The Rotary Club of Paarl
DISTRICT 9350
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The Rotary Club of PaarlDISTRICT 9350
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Community Projects
These are the projects that benefit from our fundraising activities.
The Rotary Club of Paarl is involved in many community projects in and around the Paarl area. Below is a short summary of some of the projects:
NorSA
NorSA focuses on the development of
community projects with specific focus on HIV/AIDS.
The aim of our projects is to change the destiny of families and children
affected and infected with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a reality and a huge
problem in
NorSA
is currently focusing on two areas, De Doorns and Carterville/Newrest in
The dynamics within these two areas are as follows:
The Rotary Club of Paarl has over time assisted NorSA with various requirements, ranging from facilities and infrastructure to funding for feeding programs. The dedicated work done by the caregivers and management at NorSA has inspired our club to continue with our close relationship with this organisation.
To download a Power Point Presentation on the planned NorSa Activity Centre, click here.
To download a Word Document on the NorSa Activity Centre, click here.
Amado - Animal Assisted Therapy
AMADO is a project-specific organisation. The aim is to give animal-assisted therapy to disabled children who cannot afford it. It is an unique, effective and inexpensive program.
AMADO
is not an average horse riding centre, it is much more. The children who they
help all receive individual attention using real therapeutic methods tailored to
each child’s individual needs. Positive reinforcements are of vital importance
to everybody at AMADO. The children feel important and obtain a sense of
self-worth. When you struggle to bath yourself, but you can stop a 400kg horse,
that’s self confidence that is priceless!
Carers are appointed to look after the remaining children in an educationally
stimulating environment while lessons are given with one child at a time to
boost self-esteem and to make them feel very special.
The aim is to see 40 children a week for half hour sessions, giving each child
two hours of riding per month. All work is done in in conjunction with
occupational therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists. After every session
a report is compiled for future reference. AMADO aims to identify children with
a real passion for riding and horses and then to take these children further by
finding work for them in the equine industry.
The Rotary Club of Paarl proudly sponsors seven (7) children to attend these valuable lessons.
Island of Hope
In
2003 the Paarl Rotary club was looking for a centenary project they can do. The
Salvation Army officer was also a member of Rotary and she was very much
involved in the community’s welfare, especially the abused and street
children. Paarl at that time had no place or shelter where they could keep those
children. There was a lot of empty ground in The Salvation Army premises then
both parties, The Salvation Army and The Paarl Rotary Club, after a deal of
investigation and deliberation came to an agreement that The Club will raise
money to put up a building and furnish it and The Salvation Army will manage the
day to day running of the centre. The Club raised funds and put up a structure
as agreed that can be used for abused children and mothers who are in the same
situation. The building was officially handed over to Commissioner Trevor Tuck,
who was a national leader of The Salvation Army, on 27th June 2006.
A Government Grant has been received by the Island of Hope giving official support by the Department of Social Development for the Centre. The amount committed by the DSD is a total of R200 000 and half of this amount has been received with the balance expected during the next few weeks.
Major George Pavey, a Salvation Army officer with qualifications and many years of experience in Child and Youth Care in South Africa has been in Paarl since October, 2010, working to restore the programme and to meet the need for safe care for abandoned, orphaned, neglected and abused children.
The shop that has been selling second hand clothing is operating very successfully, providing some of the much needed finance for the Centre programme. The shop has received fantastic support from the public with ever increasing donations of clothing and other goods.
In terms of the new Child Care Act all persons caring for more than six children in residential care, must register with the Department of Social Development as a Child Care Centre. There are various types of Child Care Centres and Island of Hope is currently registering as a Temporary Safe Care Facility – a new type of registration for the Department.
Through other NGO’s in the community, Island of Hope is providing a new assessment model which arrives at the root of problems in a far shorter time than previous assessment models did. Following on the assessment, full therapy and counselling will be provided for trauma victims. Good Hope Psychological Services (www.GHPS.co.za), winners of the Oprah and Sasol Change Maker award for 2010 will provide the therapy through Sara van Tonder MTh(Stell), Msc, an HPCSA registered clinical pastoral counsellor, while the assessments will be carried out by Marietjie Lock B Diac (Social Work), M Diac (Play Therapy), a social worker with vast experience and training in developmental assessments of children, play therapy, statutory and forensic work, trauma and resilience, parental guidance and therapeutic/process work with children and families.
From left to right: Sara van Tonder, George Pavey, Marietjie Lock
Children's Feeding Scheme
About the Project......
The Rotary Club of Paarl became aware of the rising need for children from impoverished areas to receive some sort of a meal at their respective schools.
Thousands of children in our area walk to school every day, just like all of us used to walk to school...... The only difference is that amongst these children, there is a great amount who did not receive a nice warm breakfast at home before setting off. Neither did they receive a lunch box for break time. For these children, their next meal will be at home that evening.
"How is a child to learn and interact at school, when his stomach is growling from hunger?
In association with a Christian Woman's Group (ACVV), a survey was conducted in the Paarl area in order to determine the need for a Children Feeding Scheme. This study has shown that, but for Non-Governmental Organizations feeding schemes, thousands of children in, and in the vicinity of Paarl would daily go to school without having had a meal and with little prospect of having a decent one that day. This also applies to under-school-age children with HIV/Aids and/or unemployed parents. To be exact, 3868 children!
Monte Christo Ministries (MCM)
recently formed a partnership with Peninsula School Feeding Association, an NGO
of 50 year standing. MCM have a fully equipped Food Centre which currently
prepares meals for 2700 children per day! They have increased their capacity and are able to produce
7000 meals per day and they would therefore be able to cope with the increased
requirement. The Rotary Club of Paarl currently funds 300
children through MCM. (www.montechristoministries.com)
What can be done?
The Rotary Club of Paarl is searching other Rotary clubs worldwide who are able to financially support this very worthwhile and necessary cause.
The required funding will be utilized to feed children at the schools listed below. The schools will provide the facilities and mothers assist at the serving tables. Members of the community work in the soup kitchens.
Berg River Secondary School 300 children
Weltevreden Secondary School 400 children
Bergendal School 348 children
Chris Hani Soup Kitchen 180 children
Lukhanyo Soup Kitchen 200 children
Magnolia School Soup Kitchen 600 children
MCM Soccer Kids 350 children
Agter Paarl Clinic 300 children
Street Children Project 100 children
Informal Settlement R45 100 children
Donkerhoek Farm 90 children
St. Simons Church R45 60 children
Signal Hill 40 children
Simondium Clinic 300 children
14 Main Rd, Pniel 300 children
Vlaktestene 50 children
Informal Settlement 80 children
Boland Steenwerke 40 children
McMillan Steenwerke 30 children
TOTAL: 3868 Children
What does each child receive?
During the winter months, each child receives a 250ml cup of Nutritional hot soup and 2 slices of freshly baked brown bread coming from the MCM bakery. The soup is prepared at the MCM Food Centre in Paarl and the funding covers the costs of transporting the meals to the relevant schools and soup kitchens. During the hot summer months, each child is supplied with a peanut butter and mixed fruit jam sandwich.
If your Rotary Club is looking to support a project that will instantly make a difference in many lives...........look no further!
Contact Walter Finlayson for more
information. (wjfinlayson@telkomsa.net
or Tel: +27 82 772 6623)
Seniors Concert
Every year the Paarl Rotary Club presents the Seniors Concert. Kaufie Kaufman explains how it originated:
"During 1983/84 I attended a talent show at the Police College held in aid of the Southern Cross Fund and was very impressed at the young talent in our town. I contacted the organizer, Mr. Bram Potgieter to enquire if they would assist Rotary to put on a show more specifically for seniors from the more disadvantaged areas, as many of these people do not get the opportunity to attend an event of this nature.
Mr. Potgieter and his fellow band members agreed and the first show was
held at the Town Hall a year or so later. For the first few years
our Rotary ladies provided refreshments and from approximately 1989
Shoprite have sponsored the party-packs which is handed out to all
attendees.
We normally have about 300 seniors from all parts of Paarl as well as a
group from Wellington attending this event and for many of them it is
their only evening out for the year. Many of these people have no
transport and our Rotary members fetch and deliver them safely to their
homes. In addition we hire a bus to bring seniors from Paarl East.
Invitations are delivered to various social workers, old aged homes,
retirement villages etc. Any senior is welcome to attend as long
as we have numbers for catering purposes.
Mr. Bram Potgieter, Johan Roos and their fellow professional band
members have presented this show for all these years without reward as a
service to the community .
Special thanks must go to Drakenstein Municipality who gives us a
reduced rate for the hire of the Town Hall. Also the firm of
Basson and Basson who generously provide crockery for the event.
Without their and Shoprite's input it would make it difficult to
continue staging this free concert.
The enjoyment on the faces of the concert-goers makes this such a
worthwhile project and hopefully can be continued for as long as
possible."