What a Day to Remember

The prize giving was a great success. Almost all of the boy’s families were there. A big thank you: to all our valued guests who attended the prize giving on Friday. I’m sure they will agree that it was a special day.

Each I Care (past and present) Trustee sponsored a trophy. Most of the trophy categories were not based on academic achievements but rather on personal traits and growth; including diligence, neatness, most improved communication skills and leadership to name a few. Each trophy was awarded to a scholar, who the teachers believed, deserved to be acknowledged for their individual development and determination in various areas.

Three of the boys felt inspired to stand up and share their personal stories with the audience. Their stories were very poignant and modest. They reminded the audience about respect for themselves, their community and their family. What a blessing!

Ready to Go!

Tomorrow is the I Care Christian School Prize Giving, and all seems to be in order. (The trophies are polished [and shinny] and the book prizes are ready to be distributed.) We are looking forward to catching up with all of our friends, families, supporters, sponsors and most importantly the boys at the event. SEE YOU THERE!

Collection Cans

This week we distributed our collection cans to tenants at La Lucia Mall, North Coast and The Windermere Centre in Berea. In the coming months cans will also be distributed in the Musgrave and Davenport Centres.
This is a joint (co-branding) venture between I Care and the shopping centres with the purpose of raising money to support current I Care projects, and to create general awareness about I Care and street children in KZN.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank La Lucia Mall and each individual shop owner for generously allowing us to display our collection cans in their stores.

News From Mother of Peace

Dear Friends!
Once again, on behalf of all of us at Mother of Peace - Illovo, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and care. You are as much part of this project as we are, and without your participation we would not be where we are today. As you read this 3rd quarter edition of the Mother of Peace - Illovo Newsletter you will see that with the partnering of many organisations, businesses and individuals, comes growth and success. So, whether you have given finances, donations in kind, volunteered to spend time with the children, or prayed for us, please know that all of you are part-and-parcel of the fabric of success that is Mother of Peace - Illovo. We are profoundly grateful for, and we truly appreciate, your partnership and
friendship in helping to give the children here a better life and a brighter future. Thank you. Please enjoy sharing our joy at the progress taking place at Mother of Peace - Illovo.
Heather Cloete
Administrator

Inkwali Primary School Ablution Block
Volunteer builders from Ireland came out recently to work on the new Chapel and on the school ablution block. About thirty children from Mother of Peace - Illovo attend school at the Inkwali Primary School. The ablution block was identified by the school principal as a necessity when Eddie and Gemma Dillon visited in March of this year. Gemma and Eddie went back to Ireland and raised nearly R100 000,00 for this project. The block of eighteen toilets should be completed by the end of November.

The Chicken Project
It was an exciting day for Mother of Peace - Illovo on Tuesday 06 May, especially for ‘Farmer Brown’ Gavin who received the first batch of two-hundred chirping chicks at 06:15 in the morning! Discussions have been under way between Nedbank Retail KZN, the Rotary Club of Amanzimtoti and Mother of Peace - Illovo, since last year. Many thanks go to these two organisations for their continued support and their confidence in Mother of Peace - Illovo. The chickens will be used for Mother of Peace consumption and some chickens will be sold to the local community to cover the costs of the project. The chicken project, combined with our recently expanded vegetable gardens, will save enormously on our monthly food bill.

Sponsor a Home Project.
We are very pleased to announce that we are currently receiving part or full sponsorship for thirty children. One family from Italy, who were on vacation in South Africa, came to visit us to meet the young man that they have sponsored. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to actually see what Mother of Peace - Illovo is all about and spend a short time with ‘their’ child.

The Computer Room Adult Basic Education & Training (ABET)

I Care and Mother of Peace have jointly set up a computer room in the St Joseph’s building. This facility will be used by the I Care Christian School, I Care housemothers and fathers as well as Mother of Peace staff and children. An ABET school for I Care and Mother of Peace staff is up-and-running and Mother of Peace and I Care staff are doing well learning literacy and numeracy on the computers. Workbooks are also used. This is a six-month course and most of the staff will have completed Levels 1, 2 or 3 by December.

SMS your request and help those in need

I Care has just discovered a brilliant SMS service that assists those who like to be in the know at all times. It's a service where you can SMS any question to 38138 and not only will you receive the correct answer within minutes but all profits from the service are being donated to Percy Bartley Children’s Shelter- an organisation that I Care supports.

You can send all sorts of questions such as: Who has the most Springbok rugby caps in history, or what is the current Rand / Baht exchange rate, or who was the last person to land on the moon. The service costs R10 per SMS, so by using it, you will be helping homeless street children.

The number is 38138 - Give it a bash or save it on your phone for those future "oh my gosh, what is the name of that song" moments!

Making a difference this Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner. How is your company making a difference this year?

Jeffares & Green has sent out the following memo to all its stakeholders:
“... In light of the dire poverty all around, you will not be receiving a corporate gift or Christmas card from Jeffares & Green this year. Instead, we will be using the money to educate nine rehabilitated street kids. Our corporate gift budget will pay their teacher’s salary and buy the text books and stationery needed for 2009…
…We hope that you will approve of this decision and take satisfaction from knowing that your sacrifice of a branded product has made a real difference in a LIFE. Kind regards, the management and staff of Jeffares & Green”


To become a corporate sponsor call 031 572 6870 or email info@icare.co.za

New Bus For I Care Children

Everyone at I Care was extremely excited about the news of the donation of a 16 seater bus from the Victor Daitz Foundation.The foundation has been a loyal supporter and donor of I Care for many years. Once again The Foundation has stepped forward and assisted I Care with resolving our logistical issue of transport that we were facing in the collecting and dropping off of children in and around Durban. Transport is vital as part of the I Care Cycle's housing and education. This vehicle will be used extensively in the transportation of the boys from our homes to school and back.

To find out other ways that you or your organisation can help visit http://www.icare.co.za/

Awesome Destinations

Over the past three years, of Awesome Destinations has raised over R1 million for I Care through the sale of raffle tickets.
“It was our goal R1 million, but this figure is only a drop in the ocean compared to the present need and the requirements of developing on-going projects” , says director Costa Pnematicatos.

It is only through continued support like this, that I Care can reach out and begin making a lasting difference to the plight of thousands of street children living in South Africa.

How Your Support

Show your support to I Care by swiping your My Village Card every time you shop. Remember it costs nothing to swipe, but the more you do, the greater the percentage of customer transaction is donated to I Care. To apply for a My Village Card call Shirley Van Rensburg on 086 147 0047 or visit http://www.icare.co.za/ , click on the My Village logo and type I Care as your beneficiary.

Administration Support

Grateful thanks to Duncan Hannay from Flocktek cc for screen printing a large number of I Care logos for free. The I Care logos are transferred onto I Care memorabilia such as shirts, T-shirts, umbrella’s and table cloths.

Thanks also to Diana Millard owner of the Ink Drop franchise for offering to refill all I Care ink cartridges for free.

Not forgetting Christ Church Umhlanga who give I Care free office premises. Christ Church are currently expanding and building four new offices for I Care.

This kind support saves I Care a fortune by reducing administration costs and ensuring that more money goes directly to our children.

Adopt-a-child Update

Late last year I Care decided to begin an adopt-a-child programme whereby we appealed to organizations to assist us with the costs of care for children on a per child basis. Nokia Siemens Networks have agreed to adopt 10 children for 1 year and did a cheque handover to I Care for R368 400, being the total costs for the year. Grindrod Management Services have agreed to adopt a further 5 children for a year, they will be paying on a monthly basis. We currently still have two children available for adoption, at a cost of R3, 070 per month. Please contact Shirley Elgin on 084 400 7053 or shirleyelgin@icare.co.za should you be interested in assisting with these children.

Recent Donations

I CARE would like to thank ALL the people who have kindly donated computers, books, desks, toys, clothes, crockery, linen, food, appliances and beds this year. The recipients of these items are always extremely grateful.

Any further donations can be delivered to 57 Hambridge Avenue (off Somerset Drive) Somerset Park, Umhlanga. At present we are experiencing collection of goods due to lack of transport.

Thanks to those who kindly set up a new debit order and to those who donated sums of money.

Figata Food Emporium

For home cooked meals, build-it-yourself sandwiches, breads and confectionary baked daily you’ve got to try Figata (1st floor of the African Palms, opposite Gateway).

From the beginning I Care boys have enjoyed the involvement with Figata, tasting the fine selection of foods from which the chefs would make their final menu selection.

I Care have arranged that Figata donate their surplice fresh foods via the Charity Feedback who deliver to less fortunate children in our society on a daily bases.

The following photo shows some I Care children enjoying some donated cakes during their tea break.

Cafe Partnership

Blueberry Café at the Umhlanga Crescent have agreed to add on an extra item to all their bills whereby patron’s can add on an amount for I Care. Blueberry have also put the I Care logo on all their menus and include an I Care flyer in all their bill folders. Please support I Care by supporting Blueberry Café. Should any other restaurants be interested in supporting us in this way, please contact Shirley Elgin on 084 400 7053 or shirleyelgin@icare.co.za