Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to visit widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1v27
We began this year under a cloud of uncertainty as to whether the foster agency would continue or not, but having made the decision to work hard! The social workers in fact placed 45 children in foster care, renewed 55 orders, and extended 75 orders. Two foster parent workshops were also run, one at Vimbukhalo and one at Mbazwana with a total attendance of 53. At the end of May we were called to a meeting where we were informed that the subsidy for the social workers would be terminated at the end of September, and that we should make plans for transferring our cases to DSD. The reason given was that DSD now have sufficient social workers to carry the cases, and do not see the need to subsidise other agencies to see what they see as a duplication of services. We therefore proceeded with the plans for closure of the agency, which has happened, although there was a brief period when we did think that the decision might be reversed. This means that our three social workers and Principal social worker have been retrenched. There are many in the community who have expressed great regret and sadness over the loss of the service given by LK. We do thank the Lord for the thousands of orphans and families who have been helped over the years by the LK foster agency, and for the dedication and commitment of the staff.
The foster agency has closed but the work of Lulisandla Kumntwana caring for orphans and vulnerable children in the community has not come to an end. Our two coordinators are still working with many children in the community. We are no longer working through the Family Support Teams as such. However, those caring individuals who were drawn from local churches are still there, and they still have the relationships with the orphans, and they still offer care and support. While there are not formal meetings with the teams now, they do still keep in touch and tell the coordinators when there are problems. The coordinators are still making home visits, assisting new families to access birth and death documents, and referring the cases to DSD to be placed in foster care. They are also still following up on children in foster care and again referring to DSD when there is a need. They make many home visits in order to counsel families and help resolve problems. In the first half of the year staff recorded that they counselled 334 orphans or families. We were not able to keep good statistics at the end of 2016 as our organisation was somewhat disrupted by all the changes, but in the first quarter of 2016 (when we only had one coordinator) home visits were made to 124 children, and 208 children were counselled or given advice.
There were two 3 day psycho social support workshops for orphans. One was at Mduku at which there were 177 children, and the other was at Mahlakwe, with 97 children.
Much of the work of the coordinators is now based on the schools. The schools are still calling our staff if there are problems with orphans, or they come across new cases. Between them they recorded 238 visits to schools in the first half of the year. From January to March a further 130 children were visited at school. Up to the end of 2016 we were running also three After Schools Clubs for orphans, offering help with homework, life skills teaching, games and some food twice a week. In 2017 so far we have been able to continue with two of these clubs. There are 116 children in the club at Mdinwa School, and 76 at Ekuseni. There are two facilitators in each of these schools who run these clubs, and the coordinators also often attend.
In March we had a visit from Chris Maphosa of the Today for Tomorrow project, along with Mama Elizabeth and another lady from Swaziland. We use these materials in the After Schools Clubs, and so we were able to bring our facilitators in to join with the MCH Care Staff for a workshop to refresh and develop their skills.
Through the support of the CoCos Foundation we have been able to purchase school uniforms for about 300 children in need.
As we have been running the life skills courses for unemployed youth, the young people have often commented that they wished they had received these lessons earlier in life, so we have now started doing life skills in schools. The impact has been amazing. In one high school they were having a big problem with drugs and alcohol, and truancy. Since Khanyo has been running the life skills programme there, the behaviour has improved dramatically.
The support groups for teens living with HIV have continued to meet, more or less on a monthly basis. The groups have a lighter, activity based session one month, and then a session more focused on discussion, and dealing with issues the next month. It has been great to see how these young people have really started to open up, and are prepared to talk about serious topics which impact their lives. One of the highlights of the activities was a dancing session run by some of the young doctors and therapists of Mseleni Hospital. The kids loved it!
There has also been a meeting with the carers of these young people at which they were able to talk through some of their concerns, and share ideas with each other.
The teen group met again in October where they focused on talking about relationships, and then in December which was a Christmas party and barbecue at the beach. In February the venue was the beach again, where they dealt with the topic of fear and death. The following month they met at Sodwana Road Lodge to talk about drugs and sex.
During this year there have been 12 four week life skills courses run in the community for unemployed youth. The total attendance at these courses has been 281.
All the students attending the courses are recorded on our Beneficiary Tracking Tool, & follow up is done at 3 & 6 months, a year & 18 months. Using this, we have done an analysis of the impact of the courses which ran from June 2015 to October 2016. The results are as follows:
From August of 2016 we had 20 young people working with the Youth Development Programme as volunteers under a scheme funded by the National Youth Development Agency. Each volunteer received a small stipend. They gained a lot in terms of work experience and personal development. In October they participated in some training facilitated by Zoe Life.
By January the numbers had dropped to13 as 7 of them had been able to move into employment or further their studies. It has been great to see the positive impact of the youth programme on young peoples’ lives. Zama was motivated to try again to do something with her abilities and qualification, and is now studying for a BA in Correctional Studies. Another young man was involved in drugs and alcohol and a very unhealthy lifestyle. Our coordinator persuaded him to join one of the Life Skills Courses at Mduku and his life was turned around. Through the connection with the youth programme of LK he was able to get a job at a new clothing store at a mall, in Jozini, and then when a new branch opened at Manguzi, he was offered the job as manager, where he is still working successfully. Another young man who used to be very involved in a church had also drifted into drug and alcohol abuse when he had completed matric but was unable to get a job or further his studies. He went one day to see what was happening at the life skills course in his community and was persuaded to join. Again, his life was turned around. He turned his back on the drugs and alcohol, and started going back to church. Now he has also been employed for some time at the clothing store.
There are many young people at tertiary and vocational colleges continuing with their courses having been assisted to apply and register ,and apply for NSFAS loans through Lulisandla Kumntwana. From April to September 102 young people were taken to register at Technical & Vocational Education & Training Colleges. From January to March 2017 a further 150 were assisted. There are 10 young people who also in addition to this help, receive assistance with food and accommodation costs.
Over the year 95 relief parcels were distributed. Each parcel contains basic food stuffs as well as some other necessities such as washing powder.
In May we had the pleasure of hosting another great team from the CoCos Foundation. Working with local builders they built houses for two needy families. Then in August we had another team from the CoCos, this time made up of 14 girl guides. They worked hard with enthusiasm, again with the local builders, and by the time they left another two families had new houses. We really appreciate these teams who work hard before they come to raise the funds, and then make such a difference when they are here. Usually there is also a team in October. Although this year there was no team, the houses were sponsored, and the builders who work with the teams did build two houses.
Here are some stories of families and individuals impacted through the LK programmes.
1. Nomvula (not her real name) was for many years a foster child under the supervision of Lulisandla Kumntwana social workers. She attended many psycho social support workshops run by LK staff, and also was a member of our Real Life support group pf teens living with HIV. Through this process she has reached a high level of maturity, being able to make good decisions for herself. The LK coordinator assisted her to apply and register at TVET college, and to successfully apply for a bursary. As her family were supervised under our foster programme and actively encouraged to save some of the foster grant each month, she has been able to go away to study as the money is there for her to pay for the food and rented accommodation. She is now in her final year of a Diploma in Civil Engineering. She continues to keep touch with LK staff and when she is home attends the Real Life Support Group, acting as a mentor for the younger ones still in the group.
2. Gumede boys (name changed)
These brothers, both orphans & HIV+ were part of our foster programme, PSS workshops & Real Life Support group. Both have now matured, have completed school & are away at TVET colleges, one is doing mechanical engineering. They have become great role models & although they are away studying, if they are home will attend the group to encourage the younger children.
3. Mthembu family (name changed)
This family of 4 children were living on a pineapple farm. Their mother is unknown, & then their dad died. They went back to live with the grandmother. The problem was that as they had no birth certificates they were not accepted in any school. Our coordinator was able to advocate on their behalf at the school, and get them into school despite this. It is difficult when the mother is unknown, but he has been able to get them Road to health cards, & taken them to DHA, & the birth certificates are in process. In the meantime, they are all in school we are about to give them school uniform, & once the certificates come, they will be referred to DSD for foster grants.
4. Maphumulo family
This family lives with their aunt. She has 3 children of her own & then there are the 5 orphans. Under the LK housebuilding programme with CoCos Foundation, they now have had a house built. None of them had any birth certificates, now some of them do. They have been helped regularly with food parcels. (Some are HIV + so the food is really important. Some will be getting school uniform. None were in school – now they all are. Now that some have certificates, they will be referred to DSD for foster grant.
Staff Team
We thank the Lord for the dedicated staff team we have been working with. They have done some amazing work. Below we record who they were, those who have left and those who are still working.
Donations and funding
We give thanks to our sovereign Lord for His provision through so many organisations, and churches and individuals, so that the work of Lulisandla Kumntwana could continue through the year. Financial support was received from the following sources:
Rachel Fredlund
Project Director
This Annual Report for Lulisandla Kumntwana April 2016 – March 2017 was approved at the Annual General Meeting held September 25 2017.
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