The Story of Irene…
The story of Irene is the heart-wrenching story of one of nine women currently being protected by the New World Foundation Women’s Shelter in Retreat, which opened its doors in March 2018.
Through the story of Irene, who represents hundreds of thousands of abused women in South Africa, ‘Smile to the Rescue with Bobby and Lindy’ aims to touch the hearts, minds and hands of our listeners to assist us in equipping this house of safety with much needed essentials.
 
List of essential items donated to the New World Foundation Women’s Shelter:

• Posters/pictures/paintings to brighten up the space
• Home entertainment system – CD/Radio
• Lounge suite – seating for 10 people
• Blankets
• Magazines
• Heaters
• Large carpet
• Electric iron
• Bedding for 10 single beds
• Washing machine
• Women’s clothes
• Women’s underwear
• Baby clothes
• Kids clothes
• Toiletries
• Kids toys
• Books (especially children’s books)Heaters
• Book shelves
• A dog kennel and food for the four-legged lady who found safety at the shelter

 
A big THANK YOU to everyone who donated so generously to this project!
 
Stay tuned to Smile Breakfast for our next “Smile to the Rescue with Bobby and Lindy” … coming soon.
 
 

SA Idols 2017 winner Paxton Fiellies (17), Zintle Kati (16) and Simbongile Sam (17) recently returned from Sweden, where they performed at the award ceremony of the World Children’s Prize (WCP) in front of Queen Silvia of Sweden and hundreds of people from around the world. They return with a mandate to fight for girls to have equal rights in their communities.

“As a child rights ambassador, I teach school children and members of my community about children’s rights, especially the rights of girls,” says Sam. “I give a voice to children because few people listen to children in the communities I live in. Children are afraid to speak up about the abuses they experience. I visit other schools to talk to children and teachers.”

Bonga Hatana and Athenkosi Halu (both 16 years old, from Khayelitsha) together with Simbongile Sam and Zintle Kati formed a group called the Inkwenkwesi Stars that also performed in Sweden. They were joined by members of the Jazz Yard Academy Band from Bonteheuwel; Curtley Cerfontein (16), Quinley Lodewyk (17), Tyrese Stuurman (14) and Charlton Moses (16). All the children performed at the awards ceremony held at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred.

The World Children’s Prize Foundation educates and supports children in acting as changemakers, encouraging compassion, the equal worth of every individual, children’s rights, democracy and sustainable development. Since 2000, 42 million children have taken part in the programme which has the support of more than 70 000 schools in 116 countries, as well as over 778 organisations and education ministries and institutions. Since it started, half a million teachers have been trained in working with children’s rights and democracy in schools. The foundation offers valuable resources and true stories for teachers to use in Life Orientation classes when discussing issues like human trafficking and abuse.

Jean Wilke from the Rotary Club of Claremont also attended the WCP conference. Commenting on her experiences at the conference, Wilke said that it was inspiring to see how passionate the children were about changing their world: “I was very proud of the South African contingent. Seeing young children talking with such knowledge and maturity about critical issues was phenomenal.”

While in Sweden, Wilke met with members from the Rotary Club of Mariefred where they discussed the expansion and reach of the WCP Foundation around the world.

For more information on Rotary Club of Claremont and the various community projects and initiatives they are involved with, please visit https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubofClaremont/

“At Young Bafana Soccer Academy, #changinglives is more than just a motto, it’s the result of hard work, discipline and faith in your abilities”. Those are the words of Bernd Steinhage who with a passion for football and education, established the Young Bafana Soccer Academy in 2010 with the aim of providing a safe environment for youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds to express their love for soccer.

Over and above providing a place for these youngsters to hone their soccer skills, the academy also focuses on their education. It’s a safe place where they can go and do their homework after school.

The foundation has come a long way over the last 8 years. Initially, there were just eight children at the school, now they have over 120 – and the cooperation with the schools still exist.

The World Cup in 2010 piqued lot of young children’s interest in soccer. However, the majority of them could not afford to pay fees for a private club or their transport to practices and matches. All they wanted was to play the game in a safe and productive learning environment.

“The rule of thumb was that for every 10 paying children, Young Bafana would give a scholarship to a non paying child. Having realised the positive impact these scholarships had on the children, the program expanded rapidly” – Steinhage.

In 2012, the first performance team was established in which mostly township children from the surrounding Lwandle and Nomzamo areas played together with children from socially stable backgrounds.

In 2014, Young Bafana inaugurated a compulsory educational program due to the poor learning conditions, lack of English proficiency and various other daily challenges the children are faced with.

The academy received broad support from interns from all over the world and Young Bafana experienced a successful 2017 season. The U18 team finished 4th in the super league. They also made it to the Coke Cup final (the biggest national amateur tournament) where the team secured the second place.

The U14 team gained promotion in the 2nd year of competition and completed the league program unbeaten. The U12 side finished the season in 3rd place, just 3 points off earning promotion in the first year.

The sporting success story emphasizes the quality of the internal structures as well as the passion shown by coaches and players, both on and off the field.

This year brought its own excitement: Gazprom Energy’s social project — Football For Friendship has given five individuals from Young Bafana the opportunity to attend the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia this month.

Bernd Steinhage will be joined by coaches Veron Peter and Graham Knott as well as two under-14 players, Hlonela Sitenge and Solethu Mabhenu.

This will be a dream-come-true trip where the youngsters will get to see their soccer heroes in action.

Hlonela is also tasked with being a journalist at the World Cup, and Solethu (who has never been overseas before) is looking forward to soaking up every bit of the experience and coming back with even more passion and determination than ever before.

As for their long-term goal: “By 2022, we want our own facility including football pitches, a school and boarding facilities.” – Steinhage

The dream may seem ambitious, yet Young Bafana continues to change lives on a daily basis.