People We Love In Africa

March 4th, 2013

After a butt-numbing 36-hour travel day (which, technically makes it “days”) we are home from our African adventure. If you want to read about our romantic, intrepid, grabbing-life-by-the-cajones safari with lots of photos you can start HERE.

We certainly miss living among the beasts of the natural world, swimming in pools filled with river water, the fattening, extravagant buffets, the shops selling indigenous arts and crafts and dresses (I love dresses because they don’t have buttons). But I think what we miss most are the people we love in Africa.

In particular, these people:

The purpose of our visit to Henna Pre-School was to give back to the indigenous Lion Sands community who took such good care of us during our stay there.

And as a mom it was also an opportunity for me to show my daughters how other families and children live, so my kids can understand that not everyone has the same privileges they do (I will try not to pull that one out every time they beg for some new form of technology).

But I also wanted to show my kids that the world is a much bigger place than just their elementary school and circle of friends.  That they are citizens of that world who can contribute meaningfully simply by being kind and putting themselves in another person’s shoes or by volunteering or donating should they choose to do so.

A lovely, resourceful woman named Thembi Mdluli was our host at Henna. Thembi is the Community Development Manager at Lion Sands who was born and raised in Huntington.

She has almost single-handedly built this school by securing donations from companies like Nokia, Toyota Australia, Lion World and, believe it or not, The Bachelor during the Brad Womack season (the kids probably needed Narcissism inoculations after that).

In contrast to the local village the pre-school is very much of the Developed World. It is one of the only facilities in the community to have its own water source (a well that was dug and donated by Nokia). It offers two nutritious meals to the children a day. It has a state-of-the-art-shade structure and jungle gym. It has its own garden planted by the children and wonderful classrooms.

Based on the poverty we saw in the greater Huntington village we were blown away by how clean, organized and modern Henna pre-school was. My daughters thought it was better than their former pre-school back in L.A.

The only big difference I found between these children and my own were their names shown in the photo below. You will notice there is a Relate, a Unaty (Unity?) and an Urgent.  Other names we saw on the wall were Bliss, Polite and Avoid. I’m not sure how Avoid will allow his name to influence his life. Perhaps he will simply be avoiding lions and not his girlfriend who wants to get married.

I think one of the most difficult things about poverty is that most of us want to look away from it. I speak for myself when I say sometimes I feel like the problem is so big that I have no idea where to begin to help.

Visiting Henna showed me that the only place I can start is one child at a time. One community at a time. One charity at a time. Visiting Henna and shaking hands with each one of these fierce, proud, joyous individuals reminded me that these aren’t the faces of poverty. They are the faces of Urgent, Polite and Bliss. Each child will have experiences and live a life just like my children will. Just like I will.

So I’m starting with Henna pre-school today and if you are searching for a good place to start I hope you’ll consider doing the same.

ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO HELP:

Legal Status

The Bhubezi Community Projects is a registered independent trust and is sanctioned by the South African Revenue Service as a Public Benefit Organization in terms of section 30 of the Income Tax Act, P.B.O. Ref. No. 18/11/13/765. The registration number is 2001/008367/08

The Trust continues to undertake and become involved in exciting projects focusing on education in a holistic sense; and working in conjunction with the community is both rewarding and worthwhile. We believe that the Bhubezi Trust, by working with the community and establishing relationships with government and donors, facilitates the community’s plans for a better future by helping to turn dreams into realities.

Get involved (any amount contributed to a specific need will help):

HOW?

Sponsor a child for a year’s tuition.

US$ 175

Sponsor a teacher for further tuition

US$ 500

Monthly food aid

US$1500

Lamination of Floor at New Beginnings day care, feeding chairs and cot beds

US$9000

Outdoor toys

US$2000

Jungle gyms

US$8 000

Building of toilets at New Beginnings

US$9000

Landscaping and tree planting

US$10 000

Huntington Home Based Care vehicle

US$12 000

Building of a kitchen at New Beginnings

US$18 000

General donations

General donations include stationery, used or new clothes, cutlery or crockery, office stationery and equipments, used soccer kit including soccer balls, toys, e.t.c these are always welcome

For further information please contact:

Thembi Mdluli (Community Development Manager for both Lion Sands and Tinga)

Email: community@lionsands.com

Tel: +27 13 735 5000

Fax: +27 13 735 5330

Postal Address:  FEDEX Shipping address:

Bhubezi Community Projects   Bhubezi Community Projects

Thembi Mdluli Thembi Mdluli

PO BOX 8090 Nr. 15, 3^rd Avenue

Whiteriver Parktown North, Johannesburg

1240 2193

The banking details are as follows:

Name of bank: First National Bank of South Africa

Branch: Whiteriver

Address: 37 Chief Mgiyeni Drive, Whiteriver, 1240

Type of account: Current account

Account number: 62049047956

Code: 270552

Swift: FIRNZAJJ

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Our trip was organized through Destinations South Africa and all lodgings were through More Hotels.