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StreetSmart has handed over R25,000 to the Swellendam Bursary Fund, collectively raised by the StreetSmart fundraising partners and their patrons. The funds raised are supporting promising local young people wishing to study at university or college, but who do not have the means to pay for their studies.

The local committee which furthers the work of StreetSmart Swellendam, comprises Cathy van Eeden, Francois du Rand, Mari-Louise van der Merwe and Marjolein van Mourik.

“The StreetSmart donation is a welcome injection in support of the Bursary Fund. We are extremely grateful for the donation because it enables us to provide bursaries to young people of Swellendam who merit financial support,” said Basil May, honorary president of Swellendam Bursary Fund.

Funds are raised by adding a R5 donation to a patron’s bill. This donation is voluntary and donors are able to contribute more if they wish to. There are currently 5 establishments in Swellendam that have embraced StreetSmart’s vision to make a real difference to the lives of young people by giving their guests the opportunity to be real change makers in their own community. They are 18ZeroOne @ De Kloof Estate, Bergview Guesthouse, Elianthe Guesthouse, Field & Fork, La Sosta Restaurant and Powell House.

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What should have been a year of celebrating StreetSmart’s 15th anniversary of making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children, turned into a year of relentless challenges brought about by COVID-19’s devastating impact on StreetSmart’s major source of fundraising. Despite the various phases of lockdown affecting the hospitality industry, StreetSmart managed to raise a total of

R615 000 to support 35 organisations working with the country’s most vulnerable children for 2021.

Along the Garden Route, StreetSmart is operational in George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Collectively StreetSmart fundraising partners and their patrons raised R135 000 for their respective local beneficiaries, YFC Kidstop Drop-in Centre, Sinethemba Centre, Bitou Family Care and Masizame CYCC. The funds raised support these local organisations towards retaining a child and youth care worker, as well as social and auxiliary social workers working with vulnerable children.

What should have been a year of celebrating StreetSmart’s 15th anniversary of making a difference, turned into a year of relentless challenges brought about by COVID-19’s devastating impact on StreetSmart’s major source of fundraising. Despite the various phases of lockdown affecting the hospitality industry, StreetSmart managed to raise a total of R615 000 to support 35 organisations working with the country’s most vulnerable children for 2021.

In the Cape Winelands, StreetSmart is operational in Franschhoek, Helderberg, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Wellington. Collectively StreetSmart fundraising partners and their patrons raised R150 000 for their respective Winelands beneficiaries, The Kusasa Project, Home from Home Winelands, Pebbles Project, Stellumthombo and NorSA. The funds raised help these local organisations towards retaining educational support teachers as well as social and auxiliary social workers working with vulnerable children.

Since inception in 2005, StreetSmart SA has had two aims: to raise funds for street children programmes and to encourage the public to give responsibly.

Giving responsibly is to NOT donate to a begging child on the street. It is to make your gifting count by donating to reputable organisations and initiatives that addresses the challenges faced by street children and support vulnerable children in a real way. It is to equip each child to live a viable life in his or her community.

StreetSmart's goal is to be part of the process of social normalisation and to encourage the public not to give money into the hands of a child as this keeps them on the streets. In essence, donating to StreetSmart where you eat, drink, sleep and play, is the responsible way to help a street child. We appeal to you to give responsibly and with purpose. Click HERE to see the ways in which you can donate.

Aristotle said: Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.  At The Kusasa Project they do both, with funding received from StreetSmart Franschhoek, towards a social worker salary.

Through the approach of focusing on the entire family system, as opposed to only on the individual children, we have seen a marked improvement in the lives of families. Despite being a good student, Mary-Anne was born into a family with a history of alcohol and drug abuse. Her mother was exposed to physical and emotional abuse herself and had a very disruptive and dysfunctional childhood. Through the platform of our parent workshops, her mother was able to come to terms with some of the challenges of her own upbringing. She has been able to release the anger that she has felt and focused on her role as a mother. She has been able to learn new skills for parenting Mary-Anne and in turn break the cycle of dominating and abusive parenting styles. I quote her: “A broken mother will raise broken children. I want to be a fixed mother who raises fixed children!"

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ooOoo

Jenny Stricker-Greeff, (StreetSmart JHB), Nicodemus Setshedi (MES JHB) with Melanie Burke (StreetSmart SA)  LR.jpg Melanie Burke (StreetSmart SA) in the centre, with Sam Mokgopha (MD) and Moira Simpson (Founder) from Kids Haven LR LR.jpg

What should have been a year of celebrating StreetSmart’s 15th anniversary of making a difference, turned into a year of relentless challenges brought about by COVID-19’s devastating impact on StreetSmart’s major source of fundraising. Despite the 5-month lockdown of the hospitality industry, StreetSmart managed to raise a total R615 000 to support 35 organisations working with the country’s most vulnerable children for 2021.

CALL. WRITE. CHAT.

 

Email: streetsmartsa@gmail.com

 

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