PROGRESS REPORT II

Henk, Sally & Charlotte outside Noluntus house with the Peacock Educare centre in the background.

Hi Marva & Fred, Sonia, Yvette, Dauna, Kathleen & Alan, Heather, Judd, Lisa, Quinn & Zoe, Ricardo, Debbie & Richard, Anneke & Don, Karen & Lee, Helen, Lissa & Frank, Dan & Elizabeth, Sonya, Christian & Honor



To follow up from November 11:

• I have been in email contact with Councillor Felicity Purchase and her comments and suggestions are copied below.
• Perhaps we look into the costs of initially building just one room plus kitchenette and kids toilets with plans to add on later once more funds are available. This way we may speed up the building of a better tho smaller version and Noluntu will be entitled to get food aid and local companies will be keener to donate. The lack of correct facilities is their main concern and the main prohibiting factor.
  
• Also some of you have asked about sending small donations in the mean time for food for the kids, and to that end the owner of my local Organic vegie shop has agreed to take credit card payments from USA donors for SMALL amounts at a 2.5% charge.
• I also added some additional info & ideas into Progress report number one (in khaki green)

Felicity's emails:

Hi,

Thank you for your interest in this. Noluntu does need help and any assistance will be greatly appreciated. If you can help with sponcorship it can be in the form of pick' pay vouchers or asking business to make a monthly contribution. A very good source of food ( porridge & Milk powder) is Diva foods at Heron Park. What has happened with another creche in the area is that visitors who come and visit the creche from overseas then do a bit of fund raising when they get home. Small scale stuff like dinner parties or get togethers where they ask for donations and these are then put into their bank account. these amounts help when converted from dollars, pounds or euros.

Then you can assist her to formalise herself into a committee and sit on it yourself. This helps to give direction if donations are for specific projects ie play equipment or books or toys or operating expences like day to day food etc. She should also have one or two parents on as well as one other teacher. It is difficult to get these things right as they take alot of time and perseverance. But it is worth it for her.

I have done a few but quite honestly just don't have enough time as then you are always called to help with some or other little thing.

There are also courses run by the art of living foundation in Noordhoek that will help her as well as other ecd courses which Council is trying to facilitate.

Yes you can build double storey. There is already one creche which is double story. The owners bedroom is also upstairs. It is brick but there is no reason it cant be wood and sand bag. The big threat is fire. She has burnt down once before. Perhaps you can fire proof it. There are building regs and I will find out what the street building lines are. If you go down the main road you will see some of the houses are only about 1.5 mt from the boundary so it cant be much.

Regards

Felicity

Done:

Contacted Councillor Felicity Purchase.
Blog


Advice:

>From Councillor Felicity Purchase:
Fire proof creche.
Fund-raising dinner parties in USA.
Committee set up to help Noluntu.

>From Kathleen:
Choose a name for the project.

>From Elizabeth:
Keep the day care section on the lower floor and Noluntu's residence above.
(Avoiding kids using stairs)
I think this is a great idea.
She will also have great views and sunlight!
Perhaps there can be a room upstairs for teachers to do their own craft projects etc as an axtra way of making income ( to sell).


The Next plan of action is:

1 Meet with Noluntu again about her preferences for her home space etc. Show her the rough plans.
2 Charlotte is going to take me on a tour of all the other creches in Masiphumelele to get ideas, info, etc etc
3 Follow up with building survey branch to check facts and requirements, etc.
4 Speak to other NGOs operating in Masi for ideas and maybe support
5 Get a rough design that council will approve of
6 Work out costs of a single and a double story, get quotes and info on brick versus sandbag & wood construction, one room plus toilets & basins & kitchenette space.
7 You all; to work out what you realistically can raise, etc. One suggestion Henk had and which has worked for the Kayalitsha creche etc was for a $10/$20 debit order for x #of years.
8 Tell people!
9. Put the committee idea to Noluntu and help her set up a plan for budgeting food money, maintenance, running expenses, helpo her network with aid that is available locally, etc.
10. Look into extra courses available to teachers.
11. Get pupils parents involved in building, fund-raising & the running of the day care itself.
12. Set up Section 21 (not for profit) for Peacock & bank account when necessary.

Again, congrats on the great Obama election turn-out and results. It was amazing to hear how much effort everybody put in! I hope we get a bit of the same enthusiasm going here in 2009.

Happy holidays and all the best to all of you in 2009... I guess its what we make of it?

Warmly,
Vanessa

Cape Town, South Africa, Dec 2008