Charging through the chaos of the developing and developed worlds….. more balls are thrown to us everyday, making our lives ever more interesting…. it is with your assistance, the blessings that find us, and the amazing people we work with, that we inevitably find our balance, take a deep breath and once again see the impacts of our efforts, remembering to take note of the flowers blooming all around us.
Amazing scholarship news: THANK YOU BILL & MELINDA GATES
As an unpaid, full time volunteer, it is sometimes hard to take care of yourself while taking care of others. However, because of this line of work COLORS volunteers have always been accepted with open arms by the communities we work in plus lent a helping hand by like minded charity’s, family and friends back home . Every now and then, we are offered unique opportunities to speak to the international world concerning COLORS programs, projects and views on development.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided both Sunyata and I with a fully paid scholarship to attend the 4th Annual South African HIV/AIDS Conference in Durban at the end of March, 2009.
Updates from my Outreach Projects in Thembalethu
So far..........my outreach projects are moving along wonderfully. I have fully implemented a Art Therapy and craft session every Thursday for HIV positive adults at a local daycare center in the township of Thembalethu. A few of the crafts we have created are: wonderful beaded earrings, hemp necklaces (which is very popular), stencil and sponge master pieces to hang up at home, and beautiful African Mama "door stoppers" made of old beer bottles cloth and beads.
The Nutty Buddy food distribution program is running very smoothly. I had a couple of unpredictable circumstances at the beginning of the program, but we have come out with flying colors in the end. Myself and 3 Volunteers from Germany are hand making the Nutty Buddy ourselves in the Kitchen at Bethesda. We are currently providing 40 families consisting of 3 - 7 children at each home with nutrition allowing the opportunity to help improve their immune systems and make it much easier on the stomach when taking their ARV's.
The Home repairs out reach project has come to a bit of a stand still, as our head of maintenance has been on leave for the last month 1/2. I have headed out into the townships of Rosemoor, Cornwall, Parkdine, and Thembalethu to assess the homes as best I could. So far I have encountered a shack that needs the door widened, a wheelchair ramp, and a window. Windows are ideal in helping to prevent the spreading of TB. 3 shacks are in need of new roofing to try and prevent the rain from coming in.
Thank you to all of the people who made donations from Ontario and Vancouver Canada. It is because of your generosity that allowed us to make the Outreach programs and Children's Christmas camp a reality.
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