What We Do

We have over 80 school-going Special Stars (OVCs) on our programme. Each Special Star has their own individual sponsor who they can look to for moral and spiritual guidance and who offers love and support. We encourage relationships to grow through the various functions held. There is a monthly amount of R150 to cover school fees, uniform and stationery. Children in need are carefully identified for this programme and none are turned away- if we have no financial support at the time we trust God to provide.

Sponsor a Special Star

Our Special Stars are visited in their homes by fieldworkers who give love and support, identify and address issues, and help encourage them to unlock their potential. Reports from each visit are discussed at weekly meetings. Youth groups and various other programmes and initiatives are co-ordinated by the fieldworkers and project team. Currently our 2 Special Star fieldworkers are only part-time, but we hope to grow this crucial form of support.

Support These Visits

With youth unemployment amongst the highest in the world, our programmes cannot end when our Special Stars leave matric. We equip and empower our ‘Rising Stars’ through assisting with tertiary studies, training, skills development and linkages to jobs. One of our key courses is the Outstanding Customer Service Course run by khula.africa – over 20 of our Rising Stars have obtained jobs through this programme. Our Rising Stars are supported by the fieldworkers and all meet regularly to learn and grow from each other.

We run a Maths Club every Friday afternoon with our Grade R-12 Special Stars (orphans) with approximately 100 children. Maths averages in the schools nearby are below 30%! We are working with our children to improve these marks and build relationships with them at the same time. We have a number of helpers involved, including learners from schools in Durban. Advantage Learn sponsors a tablet support programme for our high-school children, as well as a part-time administrator. High school children meet every afternoon to work through online maths programmes. This has made a significant difference to their learning.

Talent development is key to unlocking our Special Stars’ potential and growing their self-confidence. We regularly have talent workshops in the holidays including drama, singing, art, poetry and dance. We have a dance team who have performed at many places, including the Playhouse and Moses Mabida Stadium, thanks to Jade and her team from City Celebration. We are growing our base of skilled individuals across various talents to link in with children who share their passions. Skills workshops are also run regularly to teach important life skills, as well as gender-based workshops due to the high prevalence of abuse, pregnancy and lack of male role models.

Two of our Maths Club girls have been awarded bursaries to Inanda Seminary, a girls’ private school, due to their maths results. The project is paying for the costs not covered by the bursary. We are looking for further sponsorship to be able to put forward other top achievers for bursaries.

Guardian support is crucial to the success of our community-based orphan support model. Abuse in the home often arises from the immense emotional stress that guardians face. We have a fieldworker focusing solely on the guardians, meeting them individually in their homes, getting them together in support groups and organising programmes, such as our Caregivers’ Course. Many of our guardians are unemployed, so we are growing the opportunities for them to be able to work through sewing and farming to earn an income.

Siyathuthuka Creche and Preschool is run by Lillian Mokoatle and has about 280 children attending. We have helped rebuild parts of the crèche, supplied 4 prefab classrooms and provided much needed educational equipment and supplies. Our involvement depends on the availability and skills of volunteers. We spend time with assisting teachers and helping with the children (from educational games, to occupational therapy to helping with the babies).

From a thriving sewing club led by Thembi, a talented lady who is wheel-chair bound (sewing everything from uniforms to backpacks to school library bags) to vegetable gardens helping sustain families, we are involved in community upliftment in a variety of ways. We also offer support in times of crises (eg when homes burn down which happens fairly regularly), weekly food supplies to orphan-headed households and support to the ill through visits and the provision of adult disposable nappies. Over the years since 2007 friendships have grown and the intangible aspect of the project is immense.