Graduation Day, March 29

Here are our seven happy garduates, having completed their rehabilitation programme, giving their parents, friends and I Care staff a Zulu dance in celebration.
After the prize-giving ceremony where the boys were given their certificates they were also given a satchel containing a brand new Zulu bible, school stationery and clothes for the new term.
Our resident "snake charmer" gave a chat and introduced his pet snake to the boys who took turns in handling it, looking somewhat bemused by the experience.
Afterwards, to the delight of all present, refreshments were served and enjoyed.

Congratulations

Qaphela is the new head boy at High Stone School in Phoenix. He is the first black boy to be given this honour.
Qaphela enjoys school and loves his sport, especially cricket but he is a football fan and supports Pirates.
He left home when he was 10 years old, stayed on the streets for more than two years before coming to I Care in October 2007. He lived in one of our houses in LowerIllovo and attended our special school.
Last year he returned to his family and I Care enrolled him in High Stone School in January 2010 as part of our "aftercare" programme. His promotion to head boy this month is a tribute to Qaphela himself and to the dedicated work of the I Care teaching staff and his house-parents,
We congratulate this remarkable young man on his achievement.

Farewell to Brie

One of our volunteers, Brie Plaggenborg, recently left I Care to return home to Holland. She has been with us for more than two years and has been a great asset to the organisation in more ways than one. During her stay with us she spent her time with the children. She was with them during their rehabiliation, in our special school, helping our principal, Gill, and after school assisting with homework and helping the house-parents. She also accompanied them on various outings to places of interest such as bird parks, the Durban Museum and Art Gallery, the Sharks Board and Tala Game Reserve. Then there were the other activities like swimming, surfing ten-pin-bowling and other sporting events, Brie was there too, joininig in the fun.
Before she left she wrote the following: -
"My two years in South Africa and with I Care have been wonderful and life-enriching, very loving, challenging in many ways and occasionally frustrating but very, very fulfilling."
She also added, "I Care has changed as an organisation during my time here. It is much more professional these days and is succeeding in working more efficiently towards achieving the vision of its founders, Graham and Denise Cochrane, that is to get every child off the streets and into a loving home."
Goodbye, Brie, you will be missed by your I Care colleagues and all your boys but we know you will be happy to be re-united with your family back home in the Netherlands.

Bambisandla J.P School

The Bambisandla Junior Primary School have sent I Care a very nice letter with an invitation to Lucia and Jabulani to give a presentation or talk to them in order to emphasise the values of family life. Bambisandla School has three learners who are part of the I Care programme and they are very impressed by the way we care for all our children.
We shall tell you how everything went once dates and times have been arranged.