Your Impact Report 2017/18
Supporting children and communities devastated by disease and poverty...
...changing lives together
Changing thousands of lives... ...THANKS TO YOU
KYGN School
First Step Right School 1000 Hills Community Helpers
LETCEE Sangobeg Scholars HOLAH
Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT)
Your donations continue to help to relieve poverty, protect the health of children and their carers, and advance education and training in Africa.
Gogo Lunch Club
£ 80,000
Thanks to your support over the past 12 months, over £80,000 has been granted in charitable expenditure to a variety of partner organisations.
‘If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.’ This African proverb symbolises to us the amazing work that we can and are achieving by working together. None of GAGA’s work with partner organisations in South Africa and Tanzania would be possible without you. In this report you’ll find a selection of stories from some of the organisations we work with, showcasing just a handful of the lives that you have helped to change. We would like to thank our business supporters: Citadel Risk, Sangobeg and Big Red Recruitment. A special thanks also goes to those who have fundraised for us this year through: Rotary events, coffee mornings, sponsored challenges, marshalling at events, wine tasting, concerts, purchasing beadwork, gifts in lieu, quiz nights and more. Without all of us working together, we wouldn’t be able to support those like Nonhlanhla and Tutu...
Thank you.
58% of children cannot read fluently by the end of grade 4, in South Africa The average class size can be up to 60 pupils in rural South Africa. With just one teacher, this makes learning difficult
Nonhlanhla
FIRST STEP RIGHT SCHOOL (FSR)
Nonhlanhla comes from a large family of seven siblings. Her mum is unemployed, living in a one -roomed house and family life can be very unstable. In 2011, Nonhlanhla moved with two of her siblings to Ithembalihle, a foster care home. This provides a more secure environment with the opportunity to go to school.
Nonhlanhla started at First Step Right School in Grade 1 and is now in Grade 5. She achieves This year, your donations have excellent results despite the challenges she has helped more than faced. She works hard, focuses in class, and listens well. She is a caring young girl and looks out for the other Ithembalihle children who attend the school. She wants to give back to her community and she hopes one day to become an engineer.
150 children
access pre- and primary Nonhlanhla’s teacher Gael, says she is proud of Nonhlanhla and education at FSR, where class others who take their education seriously. sizes are kept small and a love of reading is encouraged. “Nonhlanhla hasn’t been defeated by FSR offer a varied education. In addition to the main curriculum, children in grades 4 and 5 are working on a photography project. This photo (bottom right) is one of Nonhlanhla’s.
her difficult beginning in the world... she works hard for a brighter future for her, her family and her community.”
Philani 1000 HILLS COMMUNITY HELPERS Philani first arrived at the 1000 Hills Centre after both his parents were tragically murdered in their home. He was severely malnourished, underweight and in very poor health. The staff at 1000 Hills Community Helpers cared for him, closely monitored him, put him on the correct food, registered him in their pre -school and sent him to their clinic for weekly check-ups. Within just a few weeks he was gaining a healthy amount of weight and absolutely fell in love with his teacher and class mates. Philani is still being supported and he is growing in to a healthy little boy. He is no longer ‘the baby’ of the class, but amongst the strongest. He absolutely loves his food and his favourite sport is football. Philani is staying with his neighbour who found him on the tragic day of his parent’s murder. He comes to school every day, where he gets two meals, and staff are able to keep an eye on him and support both him and his caregiver.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that Philani isn’t smiling.”
Nearly 2 in 3 children live below the poverty line in South Africa Over 1 in 5 children in South Africa live far from their nearest health facility Your donations over 12 months have helped more than
28,000
children & adults access clinic visits, support groups, community outreach, counselling & more, at 1000 Hills Community Helpers. This also included: Over...
Over...
1,500 1,100
CD4 count tests*
Rapid HIV tests
*CD4 counts show how well your immune system is doing; they are the cells which the HIV virus attacks. CD4 Count tests help to determine treatment.
Thokozile
HILLCREST AIDS CENTRE RESPITE UNIT
66 year-old Thokozile found out she was HIV positive eleven years ago. She still remembers the way her son broke down and cried when she told him. “Even though he was already a young man, he could not face losing me…” Thokozile is an exceptionally strong woman who has overcome many challenges in her life including caring for her epileptic daughter and suddenly losing her job as a domestic worker after being cast aside by the family that she had worked for, for over thirty years. Thokozile was recently admitted to the Respite Unit at Hillcrest AIDS Centre and is currently fighting another battle as a result of a large and painful wound on her lower right leg. The wound, which quickly turned gangrenous due to improper care, is now being cleaned and treated on a daily basis by the nursing team. She is still weak due to the infection from the wound, but she is determined and her only goal is to get better and return home to her family.
2 million children have been orphaned by HIV/ AIDS in South Africa South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic in the world with over 7 million people living with HIV In 2017 the Respite Unit admitted more than
220 patients Your donations contributed to the costs of one of the 24 beds in the Unit.
“The nurses have been very good to me. They are always gentle and take the time to sit and talk to me… ”
Fees are high and university education can be far beyond the reach of an average South African household
Tutu
SANGOBEG SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME
Former scholar Tutu wrote to say thank you… “I am one of the luckiest girls who had the opportunity to… study and become something in this world… I have always wanted to do something in the medical field because I enjoy working with people… I’ve always wanted to give back to my community… In 2011, I was introduced to GAGA. I got accepted at the University of KZN to study Physiotherapy. This is a 4 year course… costing a lot of money…
With thanks to your donations and funding from Sangobeg, this year the Sangobeg Scholarship Programme has contributed to the costs of fees, accommodation, transport, books, groceries and more for
10 students
After 4 years of hard work, I am now a qualified Physiotherapist. Something I have always wished for but back then didn’t seem possible due to certain circumstances but because of the support received from GAGA, it was possible. My student life was made stress free. The only thing I had to do was face my books and study hard… I am now employed by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health as a Junior Physiotherapist working at a Tertiary Hospital in Durban. I am still hoping to… become a doctor, some day. …[You have] given me a weapon that no one will ever take away from me and that is my education.”
“There are no words that could express how thankful I am.”
And others...
THE MANY OTHERS YOU’VE SUPPORTED
Baby L
Bandile
Farida
Iris
Rose
We continue to support HOLAH who help abandoned and orphaned babies, like Baby L who received love and care at HOLAH this year.
We continue to keep in touch with Spirit of Africa and Ithembalihle, which provides a place of safety for children like Bandile . We donated clothing and blankets and your donations helped to pay for a Christmas party for the children.
In late 2018 KYGN School will have a new tilapia fish pond, thanks to you. This will help raise funds for the school, so that children like Farida can access quality education.
We facilitated donations to LETCEE and continue to be inspired by their impact in rural areas, and by women like Iris who are creating caring environments for children.
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Coming up in 2018: How the fish ponds impact KYGN School.
Coming up in 2018: Friendship Bench updates.
Your donations help to put on a weekly lunch club which gives ladies like Rose food and support. Many gogos (grandmothers) face the pressures of poverty whilst also caring for young grandchildren. A good lunch and a chance to chat can help greatly.
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Coming up in 2018: HOLAH are fundraising to purchase their own property. Get in touch to find out more.
Here at GAGA, we aim be a partner, to be a mentor and to be a friend. Thank you for being a friend to Rose, to Thokozile, to Philani and to many more in similar situations.
Registered Charity Number: 1092028 Where required, names have been changed for confidentiality throughout this report.
Together we can change lives GAGA UK, 50 Cygnet Court, Timothy’s Bridge Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 9NW
How else can I support you?
www.gaga-uk.org info@gaga-uk.org 01789 414088
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@GAGA_UK
You’re already a life changer, but if you’d like to be more involved, here are a few ideas how:
If you feel able to do so, please increase your regular donation. An additional £2 a month could...
Help 2 new mums access medical care and emotional support, as well as advice on caring for their babies If you’d like more information about regular donations and how they help, please get in touch.
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Take part in a sponsored event or raise money for GAGA.
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Your last gift could be the most lasting. Have you thought about leaving us a legacy? If you are making or revising a will, a small proportion of an estate can make a huge difference to our work. Speak to your solicitor about adding a gift to charity in your will.