Maranatha Care Children Newsletter September 2011

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Hi guys!

Well what an eventful time it has been for the Maranatha Care Children charity! Having been

out in South Africa with our projects for 4 months since the last newsletter to you all (and

making plans to move to South Africa in January myself) we really are making such positive

progress!

So our primary project remains the Siyakatala Child & Youth Care Centre for up to 20 boys and

12 girls currently catering for children and young people receiving full time residential care from

the ages of 4 to 19 years of age.

Thanks to all the support we have received over the course of the year we have managed to help

the centre in the following achievements:

1. Providing furniture requirements & security improvements for the new girls section

(allowing extra children to be accommodated)

2. Extended the bathroom area for boys at the centre (for facilities to be suitable for 20

boys)

3. Building a new extension to the boys section as a separate house (with necessary

appliances/furniture) for our oldest boys (18+) to promote their independence. We have

also now started with vocational training courses.

Girls section improvements New bathroom area Building extension


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4. Purchased clothes for children at the centre, including those who were recently placed

(or who had come in off the streets) only with the clothes they had on. We similarly

purchased all school clothing for those enrolled in schools over the last year.

5. We also donated funds towards the yearly school transport for those required to attend

one specialist school (essential for the development of the specific children placed there

and located 20km away from the centre).

6. We have kept our partnership with the fantastic Humewood Sea Scouts, funding for over

20 children from the centre to attend the cubs/scouts group on a weekly basis, including

funds to attend skill building camps.

Such achievements are only made possible from the support we receive as we rely on donations

to carry out our charitable objectives and it makes a huge difference when individuals fundraise

on our behalf! So please always keep us in mind!

Our on-going partnership with Miracles for Maranatha, an initiative established by volunteers

at Siyakatala from the California State Fullerton University, has also made a massive difference

for us with everyone being incredibly dedicated to supporting the children after returning to the

US, and arranging many fantastic fundraisers!

This year I was privileged enough to have three volunteers travel out from the UK to join me at

Siyakatala and teach at Protea Primary (our secondary project joined to a place of safety where

the children have mostly experienced ill-treatment or neglect and where we help fund

stationery requirements). Emma Scott, Heather Rogers and Jethro Coulson all made a massive

impact on the lives of those we support, as did all our new volunteers, so always contact me if

you are interested to find out more!

Most recently we took children and young people from the centre to see James Blunt perform as

part of his Some Kind of Trouble World Tour where the tickets were donated and he also took

the time to meet all of the Siyakatala children that attended! This was an amazing moment for

them all and something they will always remember! They also had the opportunity to go on

other great trips including to The Boma Reptile World.

The Siyakatala Children at the Humewood Sea Scouts group


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One of our new fundraising aims is to prioritise education. Some of the children have never been

to school when they come to Siyakatala, and the aim is to place children who need specialised

education in special schools (where they can receive remedial support & therapy as part of the

curriculum). A huge number of children in South Africa are out of school, and in the Eastern Cape

where we operate only 26 % finish their secondary schooling. We wish to provide the

educational support all children we reach out to require, meeting their assessed needs and

helping them to accomplish what we know can be possible. However it is clear that with a lack of

finances such visions become hard to achieve.

Our current aim is to raise 4000 towards specialist schooling I cant stress enough how muchEVERY donation we receive helps us! You can donate directly now at

www.justgiving.com/maranathachildren

We are also aiming to raise funds for the other needs at the centre over the course of the next

year:

Remedial Education costs 5,000

Occupational Therapy costs - 2,000

Essential clothing/uniform needs for all children - 1,000

Psychological Assessments - 800

Scouts Membership and Camps - 800

Micro Bus (15 seater) cost - 24,000 (this is a longer term aim but the children at the centre

already attend 9 different schools in different parts of Port Elizabeth, and reliable transport is

crucial for the childrens program at the centre, as they are currently battling with older vehicles

which have broken down on occasions and caused massive disruption)

There we be our anniversary party and other events & collections over the coming months

which I will keep you all informed of as need to generate as much support as we can!

Our young people, volunteers & managers of Siyakatala at the James Blunt show!
http://www.justgiving.com/maranathachildrenhttp://www.justgiving.com/maranathachildren


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And of course whilst I am working hard in our fundraising applications and finding potential

sponsors I am always willing to carry out presentations on my experiences as I have done so

previously at City College Plymouth and to Sixth Formers as well.

Maranatha Care Children have established a close working relationship with the Siyakatala

centre especially, being an affiliated organisation of the non-profit organisation Maranatha

Streetworkers Trust (SA Reg No: 012-046 NPO / Trust: IT 814/2002)that the centre are a projectof, and having representation on the board of trustees. Through this we also have scope to

support additional projects identified, with us currently looking at projects in the community

including a crche in one of the poorest areas of Port Elizabeth which I have visited, and assisting

in a new transitional house and training project for young offenders which I have been helping

the management committee in planning. I will of course update you all on how these initiatives

also take shape!

Our website will soon be updated and in the meantime please feel free to circulate the

newsletter to your friends and colleagues and keep up to date with us on twitter

http://twitter.com/MaranathaCare- the more we spread the word the more support we canget!

Thank you all for the amazing encouragement and generosity in helping give brighter futures to

these inspiring and resilient children and young people at our projects!

Shooting for the moonand thankful for all the help I am getting along the way!

Speak to you all again soon!

Harrison Nash (Charity Director)

Email:[email protected]

Web: www.maranathacarechildren.com

Donate:www.justgiving.com/maranathachildren

Visit to the Hellenvale Urban Crche project in the township area

Maranatha Care Children is a non-profit charity registered with

the charity commission in the UK (Charity No: 1139344)
http://twitter.com/MaranathaCarehttp://twitter.com/MaranathaCaremailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.maranathacarechildren.com/http://www.justgiving.com/maranathachildrenhttp://www.justgiving.com/maranathachildrenhttp://twitter.com/MaranathaCaremailto:[email protected]://www.maranathacarechildren.com/http://www.justgiving.com/maranathachildren

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Maranatha Care Children Newsletter September 2011