February 2010 - Newsletter nr. 38

February 2010 - Newsletter nr. 38
Helping Hand releases new report Afrikaans Bursary Institute sets up three new bursary funds

School-cases really give hope Shortly after I started working at Helping Hand, I met Riaan* for the first time in an informal settlement in the Cape. It was just after the huge floods in the Cape Flats. The dilapidated caravan belonging to Riaan’s parents and all of their earthly possessions were either soaked or washed away. The clothes that had been donated to him were wet and covered in mud. Helping Hand decided to provide assistance to children by means of the raincoat project. Pretty, colourful raincoats and boots were given to each child so that they could remain dry while Helping Hand personnel had their clothes washed. I still clearly remember the surprise on Riaan’s face when he saw the bright raincoat. Riaan, who was four at the time, looked at his mother and said, “Mommy, it’s pretty.” Helping Hand likes helping people with the potential to rise above their circumstances. Unlike many of the other residents of informal settlements, Riaan’s parents are willing to work – they work as car guards. Nevertheless Riaan lives in subpar conditions. When his parents other people go look after cars, he often has to play on his own. Unlike other children his age, he doesn’t know what a jungle gym or swing is. He and his friends play hide and seek among rubbish bins and temporary toilets. Helping Hand took action and replaced the family’s broken caravan with a tidy three-room Wendy house that is at least dry and a bit safer. This year Riaan went to school with a Helping Hand school-case. He is in grade R. it is difficult to describe his excitement and the sparkle in his eyes when he received his school-case. Something that other grade ones take for granted is a luxury to him. Riaan still has to overcome tremendous stumbling blocks before breaking the poverty cycle, but at least he is in a good school and,with his school-case in hand, he is excited about going to school. For the first time in his young life he has hope for the future. Who knows: maybe one day Helping Hand could give Riaan a bursary to study at Sol-Tech. Thank you to every donor and especially to Rapport, the project’s media partner. Your contributions give hope to Afrikaans grade ones in need. Not his real name Dr. Danie Langner* Executive Director Solidarity Helping Hand
Make a difference for only R1,66 per day What are your child’s dreams for the future? For just R1,66 a day you can make a difference in the life of a child. You can lend a hand to create a future for an impoverished Afrikaans child. Join Helping Hand today for just R1,66 per day (R50 per month). To become a member of Helping Hand: SMS the word HAND to 35960 and one of our agents will phone you (R3 per SMS); or Phone our call centre on 0861 25 24 23; or Visit our web site www.helpendehand.co.za. Grade 1’s start well Sad faces of needy grade 1 pupils without school stationery on their first day were suddenly filled with never ending smiles, thanks to Solidarity Helping Hand. The project started in 2007 to help needy grade 1 Afrikaans pupils. The fund, situated in Hermanstad, works in conjunction with its main branch in Centurion. So far they have donated more than four hundred suitcases in Pretoria and more than five thousand nationally. Westerlig. Generaal Beyers, Booysens, Generaal Nicolas Smit primary schools and Laerskool Hermanstad are some of the schools that received the suitcases filled with pens, pencils, colouring pens, rulers and books. Read more, click here. Do you have a service or product you want to advertise? Helping Hand’s website is visited by thousands of people each month. In order to provide a better service to the community, Helping Hand has created a Lend a Hand link. Helping Hand invites individuals and businesses to advertise their ideas, products or services on the website under the Lend a Hand link. If you are already a supporter of Helping Hand, you can promote your service or idea free of charge. Otherwise, you can advertise your product or service for only R50 per month. Register now and become part of Helping Hand’s affective aid network. Send your details to diens@helpendhand.co.za to register your business. Thousands of school-cases spreading hope Every grade one learner needs basic stationery to start his/her school career. That is why Helping Hand decided to ensure that impoverished grade one learners across the country receive school-cases. The project had hardly started in 2008 when the applications already came flooding in from schools in need. Since then the applications have more than doubled. A total of 4 000 school-cases filled with stationery were distributed this year to 70 Afrikaans schools in need countrywide. The School-case Project, which has been running for three years, has already made a significant contribution to the upliftment of almost 10 000 grade one learners in need. Click here to make a financial contribution to the School-case Project. School-cases being handed out at Rachel de Beer Primary School in Pretoria. Frans Conradie Primary School in Despatch says thank you. In this letter, Solidarity Helping Hand’s Despatch branch is thanked for the school-cases that were donated. A total of 20 school-cases were delivered to Frans Conradie Primary School earlier this month. New Helping Hand branches launched in Eastern Cape Anyone who cares about the plight of the needy and who is willing to lend a helping hand can make a difference in a community. In every community there are underprivileged Afrikaner children and elderly people who have no hope for the future. Helping Hand branches are formed by volunteers who, by actively doing something, give hope to people in need. With the help of these branches, communities can alleviate the social, spiritual and cultural poverty in their midst. Two new Helping Hand branches were formed in Oudtshoorn and Venterstad in the Eastern Cape in January. Contact numbers: Oudtshoorn branch: Mariaan Mans – 044 272 0015 or 072 228 0177 Venterstad branch: Hester Deschamps – 051 654 0081 Christmas and birthday wishes Bothasig and Melkbosstrand branches give hope to the elderly over Christmas The Rogelim-Monte Rosa Home for the Elderly in Cape Town takes care of approximately 110 elderly people. In December 2009, Helping Hand’s branch in Bothasig decided to focus on this Home for its Christmas Joy project. Volunteers collected gifts for the Home’s residents. Albert and Marlene van Schalkwyk helped to parcel up all the gifts. Hugo from House of Chocolates in Parow North, Cape Town, amazed everyone with his selfless wish for his 50th birthday. His birthday wish is to bring joy to disadvantaged children. Hugo wants people to attend his birthday party in July and to bring presents for underprivileged children. Half of the presents will be donated to Helping Hand and the rest will go to an organisation for underprivileged children voted for by the majority of partygoers. The partygoers will be treated to delicious chocolate and coffee. They will also stand in line to win big prizes like a R1 000 House of Chocolates gift voucher. Hugo can be contacted on 082 559 6064. (Fotoname: Kersvader & Geskenk) To read about our projects visit the Helping Hand web site at www.helpendehand.co.za. Afrikaans Bursary Institute sets up three new bursary funds Three independent bursary funds were set up in January thanks to the generosity of donors. The Cobus Marx Memorial Bursary Fund was established in memory of Mr. Cobus Marx who died in January. His wish was to help young people to empower themselves through training. The Schalk Prinsloo, Dot Joubert and Danie Vorster Bursary Funds will be paid out to students who qualify for a bursary loan in terms of Helping Hand’s bursary requirements. Individuals like Cobus, Schalk, Dot and Danie form part of a comprehensive solution that gives young people the opportunity to create a hopeful future for themselves. Danie Vorster contributed R75 000 to the bursary fund of the Afrikaans Bursary Institute. As a result of these contributions, more than R4 million will be paid out in bursary loans under the auspices of Helping Hand as of next year. We hope to double this amount with the help of people who invest in the future of promising young people who are hampered by financial constraints. For more information contact Dinah Theron on dinah@helpendehand.co.za or 012 644 4428 / 4390 Helping Hand needs donations People in need Family left homeless due to land claims When land claims forced Martie* and her family to move away from the smallholdings where they lived, they were left homeless. To make matters worse, the new land owners will not allow the family to go back to collect their belongings. The family of four are currently living in a tiny shack in friends’ backyard. Martie’s husband lost his job recently when he suffered a back injury. Fortunately, he is able to put food on the table by making and selling furniture. However, the family are still faced with the challenge of finding adequate housing. “Can somebody please donate three Wendy houses that we can use as a bedroom, living room and kitchen? We also urgently need a small fridge, a double bed and two single beds,” says Martie. The family currently have to make do with a borrowed bed. The residents of an Afrikaans informal settlement need a water pump and a pipe that they can use to lay out a vegetable garden. The Helping Hand branch in Hermanus urgently needs food supplies. An appeal is made to residents of the area to deliver nonperishable goods at Wippie en Snippie Kleuterskool, 2 Main Road, Sandbaai. People who want to get involved with the branch can contact Coreen Albertyn on (028) 316 1101 or 082 876 5777. Two talented artists who live at a care facility for underprivileged old people in Pretoria are in need of oil paint, paint brushes and palettes. These supplies will help them to earn an income through their artwork. Helping Hand’s donations office in Pretoria urgently needs the following goods: Food Baby formula and nappies Sporting equipment Toiletries If you want to donate goods, contact the donations office on 012 644 4426. Helping Hand says thank you Farmer donates 4 t. vegetables Joshua van der Walt, a farmer in the Brits area, donated four tons of vegetables to Helping Hand. The vegetables included sweet corn, green beans, cabbage and spinach. Helping Hand distributed the vegetables to 30 shelters in Pretoria. Mr. Van der Walt has pledged to donate vegetables to Helping Hand every month.
Donations to Helping Hand may be delivered between 08:00 and 16:30 to Helping Hand’s donation office in Centurion. Here Helping Hand determines where the various donations could be used best. For more information on how to make s donation, send an e-mail to skenkings@solidarity.co.za or phone 012 644 4426. If you want to make a donation to Solidarity Helping Hand, you may pay it into our bank account. Please note that the Helping Hand bank details now are: Bank: ABSA Account number: 407 225 0017 Branch: Centurion Branch code: 632005 Or phone our Call Centre on 0861-25-24-23

Helping Hand releases new report
Afrikaans Bursary Institute sets up three new bursary funds

School-cases really give hope

Shortly after I started working at Helping Hand, I met Riaan* for the first time in an informal settlement in the Cape. It was just after the huge floods in the Cape Flats. The dilapidated caravan belonging to Riaan’s parents and all of their earthly possessions were either soaked or washed away. The clothes that had been donated to him were wet and covered in mud.

Helping Hand decided to provide assistance to children by means of the raincoat project. Pretty, colourful raincoats and boots were given to each child so that they could remain dry while Helping Hand personnel had their clothes washed. I still clearly remember the surprise on Riaan’s face when he saw the bright raincoat. Riaan, who was four at the time, looked at his mother and said, “Mommy, it’s pretty.”

Helping Hand likes helping people with the potential to rise above their circumstances. Unlike many of the other residents of informal settlements, Riaan’s parents are willing to work – they work as car guards. Nevertheless Riaan lives in subpar conditions. When his parents other people go look after cars, he often has to play on his own. Unlike other children his age, he doesn’t know what a jungle gym or swing is. He and his friends play hide and seek among rubbish bins and temporary toilets. Helping Hand took action and replaced the family’s broken caravan with a tidy three-room Wendy house that is at least dry and a bit safer.

This year Riaan went to school with a Helping Hand school-case. He is in grade R. it is difficult to describe his excitement and the sparkle in his eyes when he received his school-case. Something that other grade ones take for granted is a luxury to him. Riaan still has to overcome tremendous stumbling blocks before breaking the poverty cycle, but at least he is in a good school and,with his school-case in hand, he is excited about going to school. For the first time in his young life he has hope for the future. Who knows: maybe one day Helping Hand could give Riaan a bursary to study at Sol-Tech.

Thank you to every donor and especially to Rapport, the project’s media partner. Your contributions give hope to Afrikaans grade ones in need.

*Not his real name

Dr. Danie Langner
Executive Director
Solidarity Helping Hand

Make a difference for only R1,66 per day

What are your child’s dreams for the future? For just R1,66 a day you can make a difference in the life of a child. You can lend a hand to create a future for an impoverished Afrikaans child. Join Helping Hand today for just R1,66 per day (R50 per month).

To become a member of Helping Hand:

SMS the word HAND to 35960 and one of our agents will phone you (R3 per SMS); or

Phone our call centre on 0861 25 24 23; or

Visit our web site www.helpendehand.co.za.

Grade 1’s start well

Sad faces of needy grade 1 pupils without school stationery on their first day were suddenly filled with never ending smiles, thanks to Solidarity Helping Hand. The project started in 2007 to help needy grade 1 Afrikaans pupils.

The fund, situated in Hermanstad, works in conjunction with its main branch in Centurion. So far they have donated more than four hundred suitcases in Pretoria and more than five thousand nationally.

Westerlig. Generaal Beyers, Booysens, Generaal Nicolas Smit primary schools and Laerskool Hermanstad are some of the schools that received the suitcases filled with pens, pencils, colouring pens, rulers and books.

Read more, click here.

Do you have a service or product you want to advertise?

Helping Hand’s website is visited by thousands of people each month. In order to provide a better service to the community, Helping Hand has created a Lend a Hand link. Helping Hand invites individuals and businesses to advertise their ideas, products or services on the website under the Lend a Hand link. If you are already a supporter of Helping Hand, you can promote your service or idea free of charge. Otherwise, you can advertise your product or service for only R50 per month. Register now and become part of Helping Hand’s affective aid network.

Send your details to diens@helpendhand.co.za to register your business.

Thousands of school-cases spreading hope

Every grade one learner needs basic stationery to start his/her school career. That is why Helping Hand decided to ensure that impoverished grade one learners across the country receive school-cases. The project had hardly started in 2008 when the applications already came flooding in from schools in need. Since then the applications have more than doubled.

A total of 4 000 school-cases filled with stationery were distributed this year to 70 Afrikaans schools in need countrywide. The School-case Project, which has been running for three years, has already made a significant contribution to the upliftment of almost 10 000 grade one learners in need.

Click here to make a financial contribution to the School-case Project.

School-cases being handed out at Rachel de Beer Primary School in Pretoria.

Frans Conradie Primary School in Despatch says thank you.

In this letter, Solidarity Helping Hand’s Despatch branch is thanked for the school-cases that were donated. A total of 20 school-cases were delivered to Frans Conradie Primary School earlier this month.

New Helping Hand branches launched in Eastern Cape

Anyone who cares about the plight of the needy and who is willing to lend a helping hand can make a difference in a community. In every community there are underprivileged Afrikaner children and elderly people who have no hope for the future. Helping Hand branches are formed by volunteers who, by actively doing something, give hope to people in need. With the help of these branches, communities can alleviate the social, spiritual and cultural poverty in their midst. Two new Helping Hand branches were formed in Oudtshoorn and Venterstad in the Eastern Cape in January.

Contact numbers:

Oudtshoorn branch: Mariaan Mans – 044 272 0015 or 072 228 0177
Venterstad branch: Hester Deschamps – 051 654 0081

Christmas and birthday wishes

Bothasig and Melkbosstrand branches give hope to the elderly over Christmas

The Rogelim-Monte Rosa Home for the Elderly in Cape Town takes care of approximately 110 elderly people. In December 2009, Helping Hand’s branch in Bothasig decided to focus on this Home for its Christmas Joy project. Volunteers collected gifts for the Home’s residents. Albert and Marlene van Schalkwyk helped to parcel up all the gifts.

Hugo from House of Chocolates in Parow North, Cape Town, amazed everyone with his selfless wish for his 50th birthday. His birthday wish is to bring joy to disadvantaged children. Hugo wants people to attend his birthday party in July and to bring presents for underprivileged children. Half of the presents will be donated to Helping Hand and the rest will go to an organisation for underprivileged children voted for by the majority of partygoers. The partygoers will be treated to delicious chocolate and coffee. They will also stand in line to win big prizes like a R1 000 House of Chocolates gift voucher. Hugo can be contacted on 082 559 6064. (Fotoname: Kersvader & Geskenk)

To read about our projects visit the Helping Hand web site at www.helpendehand.co.za.

Afrikaans Bursary Institute sets up three new bursary funds

Three independent bursary funds were set up in January thanks to the generosity of donors.

The Cobus Marx Memorial Bursary Fund was established in memory of Mr. Cobus Marx who died in January. His wish was to help young people to empower themselves through training. The Schalk Prinsloo, Dot Joubert and Danie Vorster Bursary Funds will be paid out to students who qualify for a bursary loan in terms of Helping Hand’s bursary requirements. Individuals like Cobus, Schalk, Dot and Danie form part of a comprehensive solution that gives young people the opportunity to create a hopeful future for themselves. Danie Vorster contributed R75 000 to the bursary fund of the Afrikaans Bursary Institute. As a result of these contributions, more than R4 million will be paid out in bursary loans under the auspices of Helping Hand as of next year. We hope to double this amount with the help of people who invest in the future of promising young people who are hampered by financial constraints.

For more information contact Dinah Theron on dinah@helpendehand.co.za or 012 644 4428 / 4390

Helping Hand needs donations

People in need

Family left homeless due to land claims

When land claims forced Martie* and her family to move away from the smallholdings where they lived, they were left homeless. To make matters worse, the new land owners will not allow the family to go back to collect their belongings. The family of four are currently living in a tiny shack in friends’ backyard. Martie’s husband lost his job recently when he suffered a back injury. Fortunately, he is able to put food on the table by making and selling furniture. However, the family are still faced with the challenge of finding adequate housing.
“Can somebody please donate three Wendy houses that we can use as a bedroom, living room and kitchen? We also urgently need a small fridge, a double bed and two single beds,” says Martie. The family currently have to make do with a borrowed bed.

The residents of an Afrikaans informal settlement need a water pump and a pipe that they can use to lay out a vegetable garden.

The Helping Hand branch in Hermanus urgently needs food supplies. An appeal is made to residents of the area to deliver nonperishable goods at Wippie en Snippie Kleuterskool, 2 Main Road, Sandbaai. People who want to get involved with the branch can contact Coreen Albertyn on (028) 316 1101 or 082 876 5777.

Two talented artists who live at a care facility for underprivileged old people in Pretoria are in need of oil paint, paint brushes and palettes. These supplies will help them to earn an income through their artwork.

Helping Hand’s donations office in Pretoria urgently needs the following goods:

Food

Baby formula and nappies

Sporting equipment

Toiletries

If you want to donate goods, contact the donations office on 012 644 4426.

Helping Hand says thank you

Farmer donates 4 t. vegetables

Joshua van der Walt, a farmer in the Brits area, donated four tons of vegetables to Helping Hand. The vegetables included sweet corn, green beans, cabbage and spinach. Helping Hand distributed the vegetables to 30 shelters in Pretoria. Mr. Van der Walt has pledged to donate vegetables to Helping Hand every month.

Donations to Helping Hand may be delivered between 08:00 and 16:30 to Helping Hand’s donation office in Centurion. Here Helping Hand determines where the various donations could be used best.

For more information on how to make s donation, send an e-mail to skenkings@solidarity.co.za or phone 012 644 4426.

If you want to make a donation to Solidarity Helping Hand, you may pay it into our bank account.

Please note that the Helping Hand bank details now are:

Bank: ABSA
Account number: 407 225 0017
Branch: Centurion
Branch code: 632005

Or phone our Call Centre on 0861-25-24-23


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