CARING SCHOOLS
South Africa
The question: Does availability of good food improve student performance? The Caring Schools project was presented as an early model for sustainable gardens and food distribution at challenged schools.
Need
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected 39 million people worldwide. Due to inadequate infrastructure and healthcare, it is one of the leading causes of death in sub-Sahara Africa, leaving communities challenged to meet basic needs and ensure a bright future for their children. In 2004, the Office of the President of South Africa declared Early Childhood Development (ECD) a priority. But rural, disadvantaged areas struggle to build facilities and receive training. In the Ufafa Valley, Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 78% of adults have voluntarily tested positive for HIV/AIDS. Children under age six that are orphans or have chronically ill parents are at risk of malnutrition, stunted development, and emotional trauma.
In 2000, a Buddhist Retreat Center in the Ufafa Valley initiated a small project that grew to become an independent community nonprofit called Woza Moya, serving 8,000 of the valley's 23,000 residents with holistic care and support. In 2008, the community imagined creating an ECD center. From 2008 through 2010, Mothering Across Continents collaborated with Gavin Harrison and the Woza Moya Fundraising Project. Our supporters helped raise awareness and $50,000 to design, build and launch the Woza Moya Orphan and Vulnerable Children's Play Therapy Center.
Dream
Construction took place between February and September 2009. By 2010, the Center was open, serving children with meals, play experiences, and childcare. Part-time staff and volunteers received ECD training. The Center became self-sustaining with more than $100,000 raised from various sources and support from visiting teachers, trainers and groups such as Clowns Without Borders. A well and access center were added.
Results
Leadership
Dr. Lyndall Hare, co-founder of Mothering Across Continents and former Board member, initiated the Woza Moya relationship. Catherine Anderson, artist and photographer, stays connected with the project. Teacher and poet Gavin Harrison, a South African resident of Hawaii, and long-time supporter of Woza Moya, and with whom we co-fundraised for the Center, produced a book called Petals and Blood, with a portion of sales proceeds directed to the Woza Moya Project.
