Phakamisa – South African Aids
PHAKAMISA is pronounced pa-ga-mee-sa.
A Zulu word meaning 'to uplift.'
There are some very interesting sounds emanating from the our new Caregivers Gym Classes early each morning!!! In response to feedback from the annual survey conducted with the participants, we have started, as the Caregivers say ’GYM’ or ‘Keep fit classes’. Probably more truthfully these are… ‘Stretch and Relax classes’. It is wishful thinking to imagine they have worked as effectively as Legina says they have. She declared in devotions that she no longer needs her walking stick because she does ‘Gym’.
Thandi was teaching in the informal settlement as one of our three ‘Wandering Teachers’. She has been teaching for several years there. The principal from the nearby primary school came to the community leaders and asked ‘Who is the teacher of these students?’. The community leaders said it was Thandi. Then the principal said, ‘You should support this teacher. She is sending me my best pupils, who are winning the awards.’ The community leaders then went to Thandi and said she ‘must use their Chris Hani Community Centre for her school.
MAGNIFIQUE – Rev Peter Clark and his friend John Turner, ran the Paris Marathon on 7th April, raising funds for Phakamisa. Amazing achievement with John running it in 3 hours 27 or so. Poor Peter he was still unwell from a virus and stomache upset but stuck it out and completed the event in under 6 hours – all be it with a swollen face, an allergic reaction to an energy drink. Gentleman you have our utmost respect and thanks. For continued support please visit ’Ways to Give’ page – Thank you.
Photo courtesy Every Stock Photo – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
Our Phakamisa beadworkers are constant in their desire to produce beautiful unique beaded jewellery and accessories and are creative in developing new lines. This is our heart panelled bracelet - which together with our other new lines; the little tactile cross, small beaded necklaces, and the single daisy strand, are quickly becoming snapped up by our customers. To find out more information on our new lines and all our beadwork designs please contact Margaret at beadwork@phakamisa.org
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
That every detail in our lifes of love for God, is worked into something good.
Romans 8: 28 from The Message.
In a tumultuous year at Phakamisa, verses in Romans 8 have been reasuring, download and read Glenda’s letter which outlines how and where God has been working in the lives of people here.
Download the September 2012 Newsletter.
Download the June 2012 Newsletter.
Download the March 2012 Newsletter.
Download the September 2011 Newsletter here.
Imagine going through life unable to read or write and what a huge disadvantage this would be! Phakamisa addressed this need for many of our Caregivers at the beginning of 2012 when we introduced Literacy classes. It has been a long, sometimes slow and difficult walk for many of our wonderful caregivers so imagine the day of celebration we had a year later at our first Literacy Graduation day. 31 Caregivers graduated with their Literacy Certificates. After one short year of learning, an 86 year old can read the label on her medicine bottles for the first time ever!
As so many said at their graduation ‘The light has come on in the darkness’.
This story is included in our new and current Newsletter – download here
Edamame soy is a large seeded green vegetable soybean which can be cooked and served both in and out of the pods. Our Caregivers harvested their plants at the beginning and end of March – this is the first Phakamisa harvest and we encouraged by our shared learning this year.. Edamame soy has a sweet, nutty flavour is highly nutritious and rich in phytochemicals (protective and with disease preventative properties) – great both as a green veggie (first harvest) and as a bean to add to stews and soups.
Recently a representative from the World Development Bank visited some of our gardens in Molweni, whilst he was on a fact finding mission. Our wonderful monitor, Magugu hosted his visit. Quite a feather in our cap !
The link below is a one minute film which tells the story of a class of children from one of our Wandering Teacher school’s first trip to a park. A very special outing.
This is our soy seed for 2012/13, divided up for each of our 6 area groups and ready for innoculation.
The seed is innoculated, essential especially where a vegetable garden is new to soy and then spread out to dry.
These women are caregiver leaders from Group 4, who are sharing out the seed to supply all the caregivers in their group. That morning in devotions we all prayed over the seed asking Gosd to bless our planting and harvest it was incredibly moving.
Planting soy is relatively a new development for Phakamisa but it feels an exciting one, and we will update you with news of our caregivers progress and eventual harvest.
Our gardeners and their seed, ready now for planting.
Zola, our cooking trainer, teaches caregivers how to bake and cook nutritionally for their families. She also teaches small groups of women income generating cooking skills - such as Zola’s Marmalade Recipe included here.
3 Oranges. 2 Lemons. 1 Grapefruit. 2.5L water. 8 cups sugar.
1. Cut oranges and grapefruit into slices. 2. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and separate all the pips and boil them separately. 3. Pour the water from the pips in the fruit mixture and soak through the night. 4. Put open bottles and the lids in a pot and pour over cold water – boil to sterilize them. 5. Boil the mixture the following day until the peels are soft. 6. Add sugar and cook on high and keep on stirring. 7. To test for setting pour a spoon on a saucer when the surface wrinkles when pushed with a finger it is ready.
Why not make Zola’s recipe for your family – or perhaps make a larger batch and sell your jars of marmalade perhaps at school, work or church to raise funds for Phakamisa.
We caught up with Robin as he trains for his second London Marathon this coming weekend to find out more about his running. Robin has been running off and on for about 20 years, with bouts of intensity (like now) and periods of complete inactivity.
We asked Robin what he enjoys about running and he told us ‘running is a great way to eradicate stress and keep fit, I feel that sweating intensely for a short period of time is good for me!!’
Training during this winter has involved a running machine – at these times Robin has periods of switching off or watching the 24 news channel. Mainly though he sets himself targets as he runs – Robin explains ‘ Every 800 steps is about a kilometre. I kind of count my steps in bouts of 0-2000. During this time, I equate them to dates in history. Eg 1485 = the start of the Tudor Dynasty. It all contributes to keeping me going.’
Robin is Year 6 Junior school teacher with 68 children in the year group – a non school uniform day is going to be held to raise funds and hopefully staff, parents and pupils will sponsor his efforts.
We pray blessings on Robin as he participates in this well loved event for Phakamisa, raising awareness and money as he does so.
Graduation Day was a great celebration for this large class of 25 women who have just all successfully complete our Early Childhood Development course. The graduates, 95 in total, have met for training one day every other week over the spring and summer school terms. They return to crèches and pre-schools where they care for 0-3 year olds with new skills and understandings of how a child learns. For this group of Childminders theirs was a day of great dancing, singing, much enthusiasm and tears.
Phakamisa provides training through a curriculum based on Early Childhood Development research and specifically developed to South Africa’s Zulu townships and informal settlements. Students have come from one day every other week from 5 different areas within a 50 km radius of Pinetown. We are committed to training pre-school and crèche workers from previously disenfranchised areas to teach in ways that will enable children to succeed and excel in formal education.
We produce three Newsletters annually.
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We would love to know of the support of your Church and it’s community so please do contact us at info@phakamisa.org
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