"Its time to transform conversations that matter into actions
that make a difference." Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Anti Drug Forum (ADF)
The ADF was set up in October 2005 to address the alarming drug abuse & addiction
that has afflicted the community of Chatsworth in Durban as well as surrounding
communities. This is an ongoing project and the ADF clinic provides a structured
program including psycho-therapy, skills development, recreation and building self
esteem.
The Breath Water Sound workshop has been adopted as a compulsory component of
the rehabilitation program. Support group meetings are held every Thursday
evenings for both patients and parents.
Achievements:
Testimonials from parents and youth are:
"I now have my son back"
"This program has changed my life"
"I feel completely calm and relaxed"
The blanket drive has been an annual winter project in Johannesburg. In 2008
Durban & Cape Town have participated bringing blankets to various disadvantaged
communities, street kids and shelters. This year Johannesburg combined a soup
kitchen with the drive offering warm meals to the afflicted as well.
Achievements 2008:
Crown Mines School Project
The objective of this project was to:
Students enjoyed the yoga sessions and the Art Excel programme and showed an
interest in continuing with their breathing and yoga and applying all the skills learnt.
The students were more relaxed and the feedback obtained from the teachers after
observing the children, was positive.
Weekly yoga sessions were conducted at the school. The Art Excel programme was
conducted during October 2008 with 15 learners between the age of 8 – 13yrs. Tree
planting with the Art Excel group of students and the teachers was conducted during
the Mission Green Earth initiative.
Testimonials:
"I feel good, happy, relaxed and comfortable. I didn’t expect to feel like this during the course." Lebogang, 13yrs
"I felt tired in the beginning, but after the breathing I felt more energetic and happy. I learnt to observe and handle stress" Charline, 12yrs
Greyville Eco schools project
This project was set up in 2007 by volunteers from Lenasia JHB with vision of
greening Greyville primary school and making it a model green school for replication.
Thus far three awareness campaigns were held at the school.
An Owl workshop: The project was run in partnership with Birdlife South Africa. The
workshop provided the learners with an opportunity to meet an owl in a manner that
is unthreatening, educational and fun and explain their importance to our
environment and dispel myths about owls in order to engage learners as a pressure
group on communities acting for the betterment of the environment.
Tree-Planting: For most learners it was the very first time that they were involved in
digging soil , observing the different Soil layers, Root structures,
mulching & its
water conservation benefits .Also many learners were empowered with the
responsibility of adopting the saplings and seeing to the long term
well-being of the
trees. The learners seem to gain a healthy respect for trees and the
environment.
They also enjoyed the very Tangible learning experience of what most of
them knew as text book information only, hence there was a lovely
cohesion between classroom
learning and real life experience. 16 trees were planted.
Water Project: Volunteers from the IAHV were asked to evaluate environmental
projects completed by the learners. All projects were focused on different
environmental issues related to water. Evaluation from the volunteers revealed:
Sosbenza
Sosebenza (meaning: 'let us work together') is a community-based
youth centre in Masiphumelele Township, Cape Town. Along with
various community groups with aim of to build and maintain a safe
and inspiring environment where the youth of ‘Masi’ can be
nourished - physically, intellectually and emotionally.
The centre is a dynamic space used by different organizations that
share a similar goal – to uplift the youth, by offering a wholesome
alternative to gangs, drugs and violence.
At present activities at the center include
Xenophobic Trauma Relief
On May 12, 2008 a series of riots started in the township of Alexandra (in the northeastern
part of Johannesburg) when locals attacked migrants from Mozambique,
Malawi and Zimbabwe, killing two people and injuring 40 others.
In the following weeks the violence spread, first to other settlements in the Gauteng
Province, then to the coastal cities of Durban and Cape Town.
Attacks were also reported in parts of the Southern Cape, Mpumalanga, the North
West and Free State.
Causes A report by the Human Sciences Research Council identified three broad causes for
the violence:
AOL/IAHV volunteers assited by providing trauma relief workshops at many of the
camps nationally particulary the Soetwater camp in Cape Town, Camps in Gauteng &
Kwa Zulu Natal. Food, clothing, medical aid & other aid were supplied and there was
overwelming support by South Africans nationally to the afflicted.
IAHV partnered with the Redcross and created pick up & distribution points for them
in Gauteng. IAHV also provided stress relief workshops for volunteers of the redcross
in Johannesburg.
Youth Village
As a result of the continuing relationship with Forte High school in Dobsonville JHB.
It has become apparent that there are an alarmingly large number of children at the
school who are from child headed families or who are themselves heading such
families. The objective of this project is to assist and empower these children in a
sustainable way. This will be done in the following manner:
Physical Organic Food Garden
The school has allocated land at the side of the
school to develop as an organic garden. Food &
Trees for Africa have been approached to assist
us in starting the food garden.
Mental, Emotional and Spiritual development
70 of the youth have successfully completed the
AOL Youth Empowerment Seminar.
Food distribution December 2008
Food parcels as well as basic cosmetics were provided to sustain 120 children during
the holiday period due to the school feeding scheme only being active during the
school terms.
