We have made it through two years of a life that none of us could ever have imagined. It seems that there is a new hope out there. A feeling that we have turned a corner and that the green shoots are really starting to come through. Hopefully we really can “get back to normal”.
However, it is sad to know that the “getting back to normal” is not what it should be for all of us. There are many communities that continue to endure hardships that nobody should. Ukajede is one of those many communities whose “normal” is not a delightful one. Their “normal” is hard because they have to face extreme weather conditions in tin shacks. It is hard because there is no sanitation or water to take care of basic needs. It is hard because access to quality education is desperately desired but far from their reach. It’s hard for so many horrible reasons. However, despite all these hardships, there are people that are trying to make a positive difference to this reality. We must recognize the incredible crèche owners and teachers who are doing their best to give the little people a safe and comfortable environment in which to go to school each day. These individuals are making sure that food is prepared daily for the children; they keep the crèches clean and organized; they play with the children and despite the limited resources, they try their best to set the educational foundation for these littlies as they embark on their schooling journey. This is only possible with the ongoing support from you, our very valued sponsor. Thank you for all the contributions that you have made over the years and we look forward to being able to keep up the support of these crèches for years to come.
Activities so far in 2022
Ensuring that these children get a daily meal at school has always been the core focus of The Foundation. There are now 580 children receiving a daily meal through the support of The People for Ukajede Foundation. The Foundation coordinates the monthly delivery of vitamin-enriched, non-perishable foods to each crèche where the food is cooked and given to the children.
We have focused on repairs of the existing crèche structures. 2022 started with various maintenance projects as we try improve the learning environments.
Water and sanitation is extremely important and because there is no proper infrastructure in the area, a lot of money needs to be spent on ensuring the crèches all have running water and flushing toilets.
The heavy summer rains have had no mercy in Johannesburg and therefore leaking roofs is another challenge that we often have to assist with.
At Palesa Education Centre, we replaced the front gate, a few classroom doors and the floor tiles in the classroom have been replaced.
At Kiddies Home we have screeded the floor of one of the classrooms.
In April, The Birchwood Hotel hosted their annual Half-Marathon event. Despite the rainy and cold weather, the athletes did an outstanding job in completing the 10km and 21km races. As part of the marathon efforts, R3,580 was raised by the runners for The People for Ukajede Foundation. In addition to the cash raised, fruit that had been sponsored by Food Lover’s Market Boksburg was donated to the crèches.
Each of these projects may seem small, but they make a massive difference in the day-to-day experience for the teachers and children.
In addition to the ongoing maintenance and feeding initiative, we continue to fund the school fees for 17 children attending Balmoral College. The learners on the sponsorship program are selected on base of their personal circumstances. Many are from child-headed homes or from families who cannot support their schooling needs. We are excited to see 3 of the students writing matric exams.
Once again, a very big thank you to all the sponsors of The People for Ukajde Foundation!