On Wednesday morning 02 November I meet with Claus and Christine from City Sightseeing Cape Town outside the aquarium at the V & A Waterfront. As the City Sightseeing buses pulled off to show visitors all the sights of Cape Town we took off in the opposite direction to visit the TCD Trust projects in various disadvantaged areas of Cape Town. City Sightseeing Cape Town is one of our longest standing Friends of the Trust who have continued generously to support the work the TCD Trust does throughout the years. It was a great pleasure and honour to meet Peter and Jill Newman from the UK, Peter is the founder of City Sightseeing franchise.

Our first stop was at Baphumelele in Khayalitcha where we visited abandoned babies who are cared for at the center.Claus was amazed to see how bright and beautiful the nursery is for these children, colourful paintings on the walls of Elephants and animals and each cot equipped with clean and warm blankets. We also visited one of the house mothers who look after a small home which accommodates eight children of different ages. A delicious and warm meal was being prepared in the kitchen by the house mother and a volunteer from Canada read a story to some of the children in their lounge area.A much more noisy greeting meet our visitors at the Educare across the road, screams of delight and laughter rang out from the children who were enjoying a mid-morning snack. The Educare cares for approximately 300 children; this includes children from Baphumelele orphanage as well as children who come from the local community. The TCD Trust continues to support Baphumelele with maintaining the Educare building which was completely renovated by the TCD Trust in 2005.

Rosie’s Soup Kitchen was our second stop on our visit. We received a warm greeting from Rosie who for the past 20 years has provided a bowl of porridge to 200 children on their way to school in the morning. Rosie told us that the children preferred a slice of bread and jam or peanut butter but she knows they need the porridge to keep them strong and healthy. She tells them they can have a slice of bread and jam but they must first eat their porridge. She is a real angel on this earth. Our City Sightseeing guests visited the fully equipped and fitted kitchen which was built for Rosie by the TCD Trust in 2006.

Our final stop was at the new and magnificent library on the grounds of Blomvlei Primary School in Hanover Park. The Headmistress, Dawn Petersen, welcomed our guests with great pride and showed them around the library. Dawn explained that there had been another gang shoot out in the area and an innocent woman bystander was shot and killed. The woman’s body was in full vision on a field across the road from the school, many of the children saw what had happened, and although it was nothing new to them, the level of violence and fighting in the classrooms had escalated dramatically with Dawn having to take two girls from the classroom to hospital. We explained to our visitors how our dream for the library was to give the children a place of safety, learning and inspiration and provide them with the necessary life skills to go beyond their immediate circumstances and find options in life away from drugs and gangs.

Once again we thank City Sightseeing Cape Town from the bottom of our hearts, without your support these projects could not be done or supported by the TCD Trust. You are helping us to bring real, meaningful and long term change to people’s lives, Thank you.

June 21st, a glowing sunny and warm day for an outing…

Come Wednesday June 22, and the rain and cold gusts that seem to have taken the woes of the world were our wake-up alarm for the dawn of a new day. Not a great day for an outing sure but an outing to some of our projects it was – and a fabulous experience for all!

The outing had been organised to enable our Friends of the TCD Trust to visit the projects they has so generously contributed to and meet the amazing people we work with in the disadvantaged areas of our community.

At 10:30, we were all present at Ashanti Lodge, geared up for the weather and keyed up on the idea of visiting our projects. Our first stop was Khayelitcha where we met Rosie Mashale, the fabulous woman behind the Baphumelele Educare Centre where they met and played with some children, followed by a visit to the Baphumelele Respite Centre.

After Baphumelele, we visited charming Rosie in her Soup kitchen in Macassar, where the lingering scent of superb and healthy food truly made us hungry. Always smiling and welcoming, Rosie however shared with us her distress at being unable to cater for as much children and TB patients as she would have liked due to lack of subsidies.

While we were in her kitchen, we even witnessed some people from the community coming and asking if she has any soup left, and her sadness at having to turn them down since the soup was all finished.

Our last stop was Blomvlei Primary School in Hanover Park and the new library the TCD Trust recently opened there. After a brief chat with Dawn Pettersen, school headmistress, our Friends of the Trust had a look at the library and chatted a little bit with pupils.

Too soon, it was time to return to Ashanti Lodge, to the great disappointment of our visitors who all agreed that it was an awesome experience, an incredible eye-opener.

“The kids were so sweet!”

“ I wanted to stay there the whole day!”

“It was a heart-warming experience and I would love to do it again!” were some of our Friends’ comments on the way back.

Indeed, it is truly a heart-warming experience to be with these people. Their sense of dedication and ability to make the most of the little resources they have is undeniably inspiring.

A very big thank you to everyone who was present that day despite the weather! Thank you for your support and it was a real pleasure to meet you all!

The story Mariette was talking about was the Tourism Community Development Trust !
Mariette explained to listeners how the TCD Trust had put action behind their good intentions and teamed up unifying the efforts of players in the tourism industry to bring real and meaningful benefits back to the community at large.

Mariette discussed some of the increadible success stories already achieved through the Trust with the support of our “friends of the Trust”. She also mentioned Blomvlei project and the increadble news that we beging building in January 2010 with this ambitious and wonderous project.

“Creating a variety of secure, sheltered, meaningful and inspirational spaces.”

What is our call to action ?
1. SECURE SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO MAKE THE DREAM COME TRUE.
2. ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY TO JOIN AS FRIENDS OF THE TRUST AND SUPPORT THE GOOD WORK WE DO.
3. GET THE COMMUNITY, PARENTS AND CHILDREN INVOLVED.
4. FINDING PARTNERS AND RESOURCES TO ESTABLISH AN EXTRA MURAL CURRICULUM.

A very BIG THANK YOU, once again, from all the Trustees to David Dickson from the UK. David has given another generous donation to the projects supported by the TCD Trust of 5 000 British Pounds, approximately R70 000.00 !

David was in South Africa to cycle in the Argus Cycle Tour ; he has come out on six tours in the last ten years with Di Thomas from Daytrippers. After braving the south easter wind and managing to complete the cycle tour, in one of the most grueling conditions in years, David asked Di if it would be possible to visit some the projects supported by the TCD Trust in Khayelitsha, which he has previously seen and generously donated to in the past.

Our first stop was to Bromvlei Primary School in Hanover Park on the Cape Flats to show David our plans for the new multi-purpose centre to be built at the school. We received a warm and enthusiastic greeting from the school’s headmistress, Dawn Petersen, and we were given a tour of the school and the site for the centre.

After our stop at Bloemvlei Primary School we visited Khayelitsha to see the work that the TCD Trust has done at Baphumelele Educentre and the recently opened Respiste Centre for HIV infected children. David said he was impressed to see how far the center has developed since he visited it two years ago with Di.

The money which David has donated will go towards Blomvlei Primary School multi-purpose centre as well as Baphumele Educare and Respite Center – Thank you David !

With the help of people, such as David, we can once again bring the benefits of tourism to grassroots in South Africa.

I would like to introduce myself to the Friends of the Trust, some of you may already know me as I have been involved in the tourism industry for many years. I was born in Zimbabwe and grew up with a genuine love and passion for Africa which has never left me. I have, as a tour operator, travelled Southern Africa extensively. For the past four years I have worked on a part time basis with a social upliftment project in the townships in Cape Town which has given me great joy and a deep respect for these communities. The project also involved the tourism indusrty and I saw how the project changed many people’s lives from living in a shack to owning a home of their own.

I look forward to working together with the Trustees and the Friends of the Trust to continue the good work which has already been achieved by the TCD Trust and to see the reality of the dream for the new multi purpose centre at Blomvlei Primary School in Hanover Park.

I recently visited Blomvlei Primary School for the first time and met with the head mistress, Dawn Petersen. She proudly showed me around the school and the new sports flieds which were being laid, the first step towards the bigger picture of creating an enviroment for these children that they can be proud of and play in a safe area. We were there on a scorching hot day and the children were having their school assembly out in the school courtyard, Dawn said she could not wait for the day when they will have the centre open and the children won’t have to sit outside.

I hope to meet with many of you as soon as possible and look forward to working together.

Bronwen has been in the tourism industry for over 20 years and has, for the past four years, successfully coordinated projects involving the tourism industry and raising funds to build houses for shack dwellers living in the townships of the Western Cape.

With her passion for the upliftment of grassroute projects in South Africa and a vast knowldge and understanding of the tourism industry, Bronwen will continue to expand our Friends of the Trust and work with our various projects which the Trust supports.

The multi-purpose centre at Blomvlei Primary School in Hanover Park will be the focus of fund raising efforts and ensuring that the project continues to become a reality for this community.

We welcome Bronwen onboard and look forward to working together.

The minister for Finance, Ms Lynn Brown also addressed the gathering, as did the deputy Mayor Ms Chantelle Williams. The Mayor herself, Helen Zille, was not able to make the opening celebrations, but she hosted a private gathering in the mayor’s dining room for the Woodberry Woodpeckers and Trustees of the TCD Trust, where she personally and very eloquently thanked our generous guests for their heartfelt input into our most needy communities.

We also say A VERY BIG THANK YOU to them and to all Friends of the Trust for your continued support.

Watch this space for news on our next big project to be announced soon!

In the sprawling township of Khayelitsha, Rosie Mashale, founder of the Baphumelele Centre in 2001, has taken in 64 children who have been orphaned by the epidemic. Some of these children are HIV-positive and require constant care. Many women from the community help Rosie care for her children. (Source: www.sadevelopmentfund.org).

According to the manager of the Baphumelele Children’s Home, Jeff Brovet, the number of orphans has risen to 97 today.

In 2005 she was named as one of the finalists of the ‘Woman of Worth’ Awards in Cape Town

Last year in August when a small group of the Woodberry Woodpeckers visited Rosie, she said to them that it was her dream to have a respite center as part of the Baphumelele Children’s Home as she saw the need for shelter for kids and young adults affected with HIV/Aids and other related diseases, that has been rejected by their families and communities.

The Woodpeckers immediately launched a massive fundraising campaign on their return to Ireland. The first deposit to the Tourism Community Development Trust was made in November 2006.In total they have deposited R970 000 and has also donated 10 pallets of toys, clothing and school items to Baphumelele.The shipment will be delivered in Khayelitsha on Monday, 05 March.

What they have done with their money

• Constructed the double storey respite center (completed)
• Funded an ambulance for the center (in progress)
• Funded 15 hospital beds, lockersand cubicles (in progress)
• Funded all other furniture, kitchen and appliances (in progress)
• Funded Rosie’s ‘wish list’ of items that is always just out of reach for them (in progress)
• All the finishing to the interior and exterior will be funded by them (in progress)

What they will find when they get there:

• A complete new respite center of which the occupation will increase as the month progresses
• They are waiting for all the hospital beds and curved curtain rails to be installed.There will be 6-7 hospital beds but no cubicles as yet. That will be installed on the 9th of March.
• As you read, they are purchasing and furnishing the building with appliances
• No curtains in front of the windows as this is part of the job function of the Woodpeckers
• No built in Cupboards as this is part of the job function of the Woodpeckers
• No paving as this is part of the job function of the Woodpeckers
• No burglar bars in front of the windows as this is part of the job function of the Woodpeckers
• Bathrooms are tiled but need the finishing touches
• It is Rosie’s wish to have the boundary wall painted. If weather permits, this is part of the job function of the Woodpeckers

The Woodberry Woodpeckers will work hard over the weekend to be finished in time of the opening on Monday, 05 March which will be attended by

• Rosie and her team of care takers
• The Irish Ambassador to SA, Mr. Colin Wrafter
• The Executive Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, Ms Charlotte Williams
• The CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Sheryl Ozinsky
• The Woodberry Woodpeckers from Ireland
• Trustees of the TCD Trust
• Fairfield Tours (the tour operator)

We are all very proud and honoured to be part of this project which was funded by the Woodberry Woodpeckers, facilitated by Amabokoboko Sport (member of the Fairfield Group) and the Tourism Community Development Trust (TCD Trust).

IRISH AMBASSADOR TO OPEN BRAND NEW RESPITE CARE CENTRE

The official opening of the Respite Care Centre in Khayelitsha will take place on Monday 05 March at 15h00. We invite all Friends Of The Trust and interested parties to attend and share this exciting moment with us.
Refreshments will be served.
Please e-mail info@tcdtrust.org.za by LATEST Tuesday 01 March to confirm your attendance. We will send you directions via return mail.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Dear Di,

Thank you again and for everything you have done for us at Baphumelele all these years.

You have taken care for the creche,help to build the Respite Care and for always helping with buying the food for all the children at Christmas. It has been more than three years now. We all at Baphumelele highly appreciate, and hope that our relationship with you and your company will last longer.

We would like to invite you, Tessa and Johan to come and see the building before we could open it official, it must be between now in January and February so that we can make plans.

Dear Di, I don’t know what to say but really thank you again and again.

Thank you,
Rosie Mashale

We are very proud of all of your hard work too Rosie – Thank You!

Andre & the TCD Trust trustees