After our visit to Thokozani Brothers last Friday it was evident to me that our attempt at creating a community youth centre has been successful. Every day after school the children of the surrounding informal settlement come gather in their numbers at the centre, receiving extra tutoring from Mhla, singing and dancing, playing football, and just being in a safe and uplifting environment. We are happy to see all their smiling faces everytime we visit.

Mamma Malan, one of the wonderful oldies of NOAH is ecstatic about her new home that has been built for her in December by Uthando and friends. It is a massive improvement on the derelict leaking shack that she used to live in, and she told me that she is ‘ sleeping like a doll’ in her new home.

Yesterday I took the lovely Gordis family out on tour and they came armed from New York with a massive bag of clothes, and four new soccer balls! The kids at Happy Feet and Thokozani Brothers were needless to say, very thankful, and the soccer balls immediately flew into action! Their daughter, Arielle Gordis also had a fundraiser at her school before she came, and with that money I will have a special back to school day for the kids in 2012!

So, as promised, I am attaching the ‘after’ photos of Happy Feet youth Project. I have been spending some time there painting a bit, the building got a facelift with new garage door, windows, plastering and painting.

We also planted some trees, and the positive effect is so evident in the kids obvious pride of their new colourful centre! Love them!

Dance for All facebook page for more info on the Chance to Dance evening!

http://www.facebook.com/danceforall#!/danceforall

Join Dance for All on Friday night for an evening of fun fundraising. A strictly come dancing style evening with Soli Philander as host is promising to be a very entertaining event!

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, and perfect for our by-annual outing with the members of NOAH (Neighbourhood Old Age Homes).

We took them to Spier to visit the Cape Raptor World Education and Rehabilitation Centre. We were warmly welcomed by Hank Chalmers, the founder of this centre, and we were given a wonderful presentation by Andre for our personal encounter with owls and eagles. Some of the oldies got to hold the owls on their hands, and you could truly see their fascination with these beautiful birds. He demonstrated how the hawks and eagles hunt, and it was all very well presented and educational.

Afterwards we were treated to loads of tea, coffee and muffins, sitting amidst these massive raptors.

No day with NOAH is complete without some song and dance, and we were treated to a lovely performance, lead with a guitar by one of the talented Tata’s.

The hospitality at the Raptor Centre was wonderful, and we were provided with a little picnic area where the oldies could enjoy their lunch.

All an all it was a beautiful day full of fun and laughs, and for me it is always so uplifting to be able to spend time with these amazing people!

UTHANDO LOVE, Charlene.

It is so lovely to experience the generosity of our friends at Uthando daily! This is just a small example of how a little can go a long way. Before the Houghton family from the West Midlands UK, Phil, Sue, Imogen and Zara, came to visit us, they gathered some donations from friends in their area. They arrived with a suitcase full of gifts. Thanks to them the toddlers at Kiddies Educare now has new stationary and DVD’s, the kids from Happy Feet has some clothes, and the Ladies from Abalimi has many gifts to put into Christmas parcels for the poor children in their area. Thank you to them and all the guests that bring gifts for our projects almost every day!

On the 25th of October Uthando in conjunction with Bob’s for Good foundation, GRS tours and Ingram Casey had a wonderful day helping to launch Thokozani Brothers new youth centre. In a tribute to Ingram’s mother Yvonne, who recently passed away, Ingram and 45 family members and friends came to visit Thokozani brothers, and help the Bobs for Good Foundation members to fit 200 children with new shiny school shoes. Yvonne was involved in fundraising for this foundation. It is amazing what a long lasting effect new shoes can make to a child’s life, especially one who could previously not afford a pair of their own. The Thokozani Brothers and the children at the centre gave a great performance of song and dance, and the day was a great success in that it showed the people of the surrounding informal settlement that Thokozani Brothers will be a Youth centre linked with upliftment.