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HILLCREST FEVER
NEWS
February 6, 2018
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The Sukumani Beading Ladies (back row) made miniature beaded hockey players for the touring hockey sides at Thomas More College.
Claudia Krumhof and Andrea Long with one of the orphaned boys at a crèche in KwaNusywa that the foundation supports.
Lending a helping hand NOSIPHO MKHIZE >>nosipho.mkhize@media24.com
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OOTPRINT Foundation is an NGO consisting of a group of friends involved in mountain biking. The foundation started fundraising for upgrades to various crèches, which were: Entokozweni in Molweni, Sthandokuhle in KwaNgcolosi and Phindevuye in Marianhill. Footprint Foundation spokesperson Andrea Long said: “Over the years, we have added other crèches. We continue to help and support these crèches. We also work in KwaNyuswa, Umgeni River Valley, Embo and Shongweni Dam. We have been delivering 500 kgs of Future Life porridge to
these crèches to ensure the children receive at least one nutritious meal per day.” The foundation has had a number of achievements among its projects. One of them was the Entokozweni Crèche, where they raised funds by selling lumo socks to people. “We bought cooking items, nappies, wet wipes, toiletries, cooking utensils, a gas cooker, towels, face clothes, toys, an educational puzzle carpet, stationary, pigeon holes, etc. We supplied them with a constant number of items and we raised money to take the children on an outing to the Duck and Deck and raised funds to give them a Christmas party and presents.” The foundation, in partnership
with Clever Fox, built a library for the Sakhile Learning and Resource Centre. “We also offer homework facilities for school children in the area, as well as night classes for adults. We also run a crèche from there. We have installed a fully fitted and operational library with over 500 books. There are fiction books for fun stories, as well as Zulu story books for the little ones.” Sukumani Beading and Crafting women are trained, marketed and assisted to set up their self-sufficient business. “We have assisted the Yenzanathi NGO in KwaNyuswa with a soup kitchen, a vegetable planting scheme, crèche, the sponsorship of education for two orphaned girls, have provided
for gogos and orphaned children in their community, assisted with proposals and references for applications of funds, donated Future Life porridge, Christmas gifts for around 100120 children yearly and Subz panties and pads for teenage girls. “We have also assisted with the upgrade of the classrooms at Phindevuye Community Project. “We financed and fitted the bathroom and wash area there. We have furnished, fitted and supplied many items needed to start the crèche. The jungle gym was donated and the roofing between the two containers to give shade to the children has also been completed. We donated school track suits and T-shirts to pupils and sup-
plied food, clothing, nappies, etc. for the children.” The highlight of the year for the foundation is organising Christmas parties and presents for close to 500 children. Thomas More College donates over 300 love boxes every Christmas and supports the foundation with other donations. “Our objective is to help any person in need if we can. We believe in helping those who try to help themselves. If they are unable, we will help them or teach them the skills necessary to achieve this goal. We believe in education being the most important form of empowerment and we have a few children who we assist financially to attend school.”