Northern Drakensberg Khanyisela Project Building strong beginnings for a better future 
With your help we can ensure they have a sound beginning and achieve a better tomorrow
1. OUR AIM The Khanyisela project was born out of an awareness that the Northern Drakensberg tourism industry cannot exist without the upliftment of our rural neighbours. We believe that the long-term prosperity of our area and our country is linked to the prosperity of the people, and that upliftment is linked to education. Our future is closely linked to the future of the Amazizi community surrounding us. We must therefore do everything in our power to contribute to the upliftment and prosperity of this rural area. The aim of the programme is to assist in the creation of a network of educational facilities that are in keeping with national and international standards. We hope to give learners a solid foundation for life-long learning, ultimately creating a community with a sense of self-respect and empowerment.
2. OUR TEAM
We work as a dedicated team in the Northern Drakensberg and have a small committee:
3. WHAT ARE WE DOING AT THE MOMENT? 
At present we are assisting 9 PRE-SCHOOL facilities in the following ways:
Bread and Peanut Butter: Every Monday each pre-school receives a bread delivery. This ensures that each child will receive one sandwich per day. We feed over 350 children a day and this costs approximately R750 per week. Stationery Packs: At the beginning of every term each pre-school receives a pack of consumable stationery to keep the children busy and to aid learning. Each child receives a booklet with fun exercises which stimulates and develops important skills. These stationery packs cost in the region of R800 each. Maintenance and Repairs: Each year we assess the pre-schools and do our utmost to assist with maintenance and repairs where necessary. Maintenance is vital as it can avoid much larger costs in the future. Cleaning Equipment: Each month the pre-schools receive a 25 day supply of Biocide-D which is a sterilizing surface cleaner.
Teacher Training: Ladies from these pre-schools have been attending Early Childhood Development courses in Ladysmith. Seven ladies are due to complete the Level 4 Course in June 2009. We transport the ladies to the centre and provide their food for each workshop. Course fees of R2800 per student have been paid. We hope to begin the Level 5 course with some teachers soon and will be looking at beginning another Level 1 course with a new set of assistants next year.
We have also started quarterly teacher workshops. These cover specific topics and are aimed at providing the teachers with a better understanding of early childhood development and the importance of play. New toys, puzzles, games and different ideas for their use are introduced at these sessions.
The training of teachers is one of the most important aspects of this programme.
 Teacher training in progress
Monthly Stipend: We have started paying a small stipend to the teacher and her helpers at Sivuleleni Pre-School and Hlelokuhle Pre-School. This is in the region of R1000 per month per school and we would ideally like to extend this to the other pre-schools in the area in the future. Book and Equipment Donations: We receive donations of various items from time to time and these are distributed to the pre-schools. Existing PRIMARY SCHOOLS in our area are also assisted. At the beginning of each year we issue Back-to-School stationery packs for the primary school children. This consists of pencils, pens, a rubber, ruler and an exam pad. We have also had library books donated for both primary and secondary schools in the area. A trailer load of books was distributed to Insukangihlale Primary and to KwaMiya Primary School. Books have also been donated to Bangani Secondary School in the past.
Refurbishment of classrooms, additional teaching materials and teacher training will benefit all the children attending these schools and help raise the level of education received.
4. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE WITH
Resort guests, friends, businesses and donors, both in South Africa and overseas are essential to the continuation and improvement of our programme. Contributions, monetary or in kind are welcomed to support the sustainability of this initiative. Our aim is to maintain and expand this programme and for this, we require your assistance, and are sure that by supporting our endeavours you will feel rewarded by the positive change you are helping to make to young South African lives.
We require assistance with the following: PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING AND RE – EDUCATION. As mentioned above we feel that the training of the teachers is of paramount importance. Therefore we require money to send the teachers for further training in early childhood development. STIPEND FOR VOLUNTEER TEACHERS AT THE PRE PRIMARY SCHOOLS. In the majority of the pre-primary schools the teachers and helpers work purely on a voluntary basis and receive no remuneration. We wish to extend the monthly stipend to all of these schools to cover basic costs. BUILDING PRE PRIMARY SCHOOLS. At present there is a pre-primary school group who have no building. They have been given access to a piece of land where they can erect a school building. We need R200 000 to build a new school. SPONSOR STATIONERY BULK PACKS FOR THE PRE PRIMARY SCHOOLS. These consist of crayons, chalk, glue, gummed paper squares, work books etc. SPONSOR A CHILD TO GO TO A PRIVATE PRIMARY SCHOOL. There is a private primary school close to Amazizi which some local children are sponsored to attend. There is room at the school for more children who would require sponsorship.
5. HOW YOU CAN ASSIST
RAISING AWARENESS
Actively raise awareness of the project and encourage donations of school equipment, stationery and maintenance materials. GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL PLEDGES Providing financial support as an individual or a group, no matter how small, on a monthly basis and thus help to ensure the sustainability and expansion of this project. Ideally we would like groups or individuals to commit to a monthly pledge of R500. Our goal is for 100 pledges.
FUND RAISING FOR THE PROGRAMME OR FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT Arrange sporting or musical events, jumble sales, raffles, business, club or school functions in an effort to raise money for the programme or a specific project within the programme.
6. ADMINISTRATION AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We have a large support network of family and friends and we endeavour to keep the administration costs down by doing the ground work ourselves. All donations received go straight to the cause where they are most needed.
Khanyisela is part of Hearts of Hope (HoH), a Section 21 Registered Non-Profit Organisation, which assists in providing financial support to social projects. HoH assist us in a number of ways:
Phased project management.
Financial controls and financial infrastructure.
Tax exemption status for educational donations. HoH provide a contact between Khanyisela and donors in order to ensure that funds donated will be used for the purposes for which they are given. HoH have based their corporate governance on the fundamental principles of fairness, accountability, responsibility and transparency as outlined by the South African King 2 report on corporate governance. Monitoring and evaluating is an important aspect of all projects and is an essential aspect of assessing the impact of the programmes that we implement.
HoH is required by law to provide independent audited financial statements each year. In addition to this they are required to submit audited financials to the National Department of Social Development as well as the South African Revenue Service annually.
The details of Hearts of Hope are:
Section 21 Company Registration: 2003/005003/08
Non-Profit Organisation Registration No.: 033-126-NPO
Public Benefit Organisation (PBO)
Section 18a Tax exemption status
Web: www.heartsofhope.org.za
E-mail: info@heartsofhope.org.za
7. HOW TO MAKE DONATIONS - Donations can be made to Hearts of Hope or contact Dave or Daphne { projects@cavern.co.za or Tel: (+27) 36 438 6270} for a credit card authorisation form if you would like to support this wonderful community.
Please contact Hearts of Hope for our bank details - info@heartsofhope.org.za
If you require a tax certificate please indicate this and it will be forwarded to you from Hearts of Hope.
- If you are donating from the UK please advise us, as you can donate through the Retford Rotary Club and receive a tax certificate.
- Please feel free to contact Dave or Daphne Thurlwell should you wish to receive more detail on specific projects that you would like to consider making contributions to.
- Dave and Daphne Thurlwell – Administration and fund raising.
Tel: (+27) 36 438 6270 – E-mail: projects@cavern.co.za
Dave: (+27) 83 512 0146
Daphne: (+27) 83 653 3830
- By educating our children we are helping to build our nation and ensure a better tomorrow for all.
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