INTRODUCTION

This month was Mandela Month. Though we did not have a particular event held to commemorate the day, we do continue fundraising for the 450 orphans at Ndumo. Please refer to the end of this update to learn how you can also be a part and contribute to their welfare.

WATERBERG WAVE FM OUTREACH PROGRAMMES

For the month of July,  ERP funded and supported Waterberg Wave FM and facilitated a community environmental awareness and engagement session at Ga Monare and Segole Village that are situated along the Masebe Nature. Focus for this session was focussed on the importance of biodiversity protection and nature conservation with a particular focus on the role of the community in anti-poaching in protected areas. In addition, Letticia and the radio station team also focused on programming around water pollution, fish health, waste management and various biodiversity issues directly affecting the Vaalwater community. This, as always, was over and above the weekly ERP programme that educates listeners on ERP’s mission and our various interventions both current and planned, aimed at benefitting those living adjacent to nature reserves.

#BIKES4ERP MADIKWE DELIVERY 

Thanks to funding from Medipost, we were once able  to deliver an additional fleet of 100 bicycles to Olefile Secondary School in Pitsedisulejang, Madikwe. This is a continuation of our 402 bikes in memory of Gert Vermeulen, who was the co-founder of #Bikes4ERP, and who tragically lost his life last October through a senseless robbery. We express our gratitude to Nicolai van der Merwe and his team for their continued dedication in pursuing this programme, ensuring its continued success.

ERP CAREER GUIDANCE DAY AT MADIKWE

On the 22^nd of July, a day before delivery of the bikes, an ERP team held a career day at Pitsedisulejang, Madikwe. This was facilitated by ERP’s current long term partnership with the Barokologadi Community People Association (BCPA) which has enabled us to implement a number of conservation and socio-economic initiatives within various villages falling under the BCPA. A total of 30 learners attended the career guidance day, where they had an opportunity to interact with various ERP team members and in the process, got exposed to the different career options based on their studies and our current learnership programme currently being implemented in their community.

SEKELEKANI COOPERATIVE-GAZINI UPDATES 

The Cooperative have now to completed harvesting the remainder of their chillies, which has provided them with an additional 10 bags of the crop. Once weighed, this will be sold off to the market, with income derived from the sale being re-invested into the Cooperative’s enterprise. We continue to commend the Cooperative, through guidance of Edward Malu, for their hard work and tenacity which always pay off each month.

NTSHABELENG WASTE COOPERATIVE UPDATES

The Cooperative have continued with their daily waste collection and sorting activities, and the weighing of waste currently scheduled for the end of July. They have recently commenced with clearing the land in preparation of planting new vegetables under their food-for-waste programme. Progress on this had, in the past, been hindered owing to a variety of circumstances which had stalled the planting, but, we are pleased to report that all challenges have since been overcome and we are looking forward to providing more feedback on this in the coming weeks.

VAALWATER ICT CENTRE PROGRAMMES

The ICT Centre continues with its various programmes namely basic computer training for local church leaders, basic computer training for school going youth (learners), supporting learners with school-based research programmes and supporting Grade 12 leaners and out of school youth with applications to higher institutions and bursary applications. The computer training course, which impacted 13 learners in July, teaches basic typing and computing skills allowing students to gain confidence in using computers.  With regard to training the church leaders, 7 participants had the opportunity to go through basic computer training affording most of them to make use of computers for the first time in their lives. In addition, 53 beneficiaries were supported and assisted with school-based research projects through accessing the internet from the Centre. We commend Zach Sekhu, who continues to efficiently run the IT centre, allowing it to impact positively on the lives of both young and old within Vaalwater.

NDUMO FEEDING SCHEME FUNDRAISER

The Ndumo Schools Orphan Project (NSOP) was established circa 2002, by a group of concerned school principals and teachers who were troubled by the significant level of absenteeism amongst their pupils. Upon investigation, they discovered that an alarming number of these children were orphans and otherwise vulnerable children who were being left to fend for themselves due to a devastating rise in deaths in the community as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Many didn’t have clothing to attend school. The NSOP initially focused on providing the orphans and vulnerable children with food parcels supplied at the time by the Catholic Church. Subsequently, in 2015, funds were raised to provide ePap to these children. We have undertaken to continue to support the work that is done by the NSOP and with generous funding from ERP, USA, recently, we have been able to continue to distribute ePap to the 400 orphans who are not eligible for government grants, as well as 20 caregivers who attend to them.

For as little as the equivalence of $15 a month, you can support an orphaned or otherwise vulnerable child with a supply of ePap for an entire month. Join and support our cause by clicking on the link below:

https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTEwNTYx