• Education and training (e.g. leadership development)
  
• Empowerment and income generation (e.g. craftwork, agriculture)
  
• Community projects (e.g. orphanages, food kitchens)

1. African Leadership Development Institute (ALDI)  Leadership Training, Empowerment, Income generation
2. Bethesda Arts Centre              
   Centre for Arts education and health
3. Sakhumzi
   Orphanage
4. WARMTH
   Feeding / entrepreneurship scheme
5. The Masikhulisane Trust
   Poverty alleviation, job creation
6. Bonginkosi Preschool
   Preschool for children from extremely deprived families
7. GADRA visually impaired project
   Helping visually impaired people
8. Sinethemba shelter
   shelter for abused women and children
9. Eluxolweni shelter
   Shelter for street children
10. Bonginkosi blanket project
    Income generation
11. The Alexandria Haven
    Orphanage
12. Preschool places, Grahamstown
    
    

Archive of previously funded projects dating back to 2007

1. Gauteng Peace and Development Foundation
   Empowerment, training and income generation
2. Ingelozi Eyetu
   Craftwork project

10. Bonginkosi Blanket Project             

    Perspective     Break down of family structures
    Because of the HIV/Aids pandemic in South Africa traditional family and community structures are failing, leaving children with little or no adult support systems. The exact number of orphans is unknown but tends towards “holocaust” proportions. One estimate is of 250 000 children already orphaned in KwaZulu-Natal, and 750 000 in South Africa.

    Consider this scenario …
    IMAGINE … you live in Sweetwaters, an area of stunning beauty near Pietermaritzburg, Kwa Zulu/Natal.  Although there are some 100,000 residents there is almost no paid employment.  The climate ranges from extreme heat in summer to piercing winter cold.
    IMAGINE …you are a widow with no pension and no source of income. In the last three years you’ve lost both beautiful daughters from HIV/AIDS.  Between them they had 7 children.  You are now their mother.  Within the last year you’ve taken on 4 more orphans.  You have 11 young mouths to feed and clothe between two and nine years.
    
    IMAGINE … you are a dedicated, creative and hard working person.  Your see your mission in life as providing for these eleven children.   Friends and neighbours help out but have their own problems.  Depending on other people dents your pride.  Then one day a few caring, South Africans, aware of the plight of Sweetwater residents, arrive on the scene, to assess the situation.  Soon they provide training in Blanket Making.  You are overjoyed.  At last you can do something to support your growing children.  You take pride in making beautiful blankets.
    
    The Bonginkosi Blankets project
    Supporters in South Africa provide initial funding to buy the wool-mix so that a group of women in Sweetwaters can crochet blankets – their only income source.  Many are grandmothers - the sole supporters of AIDS orphans in this area of great poverty. Buying the wool, quality control, packing and marketing the blankets are done by volunteers.  Outlets are needed.

    As part of the September 2007 fundraising walk(s) two lovely light weight, warm and washable cellular blankets were raffled.  £400 was raised. 

    The Thembisa office has a limited supply of blankets to sell.   
    Dimensions:  228 x 286 cm (suits a large double or small king size bed)
    Price:          £40 each plus £7.50 P&P in the UK (OR you can collect from Oxford office)
    All proceeds go to the blanket makers.