COPESSANewsletterApril 2010
COPESSA was honoured with the 2009 Johannesburg City Parks Chairperson’s Recognition Award under the “Youth-based Greening Organisation in Joburg” category. The glitz-fi lled
awards ceremony was hosted by Ms Jenny Chrys-Williams of 702-talk radio station in Kyalami at the Theatre on the Track on the 12 March 2010.
Dr Nobs Mwanda was also recognised in this function as “the real champion and driver of this project that developed an overnight park in Protea Glen.”
Dr Nobs Mwanda, CEO of COPESSA receiving award from Clr Msikoe
We would like to thank all our sponsors for their immense support, in particular The Mike Horn Foundation, The Table of Peace and Unity, EOH, City Parks, Infant Trust, and the participants and sponsors of the 2008 COPESSA annual golf day. Without your invaluable contribution, this park would never have been birthed. It would have remained only a dream and continued to be an eyesore in our neighbourhood. Today our children have a safe and secure place to play in.
It delights us to remind you of the journey – from an illegal dumpsite to an award winning play-park, built by the youth for the children:
COPESSA receives an AWARD!
This issue
COPESSA receives an AWARD! 1
Mini Table of Peace and Unity 3
2009 Christmas Party(ies) 4
Earned Income Projects 5
COPESSA Annual Golf Day 6
Income-generating projects –
Embroidery Project 7
Philanthropy corner 8
8955 Protea Boulevard
Protea Glen Ext 11, Soweto, Jhb
Phone: 011 297 3320
Fax: 011 297 0094
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.copessa.za.org
Registration: 2000/025755/08
PBO exemption: 930 012 177
When we shift from talking about the
problems of community to talking
about the breakdown of community,
something changes. Naming the challenge as
the “breakdown of community” opens the way
for restoration. Holding on to the view that
community is a set of problems to be
solved holds us in the grip of retribution.
Peter Block – Community – The structure of belonging
From – this vermin-infested illegal dumpsite
To – award-winning play park
Again, many thanks. Ningadinwa nangomso!
COPESSA receives an AWARD! continued from page 1
2 COPESSA Newsletter • April 2010
Mini Table of Peace and Unity
The 18 April 2010 was
the Table of Peace
and Unity. This
annual event, a brainchild
of Ms Christine Cashmore
of Gourmet SA, is held over
a number of cities in South
Africa, to highlight the
untenable plight of children
in our country. It raises much
needed funds for a number
of social profit organisations
in South Africa, including
COPESSA and Red Cross
Children’s Hospital, to
mention a few. COPESSA has
among other things, through
the generous proceeds from
this event, bought the centre
from which we operate, bought a utility van, plant a
seed into the above award-winning play park.
This year the Johannesburg leg, due to unforeseen
circumstances, had to be cancelled at the very last minute.
The celebrated Ms Edith Venter who was responsible for the
Johannesburg table, asked COPESSA to organise a “table” in
Soweto. We invited about 300 children and adult community
members and set up the table at our award-winning park.
There were no celebrities and celebrity musicians, a hallmark
of the Table of Peace and Unity, but children who were very
happy and grateful to be treated to a sumptuous banquet,
fit for the “kings and queens.” This so reminded me of the
“parable of the great banquet,” – Luke 14: 15-23.
Chefs Kym and Dave came prepared with their chafing
dishes and gas stoves. Rev. Jake Mabasa blessed the meal. A
three-course meal with split pea soup infused with ginger,
thyme & fresh lemon soup as a starter and Bolo de Mel with
glazed bananas desserts, was served.
In the true miracle
spirit just as we packed
the last chafing dish in the
Tantalizing Taste van, the
heavens opened!
We thank the following
for making this mini table
possible: Ms Christine
Cashmore of Table of Peace
and Unity; Ms Edith Venter
of Edith Venter Promotions;
Kym and Dave of Tantalizing
Tastes and Spar for donating
the raw materials.
Mothers from the community chatting while the chefs are setting up
Children playing while waiting
for the food to be warmed
COPESSA Newsletter • April 2010 3
2009 Christmas Party(ies)
December is always a time of winding
down for the year for COPESSA staff.
We however, never close the year
without remembering the less fortunate. Last
year’s Christmas Season was marked in the
usual manner for us, two Christmas parties
for two communities, Waterworks Informal
Settlement and Protea Glen.
Novartis South Africa (Pty) Ltd sponsored
the Waterworks Christmas Party. We had two
senior officials from the national department of
Social Development, Ms Patricia Mokwala & Mr
Colin Mhlongo in attendance. They were doing
site visits following their support with food
parcels and counselling for 34 vulnerable and
orphaned families. They saw at first hand what
some of our beautiful country’s families endure.
I could not resist this short commercial –
the photo to your right is the illegal dumpsite
before it was converted to the park above.
Children queuing for presents and food at the Waterworks Christmas Party held at the Play Park COPESSA built with the help of the
Westonaria Municipality.
4 COPESSA Newsletter • April 2010
Earned Income Projects
I dream of the day when COPESSA can generate at least
50% of its monthly running costs. This will mean that we
can spend less time fundraising and chasing sponsorships
and spend more time on community development
programmes and projects. This would also free our time so that
we can innovate while taking care of those less fortunate. This
A few days later we hosted another
300+ children at our Protea Glen Play
Park. This party was sponsored by Lake
Supreme Software (US), a company
introduced to us by Meditech, and Mr
Henk Bredenoord of Status Hotels.
Ms Lorraine Hurdus, her mom, Dawn
and HIV SA donated hand-crafted
Teddy Bears, which came in very
handy as we had many gate-crashers!
We are looking forward to 2010
Christmas Party and wonder whether
you will be involved in putting a smile
on someone’s face!
Joy inexplicable as the children
pose for a photo and proudly
lifting their toys as they show
off!
R-L: Mr Henk Bredenord from
Status Hotels, Ms Lorraine Hurdus
and our community women &
children
dream, hard as it is to attain as we give all our services and
professional time practically for free, mahala!, is not impossible
to attain. I just pray for dollops and dollops of patience!!!!
In a bid to make this dream a reality, we host an annual
fundraising golf day and embark on income-generating
projects.
COPESSA Newsletter • April 2010 5
COPESSA Annual Golf Day
This year’s golf day was held at Glenvista
Country Club in March. I wish to thank all
the four-balls that participated in this event,
the sponsors of holes and prizes, (see list under
‘philanthropy corner’), Glenvista Country Club for
giving us fair prices and Brian Rogers of “Just for the
cause of it’, our resident auctioneer, without who the
R85 000 net profit would not have been possible.
The funds raised were used to purchase an upgrade
software for our industrial embroidery machine, a
computer hard drive and the rest towards the running
costs.
The competition was a Better-ball stableford
and Individual Stable-ford (IPS). The IPS winner of
our floating trophy was Albert Doyoyo, better-ball
handicap16, on 39 points. The better-ball prize went
to Dr Don Pupuma (B.B. H’Cap 11) and Sifundile
Nkonyani (B.B. H’Cap 18), who won by 42 points on
count out. Jeni Looi got the prize for the women’s
longest drive and Ms Khali Jamnda, the women’s
closest to the pin.
Again, many thanks to all who participated in this
golf day, one way or the other.
Ms Pfarelo Netshimbupfe (R), COPESSA social worker giving
Ms Jeni Looi (L) a prize for women’s longest drive competition,
sponsored by Tracker Network (Pty) Ltd
Mr Albert Doyoyo (R), IPS winner receiving the trophy to the right and
a prize sponsored by Thaba Ya Batswana from Auctioneer & MC of
Prize-giving ceremony, Brian Rogers
6 COPESSA Newsletter • April 2010
In 2008 EOH donated an industrial embroidery machine
to COPESSA. This was to assist us to generate income
towards our running costs. This venture was plagued with
challenges up until recently such as trained personnel leaving
for greener pastures and poor marketing.
Along came Dalmatian Creations CC. – an embroidery
service. This company has been in business for a while and
boasts among other things, “unrivalled quality and service
and competitive pricing”. They also supply overalls and
safety gear, golf shirts, T-shirts, jackets, Catering and Chefs
Clothing, etc. COPESSA partnered with them not just to
increase the capacity of both ventures but also to give us more
professionalism and give them a BEE component. As a result,
no job is too big or too small!
We thus appeal to all you companies who are looking to
brand your corporate wares and promotional items to give us
an opportunity to shine. Not only will you get quality results
but you will also assist COPESSA to directly put bread on the
tables of two previously unemployed community members
and also with the running costs of the centre, thus indirectly
preventing child abuse and neglect.
Income-generating projects – Embroidery Project
Ms Sylvia Manyama, one of our trained embroiderers
Ms Manyama with a finished item
COPESSA Newsletter • April 2010 7
8 COPESSA Newsletter · December 2009
COPESSACOPESSA is a registered social profit organisation based in Soweto. Our reason for
being is to prevent child abuse before it occurs. Where we cannot, we ameliorate its
effects through intense counselling and support for the victims and their families.
VisionWe aspire to protect children by creating safe, secure and caring communities for
children.
MissionCOPESSA protects children through the following interventions:
1. Creation of sustainable community development programmes and projects
2. Counselling and medical assessment of abuse survivors
3. Training and capacity building of communities and research
Board of DirectorsMs S Mabusela, Ms N Mkhize, Dr N B Mwanda (CEO COPESSA), Ms D Terblanche; Mr Paul Qacha; Rev J Mabasa;
Dr U T Motjuwadi, Ms R Issel, Ms S Andersson PATRON: Dr Sibongile Khumalo
COPESSA in a nutshell – Strengthening communities and neighbourhoods!
Account name
COPES-SA
Bank
Nedbank
Branch
Business Central, Gauteng
Branch code
128405
Account no
1284 039 501
International Swift Code
nedszajj
Banking details
CASH DONATIONS
Amma Ilunga – R1 000 – Towards the running costs
Lake Superior Software – R3 895.87 – Towards the
Christmas Party for Protea Glen children
Novartis South Africa (Pty) Ltd – R5 000 – Towards the
Christmas Party for Water Works Children
Rev Mabasa – R1 000 – Towards the running costs
Aspen Pharmacare – R60 000 – Towards the running
costs
Samsung – R40 569.60 – Auditor’s fees, Clearance fees
Beth Chapman - US$1 000 – towards running costs
Infant Trust – R23 767 – Training & Stipends for
4 youth counsellors
Towards COPESSA Annual Fundraising Golf Day
– Care Cross Health – R10 000
– Novagen Pharma (Pty) Ltd– R5 000
– Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) – R5 000
– EOH Mthombo – R10 000
– Thandile Health Risk Management – R7 500
– Cwenga Chemical & Water Engineering Associates –
R2 000
– Godfrey Ntoele – R10 000
In-kind donors:
• Thaba Ya Batswana
• SASSDA
• The Pro Shop
• Absa
• Tracker Network (Pty) Ltd
• Sportsmans Warehouse
• C-Track SA (Pty) Ltd
Monthly contributions – COPESSA Friends
Ms Shirley Mabusela
Ms Anabel Ramcharan
Dr UT Motjuwadi
IN KIND
Fidelis Partners – Office furniture worth R33 817
Opano Interiors – Furniture worth R24 000
Samsung – 2 x Flat Screen TVs
ABB – sponsored Dr Mwanda to attend a community
building workshop
Here are just some of the things you can do:
Spend a Saturday morning with the children at COPES.
You can read stories for them, you can give them hugs;
you can teach them how to paint, sew and you can just
play and have fun with them.
Help us to maintain our website.
Sign up for COPESSA MyVillage Card.
Philanthropy corner