Sisonke Sophumelela

Category:

Health and Welfare, Education and Skills Development or Philanthropy

Our beneficiaries are coming from disadvantaged background, living in shacks and RDP houses; where in some families you’ll find more than 10 people in this house depending on child support grant or old age pension. They are unemployed; there is high rate of poverty, HIV/AIDS, crime, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol abuse. In 10 people that come to register for soup 3 or 5 of them are HIV positive and some of them have TB. They are on treatment because of high rate of poverty they cannot adhere on treatment.

Top 3 projects

Support group (Orphans and Vulnerable Children): provide counseling, life skills, give them sense of belonging and develop them holistically.

Soup kitchen: We alleviate poverty by cooking soup for the community members also help those are on ARV treatment so that they can be able to adhere to their treatment.

Workshops/ trainings: development of the community members

A list of your needs:

Administration: stationary (ink cartridge, papers, pens, books and etc.) stipend for 7 people if possible, 3 or 4 burner gas stove, taxi fares to do home visits, go to important meetings and submit proposals.

Soup kitchen: bones, maize meal, rice, samp & beans, spices, soup mix, red& brown lentils, split peas, vegetable, cooking oil, bread, cleaning material and gas

Support group: School uniforms, groceries to cook for them when they come to the support group.

Statistics:

Orphans and vulnerable children – 100 (ages 5years – 18 years, 80 girls and 20 boys)

Female - 329 (old people, youth and adults)

Males - 150 (youth, old people and adults)

Children – 300 (they are from the community, ages from 2 years – 18 years)

Boys – 30 -11years – 18 years they are from Enkuselweni child and youth Centre (Place of Safety)

A success story

This young lady you see was stressed wanted to kill herself. She got pregnant at the age of 19 which was last year. The father of the baby runaway saying, the child is not his. She was crying saying life is unfair why must she safer like this? It’s better for her to die. Her mother is not working and nobody is willing to help her out. She decided to take her own life. Her friend talked to me about her situation. I did counsel her and found out why she wanted to kill herself, she narrated her story. During our counselling session she did mention that she needed something to do, even if she wasn’t goanna get paid. She just wanted to be around people to calm her stress. She started working at the organization at the beginning of this month (01/07/2017). She is very good with the children. To be at Sisonke Sophumelela did make a difference in her life; she saw the purpose to be alive. She is very handy and always eager to learn. She always asks questions if she doesn’t understand. The society needs child like this. I so wish we can get stipends so we can say thank you to everyone who is helping at Sisonke Sophumelela.