Great Expectations

Our boys are very privileged to have sponsored surfing lessons courtesy of Roxy/Quicksilver . They attend lessons on a weekly basis. One Boy, Andile Zulu, has been identified as an up and coming surfing star. He has been ear marked by the KZN Development Surfing Programme. We will be sure to keep you up to date on his progress through out the year.


Two I Care school leavers, Skumbuzo Sithole and Mlungisi Nxumalo, have signed up for a panel beating course this year. They are both very excited about the course and look forward to the job opportunities this course can bring them.

Scripture Union Week Long Course

Scripture Union is running a life skills course that two of our staff members are attending this week. The training programme serves to introduce individuals to the challenges facing our youth today and to equip them to deal with these issues in an influencing way. The course includes material from the Scripture Union life skills course which targets grade 4’s to grade 12’s. It is dynamic and relevant as it aims at intervening in the relentless spread of AIDS and other social ills.

The objective is to significantly influence and shape the character of this and future generations of South African young people, to see a generation which has ‘Decided to Decide Right’. Scripture Union believes that individuals can be a great influence to young people in their areas and together we will be able to make a great impact on the youth of our country as a whole.

Building The Best

The three new I Care homes in LowerIllovo have met a few small building snags but will be completed at the end of February and the boys will be able to move in at the beginning of March. The "Handing Over" ceremony will be taking place on March 18. The kitchen of one of the houses is pictured above. The quality throughout is exceptional. "Nothing is too good for our boys".

East Coast Radio - The Good Stuff

On Friday 16 January East Coast Radio will be broadcasting "The Good Stuff" which will feature our Chairman, Denise Cochrane.

There will be a repeat of the broadcast on Sunday 18 January. We feel that the broadcasts will be most successful and will create a lot of interest from the listening public.

2009 Plans

Prevention / Awareness
We need to focus on preventative talks in schools in the community. We have identified 15 schools located in areas where the risk of children leaving for the streets is high. We wish to set up partnerships between the more affluent schools and schools in the communities to assist with financial support, school uniforms & building projects. I Care will also be partnering with churches and other NGO’S to provide assistance with our Back to School programme.

Outreach
I Care set up its own Reception Centre on Wednesday, March 11 at the Kwasuka Theatre in Stamford Hill Road, Greyville. The theatre is attached to the Methodist Church. Initial rehabilitation programmes , practical workshops and a feeding scheme will be run from here for children living on the streets, while we assess the suitability of their home environment for their return home. Should this not be possible they are placed at child care facilities or enrolled in I Care’s rehabilitation programme. A surfing programme in partnership with Roxy / Quicksilver will also be run from here.

Rehabilitation
Three Khuthaza rehabilitation programmes are planned for 2009. One of these programmes will be held specifically for girls living on the streets, a first for KZN.

Housing / Shelter
We have moved our boys into the three new homes built by Ilembe. Moving day was at the end of February. The Handing Over ceremony took place on Wednesday March 18. We are looking at purchasing additional land to increase our capacity to house more street children who are unable to return home.

Skills development / Job creation
Continued ABET computer training, NACCW and MERSETA training.

Education
A motivational leadership training programme is planned, and we are looking at implementing a structured sports programme at the I Care school.

Highlights of 2008

Prevention / Awareness
Motivational / awareness talks were done at the following schools – Waterloo primary, Amatikwe Primary, Clareville Primary, Efolweni Primary, La Lucia Crawford college, Chelsea primary, Padayachee Primary.

Outreach
We held a 5-day camp for 80 children from four schools from underprivileged communities and street children. The camp was organised in association with Scripture Union.
Our partnership with Umthombo / I Care has seen on average of 250 – 280 interventions with children on the streets for the 2008 year , of whom in excess of 100 children were either re-unified with their families or referred to child care facilities (Tennyson house, Zamani). Art and sports programmes were introduced. The ambulance staff treated the minor injuries of children living on the street. Courses were run to educate the children with issues relating to sex, sexuality & HIV / AIDS.

Rehabilitation
A Khuthaza re-habilitation program was completed with a total of 8 boys successfully completing 12 weeks of re-habilitation. Upon completion the boys were either re-unified with their families or have moved to the I Care homes situated in Warner Beach and Lower Illovo.

Housing / Shelter
We currently have 13 boys living in our homes and continue to support 22 children in our back to school programme. These are boys that I Care has successfully re-unified with their families. I Carrovides school uniforms, stationery as well as food parcels. We received a 16 -seater vehicle from the Victor Daitz Foundation to transport our boys to and from school. The boys participated in a variety of sports such as lifesaving , tennis, surfing, soccer as well as swimming.

Education
I Care School celebrated its first birthday in June 2008. (Our school is situated at Mother of Peace in Lower Illovo and is aimed at fast tracking the education missed by the boys). All boys progressed well & prize giving took place on 5th December 2008. We also now have a fully operational computer room and a well equipped recreational room at the school.

Skills development / Job creation
Ten candidates have completed a training course through MERSETA, in metal manufacturing. In another job creation initiative, 14 youths were employed by Group 5 in the construction of the Moses Mahbida stadium. ABET computer training has also been successfully completed with 25 people in Amaoti and at Mother of Peace.