1. Matching Grants

  2. Other Projects

MATCHING GRANTS

 

 

Meetse-A-Bophele School library, a matching grant project.

Literacy Project Rotary Club of Pretoria East

 

Pupils of the MEETSE-A-BOPHELO SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL  MAMELODI sing for joy

On Saturday, 21st February, the pupils of Meetse-A-Bophelo Primary School in Mamelodi, a school of 2500 pupils  had something to sing about. Their School Library was donated over 2000 books, mostly in their mother tongue languages of Sepedi and isiZulu. The funds to support this donation of R115  000 came from the Rotary Club of Pretoria East, the Sandy Rotary Club from England and the world body of The Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Club members have fully catalogued these books and have provided plastic library bags to promote the culture of love and care for books amongst the pupils and the School community.

 

The highlight for those attending was the singing of the School choir but the fun of examining the range of books now available to the pupils left a lasting impression on all who attended.

 

Pupils had their first opportunity ever to read books written in Sepedi or IsiZulu.

 

   

The pupils singing their heart out, while  providing a fitting atmosphere for the celebrations.

 

    

Some of the books.

 

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Berakah Educational Foundation, a matching grant project.

 

Berakah Educational Foundation is located in Mamelodi - Pretoria

It started out as:

  • A crèche for about 60 children.

  • An after-school mentorship program to assist about 250 children with English, the 3-R's and homework for over 250 children.

  • Buildings and facilities were very basic, with only two toilets, a large marquee (in a serious state of collapse) and a few small semi-permanent structures.

 

As the number of children grew, Rotarians on visits to the project became very aware of the need for more toilets.

 

In conjunction with the Rotary Clubs from District 7810, namely Presque Isle, Fredericton, Sackville, Caribou, Woodstock and Washburn, together with  Rotary International, a Matching Grant was made available for the building of toilet blocks.

 

While Rotary Pretoria East was hard at work making this happen there were changes at Berakah and help came from another source.

 

Rotary Pretoria East is proud that with Rotary International, it could contribute to this project which will make a huge difference for the community of Mamelodi East.

 

This Press Release tells the story:

 

 

BERAKAH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION – BUILDING A NEW EDUCATION CENTRE FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED IN MAMELODI EAST

The Berakah Educational Foundation was founded in 1996 and has since operated among the needy in the Lusaka Township, Mamelodi East, providing upliftment through education to young and old.  The programmes and services offered to the community, include:

Early Childhood Development (ECD)
Youth education and workshops
Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) including Adult literacy
Skills development
Small business initiatives
Home-based care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
 

The centre housing the programmes, consisted of shipping containers and other temporal structures.  A suitable piece of property was secured and in April this year Berakah was able to embark on the first phase of the building of the Berakah Education Centre, with a grant from the Rotary Club, Pretoria East.  This first building consists of an ablution block for boys and girls with two adjacent roofed classroom areas.  The costs of building was kept to the minimum with several donations and discounts from suppliers thus making it possible to complete phase one with the grant of R 230 000.
 

Other phases include classrooms, a craft centre, bakery, kitchen, offices, community hall and housing for the care taker, as well as recreation areas and a vegetable garden. Berakah will embark on these as funding becomes available, with the most urgent need being the planned kitchen.


On the 5th of September 2009 at 10h00, Berakah Educational Foundation celebrated the opening of the first building, with it’s sponsor, the Rotary Club of Pretoria East.

 

Photographs are of the official opening of the toilet block

The Plaque

 

Meleney Kriel from the Berakah Educational Foundation, Rotarian Margaret Watkins who put together the Matching Grant Project and Robin Jones President of RC Pretoria East.

 

The staff singing in celebration.

 

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OTHER PROJECTS

 

Some of the projects with which the Rotary Club of Pretoria East is involved.

 

 

PRESERVE PLANET EARTH

SoapKidz 2009

This annual project is organized by SoapKidz to clean the Moreletta Spruit - Rotarians set up a water point and in addition this year the cost of hiring toilets for the occasion was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pretoria East.

 

 

MEERHOF SCHOOL

 

Rotary Club of Pretoria East

 

Meerhof Project is 60 Years old – What an achievement

 

The longest running Rotary Project in the Southern African District

 

 

One Man’s Vision Still Brings Joy

In 1949 Mr J B Stamp and Matron Nan Fulton of the Meerhof Children’s Hospital took a few severely disabled children from the hospital on a short vacation to the Kruger National Park.

The trip was such a success that it became an annual event.

The project grew to such an extent that friends of Mr Stamp’s also became involved and more children could share in this unique experience every year.

Sid Porter and Barney Joss were some of the first to join the project. (Barney’s son Allen has this year completed his 42nd year of involvement with the event)

Throughout  the years many others became involved and today the project is still bringing joy to disabled and disadvantaged learners from Meerhof School.

 

The Dream Lives On

In his 1994 memories Sid Porter wrote: “After several years Pretoria East Rotary became involved; if this had not happened, I don’t think we could have continued”

Jack Stamp started something unique, but it needed the passion of many more to sustain it. When the Pretoria East Rotary Club was founded in 1961, he found the perfect custodian for his dream: He took it to the people who put Service above Self. The Rotarians give their money and energy to collect funds, snacks and food. They also give generously of their time to take the children to the Park. Many of them get their friends and families involved and every year the Kruger Park team is a wonderful blend of characters who become friends in one very special week.

 

Taken from a commemorative brochure produced by Meerhoff school on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Project – 24 August 2009

 

 

The pupils, drivers and teachers, chosen to take part in the 60th annual trip to the Kruger National Park, gather at Meerhof School very early on Monday 24 August.

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Winterveld HIV/Aids Project

 

The Winterveld HIV/Aids project provides care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and those involved work tirelessly to improve access to essential services for disadvantaged families and children affected by HIV/Aids.

 

The project places special emphasis on creating a nurturing and caring ethos, which includes the facilitation of referrals from clinics, hospitals, and hospices, and the provision of home based care in the context of a loving, compassionate and supportive environment.

 

In order to fulfil its inspiring vision – to ensure that orphans, child headed families, vulnerable children and those affected by HIV/Aids and related illnesses, receive appropriate care and support – this registered, non-profit, non-governmental organization strives to lessen the burden of affliction through a programme of structured interventions, specifically designed to assist people according to their individual needs.

 

The project was established in 1998 and is based in the Winterveld rural area in the north-west of South Africa. It currently assists 926 children and has trained more than 180 young people as peer educators. Its programmes actively promote access to information and encourage the acquisition of the life skills required to reduce vulnerability to HIV/Aids. All members of staff have undergone extensive training in financial management, home-based care, HIV/Aids counselling, ARVs, TB, HIV vaccine protocols, nutrition and mentoring.

 

The Winterveld is on the verge of crisis, not only because of the HIV/Aids epidemic continues to spread and to render more and more children homeless, but because a situation which is allowed to continue unchecked is destined to generate a vicious and unstoppable spiral of affliction and despair.

 

 

Rotary Club of Pretoria East’s Contribution

 

The Rotary Club of Pretoria East has had a long history of community service with Winterveldt/HIV/AIDS Care Centre involving the erection and equipping of a complex of buildings initially used as a literacy school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rotary provided funds for food parcels and toiletries to 225 client families from March 2006 to January 2007 at the cost of R3500 a month.

 

Over the years wheel-chairs, blankets and jerseys have been provided with the assistance of Rotary International.

 

Training has been given by one of the Rotarians in financial record keeping allowing the Centre to apply successfully for financing and to keep their own records. This is an on-going project..

The club has donated a photocopier, a computer, a printer and other supplies.

 

Basically Rotary Pretoria East assists where they can -   support and assistance from the public is always welcomed and very much appreciated by all.

 

The Easter Eggs donated in shopping malls and distributed to various charities, brought happy smiles to the children of Winterveld!

 

   

 

Wheelchairs given to those in need at the HIV/Aids project at Winterveld.

 

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