the runners at the finish line.
Farmer Frank
At the start of the year, farmer Frank Manyike ran out of the financial capital he needed to run his egg production business. After a thorough analysis of what went wrong with his financial planning, we worked with Frank to get his business back in order. One of our Savanna Trust sponsors agreed to invest in a small grant, required to reboot Frank’s egg production. We are proud to report that Frank is now delivering eggs twice per week again to Savanna, and was able to purchase his new batch of hens in August!
We have also supported Frank in his application for an agricultural small business incubator program, in hopes that participating in this program will help him grow his business sustainably to a larger scale. A representative from MASDT (Mobile Agricultural Skills Development & Training) visits Frank once a month to offer advice and support for Frank’s vegetable garden & egg production.
For A Good Cause
We will leave you with a small advertisement (for a good cause!). Are you looking for the perfect gift for your colleagues, friends or family for Christmas? Look no further! The Savanna Trust has launched the first line of our community related bracelets, with all proceeds helping the orphans and vulnerable children at the Tiyimiseleni Home Based Care Centre. A box of 25 bracelets costs just R1 125 (or R45 each). Please let us know if you’d like to place an order and we would be happy to ship to your doorstep!
Thank you!
If you have any questions regarding this newsletter or would like to receive more detailed information on any of the projects, please do contact us on the below email addresses.
For any donations, click on the button below or information on how to donate, please contact Jen on community@savannalodge.com or Natasha on lodge@savannalodge.com.
With warm wishes
The Savanna Trust Team