Demand for training bigger than expected

Helping Hand made history when Danville mothers begun their training as day mothers at a community centre in the west of Pretoria on 17 February. The enormous demand for training was evident when 49 mothers showed up for the training instead of the expected 20.

Children need more than full tummies to ensure their school readiness. Therefore, Helping Hand has undertaken to give more than food to children through the national School Case Project which reaches out to underprivileged Afrikaans toddlers.

Helping Hand entered into a partnership with the Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans to present their day mother’s programme to young women and mothers. On completion of the 30-week programme, a mother will not only be able to prepare her child for schooling, but will also be able to set up her own day mother’s centre. The programme will therefore have a positive ripple effect through the community. 

As a result of the contributions that Helping Hand members made to the Lunchbox Project in 2009, 20 mothers can undergo training this year. More than double the expected number of mothers showed up on the first day. Some of them had walked for kilometres with their children to begin the training. I was deeply moved by the large number of babies and toddlers who were there – after all, they are the ones who are supposed to benefit directly from the training. 

Surrounded by underprivileged mothers who were standing with children in their arms to register for the course, two things struck me: First, not all poor people are lazy and unwilling to work. Many of them want to work and are prepared to make big sacrifices – they simply do not have the opportunity or the necessary guidance to get up out of their circumstances. Second, these mothers look for more than food and clothes – they want to be treated with dignity and they need someone who believes in their potential. I am pleased that they are allowing Helping Hand to make a difference in their lives, which is made possible by the generosity of every Helping Hand supporter. 

Dr Danie Langner
Executive Director
Solidarity Helping Hand
(t) 012 644 4390
(f) 012 664 1295
danie@helpendehand.co.za

 

 

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.

 

Solidarity Helping Hand calls on Zuma to stop discrimination against poor whites

President Jacob Zuma announced during his State of the Nation Address on Thursday evening that the poor will be protected against rising electricity tariffs. However, according to Dr Danie Langner, Executive Director of Solidarity Helping Hand, this relief is not available to poor whites in Pretoria. There is blatant discrimination, as the electricity bills of institutions like Zanempilo Home Based Care in Atteridgeville and the Meadowlands Home for the Aged are partially and fully subsidised, respectively. But promises made to residents of a care facility for the elderly in Hermanstad and an informal settlement in Pretoria West have remained empty.

Read more »

Solidarity Helping Hand calls for reinstatement of CPU after 8-year-old girl’s ordeal at police station 

Solidarity Helping Hand is calling for the reinstatement of the Child Protection Unit (CPU), following yet another incident in which the South African Police Service (SAPS) disregarded a child’s basic rights during the lodging of a complaint. This call comes after recent reports about the ordeal an eight-year-old girl suffered when she wanted to lodge a complaint of sexual molestation at a police station.

Read more »

Do you want to advertise a product or service?

Helping Hand’s website receives thousands of visitors every month. In order to provide a better service to the community, a Mutual Support link was created on the website. Helping Hand invites individuals or businesses to advertise their ideas, products or services on the website under the Mutual Support link. If you are already a Helping Hand supporter, you can advertise your service or idea for free. If not, you can advertise your product or service at R50 per month. Register now and become a part of Helping Hand’s effective support network.

Send your particulars to diens@helpendhand.co.za to have your business registered.

 

Helping Hand presents Feel-good Week in conjunction with Finesse

The first national Feel-good Week will be presented this year in conjunction with Finesse magazine from 1 – 7 March 2010.

The highlight of the Feel-good Week will be the Feel-good Expo at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria on 6 March. Well-known personalities like Hannon Bothma (the Glam Guru), Natasha Sutherland, Dawie Roodt, Kobus Neethling and Susan Coetzer will present seven free workshops at the expo. Fantastic prizes like Hannon products and books by the workshop presenters will be up for grabs at the workshops. Tickets are available at www.voelgoedweek.co.za or at Computicket.

A portion of the expo’s income will be donated to Helping Hand.

 

 

 

Six new Helping Hand branches established

Anyone who has a heart for people in need and who wants to lend a helping hand can make a difference in a community. Helping Hand branches are made up of such people, who create hope for the needy in practical ways. These branches help their communities to break down social, spiritual and cultural poverty.

Contact numbers:
Richards Bay: Johan Smith – 082 774 6233
Pinetown: Marius du Toit – 031 702 6457
Pietermaritzburg: Martina Roux – 082 662 9019
Kempton Park: Ella Pieterse – 082 406 3655
Bloemfontein: Vanessa Marais – 082 821 1529
Centurion: Anton Smit – 082 856 3704

Join Helping Hand and start making a difference today

West Rand/Roodepoort branch hands out last of Helping Hand’s school cases at Losberg Primary School in Fochville

Last school cases handed out

Helping Hand’s regional office in Cape Town thanks Time Freight couriers for transporting school cases to the Eastern and Southern Cape at no charge. The school cases reached all the branches quickly and without a scratch.

On the photo: Behind (left): Ferdinand Brand (senior supervisor), right: Suzette van Niekerk (personal assistant to the director).

Front (left): Freddie van de Bank (general manager, right: Amit Devir (director)

 

New Helping Hand branch in Bloemfontein plans upliftment projects for Yadè and Gruis Street

Kobus de Lange’s story

Kobus de Lange* stay in Gruis Street in one of four houses which accommodates 93 people. He lived in eight children’s homes up to the age of 16. A member of the Pretoria community offered him a job as a helper for a motor mechanic and he gained nine years’ experience. However, his meagre salary was never adjusted in those nine years. His former employer also did not give him a certificate or written testimonial. Kobus is hard-working, but his lack of qualifications has prevented him from finding a full-time job. He now lives in Gruis Straat and walks ten kilometres a day to do piecework at R100 a day.

Get involved with the plight of the poor in Bloemfontain. Call Vanessa on 082 821 1529.

A resident of Yadè, Jannie de Beer* (66), makes and sells placemats at R2,50 each to earn an income.

*Pseudonym

 

 

 

 

Helping Hand’s Roodepoort branch accompanies news agency on visit to white informal settlements

The chairman of Helping Hand Roodepoort, Louwretta Jacobs, recently accompanied the international news agency Reuters on a visit to white informal settlements in the Roodepoort/Krugersdorp area.

Watch the video

 

Solidarity Helping Hand launches professional career guidance service

Helping Hand participates actively in the education of our children through the Afrikaans Career Guidance Institute that was launched in January 2010. The Afrikaans Career Guidance Institute kicks off by offering Helping Hand supporters the opportunity to make use of its professional services. Career guidance enables children to explore career options by getting to know their personalities, interests, abilities and calling. Children who receive career guidance can make informed decisions and create a hopeful future for themselves.
The career guidance offer includes the following:

• An aptitude test, IQ test, personality assessment, evaluation of interests and evaluation of self-concept (which take about three hours)
• A feedback session with the child and one or both parents (which takes about an  hour)
• A report that is given to the child

Workshops on career guidance, subject selection and/or study methods are also presented to groups of 15 or more. The testing, feedback and report are handled by a professional who has 30 years’ experience in career guidance. The tariff is R1 250 per child. Members of Solidarity Helping Hand qualify for a 16% discount. A tariff for workshops will be negotiated with interested persons.

Children’s Strand camps create opportunity for youth development

Children’s Strand camps are one of Helping Hand’s projects that give children the opportunity to get to know themselves through character development and the development of life skills. Each camp spans a week and is held at the Children’s Strand grounds in Glenmore. The camps broaden children’s horizons by giving them a positive learning experience and showing them that there is a bigger world out there. 

Accommodation and catering

• R165 p.p.p.d, which includes accommodation and three full meals. A minimum of 60 people per booking

The following dates in 2010 are available for youth groups, schools, churches or holidaymakers who would like to camp at the Children’s Strand in Glenmore:

• 27 March - 2 April, 3 - 10 April, 19 - 25 June, 26 June - 3 July, 4 - 10 July, 24 September - 3 October and 21 - 31 December

For more information contact Karin Venter on 012 644 4390 or karin@helpendehand.coza.

Helping Hand calls on public for assistance

• Nicki Nel’s (22) six-month-old son John Claud has a brain tumour. He will be operated on at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria West next week. 
  Nicki calls on the public to provide medicine, nappies, formula and toys for little John Claud. She says that baby clothes do not fit over his swollen head. “I would appreciate donations of clothes that have buttons that we do not have to pull over his head,” says Nicki. To make donations, contact Surika on 012 644 4390.
• A grandmother urgently needs milk and nappies for her two grandchildren whose mother has disappeared without a trace. She also needs a stacking bed for her grandchildren, as there is limited space in her two-bedroom flat. To make donations, contact Surika on 012 644 4390.

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

• Food
• Formula and nappies
• Sporting equipment
• Toiletries

If you would like to donate supplies, call the donations office on 012 644 4426.
Join Helping Hand and start making a difference today

Helpende Hand says thank you

ATKV Ladies of Krugersdorp make donation to Lunchbox Project

Louwretta Jacobs, chair of Helping Hand West Rand/Roodepoort, and Lindie Strydom attended a Valentine’s function of the ATKV Ladies of Krugersdorp on Saturday, 13 February. The ladies discussed the theme of Faith, Hope and Love and how you can demonstrate love to the community.

A cheque was presented to Helping Hand for the national Lunchbox Project. Thank you to the organiser, Alta Prinsloo, for this gift of love!

From left: Este Pienaar (guest artist), Alta Prinsloo (organiser) and
Lindie Strydom (PRO of Helping Hand)

PWS keeps on giving

The company that supplied the stationery for the School Case Project, PWS, just keeps on giving. After the very successful School Case Project, PWS donated a further 10 tons of stationery to Helping Hand. This stationery will be used during the training of day mothers and will also be handed out to the Grade 2 to 7 pupils of a few schools. Thank you PWS!

Angel gives hope to the needy

Helping Hand has an angel called Isabel Potgieter in Hermanstad, Pretoria. Isabel drives her dilapidated bakkie from Hermanstad to the Midstream Spar to collect food for the needy. Isabel, a pensioner, rides with her two disabled grandsons, Herman and Philip, at own expense to collect and deliver supplies up to three times a week. A generous member of the community recently raised funds in order to donate clothes to Herman and Philip to thank them for the wonderful work they do.

 

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