Matla A Bana is an NGO assisting police officers, doctors and social workers to deal with child abuse victims who report crimes against them. This NGO works mainly in Gauteng and the Western Cape and reach more than 5000 children a year. This NGO was found by ex-hostage, Monique Strydom, after the severe rapes of Babies Leratho and Tsepang in 2002. This NGO recently opened a child-friendly reporting facility at the Cape Town Child Protection Unit, to be ready for the Soccer World Cup. Jos did not only raise funds for this South African charity, but managed to secure donations of school uniforms and support for an orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania - whilst he was cycling! By the last week of his journey he was R10 000 short of his target. Sesego Cares, the charity leg of Absa, heard about this and came to his rescue and donated the shortfall. During the hand over of the cheques, the manager of the Table Bay Hotel, Shaun Tregoning , gave Jos an accommodation voucher to the value of R12000. He correctly said that such a great effort should not go un-awarded! It was an adventure that Jos will definitely not undertake again, but he hopes to be helping another worthy cause soon!
Caption: Gail Henry (Sesego Cares), Jos Malherbe, Monique Strydom, Shaun Trengoning
On Friday, June 1st, Sesego Cares members of the KZN committee went to the Edith Benson Home, a residential facility of Child Welfare-- Durban and District, to officially hand over the R10 000 donated from Sesego National.
Letter from CHILD WELFARE Durban and District
On behalf of CHILD WELFARE Durban and District, we thank Sesego Cares for generosity and considering in our request to adopt our Organisation as part of your corporate social investment programme. This will most certainly assist us a great deal in meeting the needs of our children. Sadly, many of the thousands of children to whomCHILD WELFARE Durban and District renders service experience the greatest poverty. Fortunately the lives of all who pass through the hands of our dedicated Social Workers and Child Care Workers are positively impacted. We are grateful to have the opportunity to impact the lives of the most vulnerable in our country, something that we would not be able to do without the generosity and caring support of our many funding partners.
Sešego Cares hosted a graduation ceremony for Early Child Development practitioners in Absa Campus on 06 February 2010. The graduation ceremony was attended by more than 400 hundreds practitioners, COJ, Absa and Sešego Cares representatives. The excitement and the atmosphere was incredible.
In October last year, Sešego Cares in partnership with Absa and Joburg City conducted training in the Joburg City region. The purpose of this joint initiative is to uplift crèches to meet the basic health requirements, get registered and become independent. Once crèches are registered they can get monthly grants from City of Joburg for a year, when that period elapse they have to find means to generate funds.
Joanne Von Zeuner, Sešego Cares had the following to say: Early Childhood Development is a critical first step in building the foundation for a child's ongoing learning and development. The focus is on the holistic development of the child and how the processes of learning are facilitated by children, parents, caregivers and teachers. Knowledge of early childhood development is foundational to anyone who chooses to broaden their knowledge of educational practices with young children. It is key for those wanting to work with children in an early education setting.
It is for this reason that we as Sešego Cares heeded the call by the City of Johannesburg to partner with them in ensuring that our 500 graduates are properly trained in carrying out one of the most important role in every child's phase. View gallery
Sešego Cares, Absa and City of Joburg have formed partnership to empower crèches, they are conducting workshops in the Joburg city Region. The purpose is to uplift crèches to meet the basic health requirements, get registered and become independent. Once crèches are registered they can get monthly grants from City of Joburg for a year, when that period elapse they have to find means to generate funds. This project headed by Wendy Klein, Raakhee Sighn, Tertia de Klerk, Nico Goosen and Annemarie Mostert. The ECD workshop offers modules that covers all relevant aspect. Workshops have been conducted in the following areas:
Klipfontein: 40 practitioners attended. Westbury/TDC :44 practitioners attended. Bram Fischerville: 49 practitioners attended. Lenasia: 62 practitioners attended. ABSA Towers: 149 practitioners attended. SOWETO: 254 practitioners benefitted from the workshop.
(Photo: practitioners at Absa Auditorium)
Absa home Loans Central Region held an inauguration ceremony on 22 January at Sunrise Pre School in Freedom Square. The school forms part of one of the volunteerism project that Absa employees have undertaken as part of their Corporate Social Investment initiatives. Encouraging Absa employees to participate in volunteerism is high on the Absa agenda and various projects are undertaken nationally to support various communities through various initiatives.
Sunrise Pre School was identified in February 2008 by Child Welfare Bloemfontein and introduced to Absa. The infrastructure needed immediate attention and Absa Home loans Central region grabbed this opportunity to better the lives of these children. The school provides day care to more than a 100 children with ages ranging from 6 months up to 5 years.
In 2008 the team upgraded the 3 classrooms and also raised funds to buy essential items needed for the school including tables and chairs, build new bathrooms & toilets, build a new roof and layed a tiled floor.
In 2009 the Absa staff build another 3 classroom with additional funding provided by Sešego Cares. Sešego Cares is a South African registered Section 21 Company that was established in 2005 by the spouses of Absa and has taken up the challenge to collectively involve themselves in social upliftment projects to make a difference to those less fortunate across all Southern African communities.
Absa Home loans volunteered their time over the weekends to finish this project. They also did fundraising projects by means of a golf days and sold food to Absa staff to fund the project. Partnerships and relationships with Absa clients also helped to fund and support the project.
The community has gained a properly built crèche with adequate space that offers a safe and nurturing environment for the children to learn and develop. The team's spirit has strengthened and each member has gained a sense of pride and self worth by making a difference to somebody else's life.
"The community now has gained a school with adequate space that offers a safe and nurturing environment for the children to learn and develop and will now be able to serve the community for many years to come." Says Joanne von Zeuner Chairperson of Sešego Cares.
The new and improved school will serve the community for many years to come. The community can now be sure that their children are given the chance to enjoy their childhood that they are entitled to. View gallery
Sparrow Village is a Home/Hospice for destitute and terminally ill adults and children with AIDS. They facilitate home nursing care, and offer advice and counselling, care and love to the patient, as well as to their relatives and friends. They also train care-givers in home nursing to enable then to assist families who are unable to cope with this disease and the ensuing AIDS crisis. They conduct teaching seminars on AIDS awareness, hygiene and home care to schools, companies, businesses, factories and churches. Sešego Cares recognising Sparrow Village's as a good organisation that really give hope to those in need.
Little Rainbow is a crèche in Eldorado Park; this little nest caters for underprivileged children in that community. To most of the members of the community Little Rainbow Crèche is a safe haven. Sešego Cares have been supporting this good cause for about three years. Sešego Cares donated supplies of formulae, nappies, food for the children. Sešego Cares together with Absa organised a surprise Christmas party and donated gifts for the children, over and above their continued support Sešego Cares donated two (20mx6m) haulage containers to the crèche to use convert into classrooms for the children. They will also fund the conversion of the containers.
Sešego Cares donated toys to the children of Dorah's Ark, for a Christmas party that was arranged for them as the Johannesburg Zoo by Mail & Guardian. Sešego Cares over and above that donated clothes and books to the home. With facilitation from Mail & Guardian Sešego Cares further donated uniform for the children of Dorah's Ark.