Archive for the ‘Companies’ Category

New books and visitors for Blomvlei Library

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Sabelo from Andulela Tours visited Blomvlei Library last week with a group of visitors from the UK. The group meet with the school headmistress, Dawn Petersen, who explained to the guests some of the problems which the children face growing up in Hanover Park and that keeping them away from drugs and gangs is an on-going headache for the parents and the teachers. She said that the library has already changed the lives of the children at the school and that the library periods were a highlight of their week, the children love reading new books and each week they give book reviews to their classmates about the books they have read.

We were all amazed to realise how lovely and cool it was inside the library although temperatures outside were in the mid 30c, this is thanks to the eco design of the library which is naturally cool in the summer months with windows strategically placed to allow the cool southeaster wind to blow through the library and then in winter the much larger north facing windows allow for maximum sunlight ensuring no high electricity accounts for heating or cooling inside the library.

After the visit to the wonderful library the guests visited various classrooms where they meet the children and read to them introducing the children to the new books which they had brought with them and had donated to the library.

The purpose of the library was to create a place of safety, inspiration and education for the learners and it seems that it is already a great success. We would like to see more of our Friends of the TCD Trust visiting our projects in 2012. It is wonderful to come out and meet the people and experience for yourself the great work the TCD Trust has done with your support.

Let’s hope that 2012 will be best year ahead for the TCD Trust and hopefully many more members of the tourism and hospitality industry will join us as Friends of the Trust and our longstanding friends will continue to support us. The TCD Trust is providing real, meaningful and long lasting change to desperate communities around us, it is wonderful to be a part of it and it’s going to be great for your business too in 2012, so join us now and enjoy the rewards of being a Friend of the TCD Trust for you and your business.

Posted in Blomvlei Multi-Purpose Centre, Companies, Friends of the Trust, Individuals, News, Projects | No Comments »

My experience as an intern at TCD Trust

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Baphumelele Children’s Home RGG Creche

Dear TCD Trust,

My name is Carlijn Smeets, I have been an intern at TCD Trust since October. I worked very close with Bronwen Wetton, the manager of TCD Trust. My tasks at TCD Trust were; writing blogs, sending newsletters, updating the Facebook page, updating the website and arrange meetings with companies from the tourism industry to inform them about TCD Trust and try to attract them to cooperate with us. I have also been involved with several projects which are supported by TCD Trust.

During my first weeks in Cape Town, I have mainly experienced Cape Town as; beautiful beaches, stunning landscape and friendly people. However, after a while I noticed the other side of this mysteries city , and it was shocking for me; there are still a lot of people who are left behind. Besides my internship at Ashanti Lodge (a backpackers hotel), I also decided to do something more then only work in the tourism industry. My boss, Lisa Kröhn, gave me the opportunity to work two days a week for TCD Trust. During my first week with Bronwen, she showed me the RGG crèche and the Library at the Blomvlei Primary School; the two latest projects of the TCD Trust. I knew what I could expect, but to see the conditions of the different townships was still shocking for me. But by speaking to the people from the communities, I have really created respect for them. Most of them are trying to improve the situation where they live in, especially for the children. But these communities have nothing and depend on the support from others. I have visited the projects for several times and I always tried to make good contact with the children and the people who are involved with every project. During my whole internship I learned a lot from Bronwen; how she deals with problems and the daily activities. She presents TCD Trust very good and is always correct in the way she communicates with the people around her, even when she gets a bit disappointed. But most of all I learned from her that you must not give up if something does not work out well, but always try to be motivated and make the best of every situation. Every step we make is one step forward!

I am very glad that I have seen everything in Cape Town, the sunny side and the sad side. Some people may shut their eyes down and don’t want to see this other side of South-Africa, but these communities really need support! The TCD Trust is really doing a great job and I hope that there will be more people who will notice the demand for the communities who have been left behind during the ‘apartheid’.

I would like to thank Bronwen for everything that she has done for me and for giving me this wonderful experience.

Kind regards,

Carlijn

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Christmas Braai at Baphumelele Children’s Home

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Since 2006, the TCD Trust sponsors a braai on Christmas day for all the children at Buphumelele Children’s Home in Khayalitcha. To get these children all together with this special braai, it will give the children a real Christmas feeling! This year, Charmaine Beukes from White Shark Projects joined the braai and helped the teachers to give these children a lovely day. Below you find her experience of this day and some nice pictures.

‘Christmas Cheer at Baphumelele Children’s Home’

While people all over the world celebrate Christmas for different reasons and in various ways, the main theme behind this day is families being together, a bit of extravagance (sometimes more) and a sense of enjoyment of the year that passed. At Baphumelele Children’s Home the anticipation was exactly the same! And some miracle workers made it possible for the 65 children that were spending their holidays here to have exactly that! All dressed up and almost squeaky clean, the anticipation in the air was feverish as the smell of the braai filled our nostrils! Promise was in the air! The girls were singing and dancing, expressing their excitement and joy, the boys were helping with the fire, and the little ones, for them time was just passing too slowly!

Dedicated helpers dished up plate upon plate of delicious food, with more than enough for second helpings! Then more treats followed, cup cakes, ice cream and even a present for each child. One little boy remarked that he is so happy he could just fall asleep another said he doesn’t think he’d ever be able to eat again!

Sometimes in life it is hard to make a difference, but sometimes we probably don’t realise how big a difference the little contribution we make can go. Some of us, like Mama Rosie, (I forgot the name of that lovely social worker now) and their team of volunteers dedicated their Christmas to these children, their reward the happy, contended faces of the children. Others make days and moments like these possible with their contributions. Like the saying goes, it takes all kinds of people to make the world a happier place.

Thank you Charmaine Beukes, for spending your Christmas day with these children!

Posted in Baphumelele Educare Centre, Companies, Friends of the Trust, Individuals, News, Projects | No Comments »

Visit to the RGG Creche

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

This morning we visited the RGG Creche in Philippi to see how far the builders of Center Core were with the Wendy House. They started last week with the construction. We were very surprised when we arrived, because the builders were already busy with the roof of the new Wendy House. If everything goes well and the weather will be on our side for the next days, the Wendy House will be finished by the end of the week!

At the crèche we had a meeting with Tinesh about the possibilities of placing a little bathroom in the Wendy House. We would like to have one toilet for the boys and one for the girls. We discussed some things and hopefully the bathroom will be there before the end of the year! It was a very meaningful meeting.

We spoke with the teachers of the crèche and some of the children, everyone is so happy with the building and wish it was there house. The whole community is very proud!

A very big thank you for the Center Core, the Wendy House looks already awesome!!

Posted in Companies, Individuals, News, Projects, Red Green and Gold Creche | No Comments »

Blomvlei Primary School Thanksgiving Service

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Blomvlei Primary School in Hanover Park held a thanksgiving service at a church close to the school. As the Southeaster wind howled outside, the school celebrated and gave thanks with dance, music and words of grattitude. The TCD Trust was also present at this special service. Enver Mally, one of the four trustees of TCD Trust, was one of the guest speakers. He said some nice words about the school and he officially handed over the two laptop computers which had been donated to Blomvlei Library from Increadible Connection. In the picture below you see Enver Mally in the middle, with remarkable Headmistress, Dawn Petersen and Deputy Principal Yvonne Adonis.

We salute you Blomvlei Primary School, teachers, learners, parents, you make us humble that you have achieved so much in the past 40 years under such hard and difficult circumstances in your community. May you go forward and continue to be the shining light that you are for the community of Hanover Park.

A special message from Blomvlei Primary School during the service:

”Life is a continuous journey. It is given to us in stages. Do not look back and grieve about the past, for it is gone forever. Do not be troubled by the future, as God will provide. Live in the present and make it beautiful, that it will be worth remembering.”