FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Hearing reports of the work being done in Africa by our helpers always gives us much pleasure.
We are particularly pleased with the work of our six Zulu interns. These are young people who have been through our workshops and have been chosen as potential leaders. They start youth clubs in their own villages and these are very popular with the young people who have very little in their lives. These clubs allow a great multiplication of the lessons that the interns have learnt.
There have also been responses in the community. An 80 year old man, a carpenter, is volunteering to teach young ones. Another retired man is offering to pass on his skills in carpentry, welding and bricklaying. This is incredibly helpful as these skills are needed in so many ways.
These are just a few of the many impacts we are able to have on the community. When we visit the communities, we are always reminded of the shocking impact that HIV/AIDS has had, producing a generation of enormously deprived young people. The fact that we are able to transform these lives, with the help of people from our privileged society, gives us great pleasure and we thank everyone who shares in this endeavor.
Dr John Schwarz
Nellie – a great outcome story
When the HIV/AIDS crisis was at its peak 40% of the young mothers in the area in which AAF works were positive for HIV & at this time this was a death sentence. 25% of the babies born were positive & subsequently became sick & died; the other 75% were orphaned. One of those who lost her mother was Nellie. Nellie has been greatly influenced by AAF & her story illustrates the sort of problems that can be faced.
When we first met Nellie, she was 11 years old. Her mother had died and she had been expelled from school as she was ‘too naughty’ and ‘not clever’. She was being home-schooled by an AAF associate. When we visited, I was involved in the home schooling of this bright, but mischievous 11 year old, & instructed her in life skills advice, as well as academic tuition. Despite AAF support Nellie fell pregnant at 14 years of age. She soon became pregnant a second time & so had two children as a 17 year old.
Her outlook looked dire & we were in despair of her future, although we kept in regular contact & encouraged her. The wonderful vindication of the effort AAF had done in her life was validated in a letter from Nellie (now 24) received this year in which she explained her life had changed. She had completed her first year of a teaching degree at university. She was very grateful for the AAF input into her life & has great hope for the future.
‘Little by little, a little becomes A LOT”
Tanzanian quote
Much encouraging and effective work is being done by the Philakahle team.
Following is a section of the March Quarterly Report:
In the last three months we continued to do our community development work in Okhahlamba municipality where we are reaching young people through schools intervention, youth clubs in the communities and the trainings that take place in our training venue which is Zamimpilo. There has been a lot of transformation that took place in these months due to our programs. We are happy to report that most of young people that we are reaching are responding well to the information and they are practicing it which is why we are witnessing changes in their lives.
School intervention:
In the last three months we continued to work in schools. There are 7 primary schools and three high schools that we work in. The topics that were covered in the last three months are: ‘I am special and unique’, ‘respect and boundaries’, ‘Being a positive influence’, ‘our values influence our behaviour’, ‘how do you see yourself’, ‘time management’, ‘What is true friendship’, ‘learning to listen’, ‘understanding accountability’, ‘standing firm under negative pressure,’ ‘genuine and artificial friendship,’ ‘benefits of good decisions,’ ‘caring your values wherever you go.’ ‘You have a destiny.’
These topics have contributed well in the lives of young people who are in our program. The value in their lives have been added and we are looking forward to seeing the young people leading their peers in behaviour change. One of the young people said he has been helped by the topic , “benefits of good decisions”. This young person said that as young people they are faced with a challenge of making decisions everyday which sometimes if not directed they may easily make wrong decisions.
