Breadline Africa's Blog http://www.breadlineafrica.org/rss-posts.q Receive the latest posts from Breadline Africa's Blog The year that has been - top blog posts of 2008 http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1886/the-year-that-has-been-top-blog-posts-of-2008 http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1886/ General Sarah 2008-12-31T13:02:51+00:00 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:02:51 +0000 Breadline Africa's Seaside Party 2008Wow, the end of the year seems to come upon us so quickly! In just a few short hours, it wil...]]> Breadline Africa's Seaside Party 2008Wow, the end of the year seems to come upon us so quickly! In just a few short hours, it will be 2009.

Here are some of the 2008 highlights of Breadline Africa's blog:

Earlier this year, we posted a recipe for Hearty Bean Soup - one of the most popular blog posts so far!

Edna heard about a community displaced by the xenophobic violence in need of a classroom for their children. We managed to post her 567 CapeTalk  interview with Soli Philander, and followed with posts about the container classroom for the children at Soetwater.

We've posted about a number of visits from our donors, and of course the visit from all of Breadline Africa's board members!

We talk a lot about containers, and on World Toilet Day, we got to tell you about containers that are turned into loos!

And of course, we launched the Worldwide Blogger Bake Off with this post on 15 October.

What's in store for 2009? We'll keep you posted!

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]]> Blogger Bake Off: Bread from around the world http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1851/blogger-bake-off-bread-from-around-the-world http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1851/ Fundraising Blogger Bake Off Sarah 2008-12-12T10:04:07+00:00 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:04:07 +0000 The Blogger Bake Off truly is a Worldwide event. Here are some of the blogposts from around the world over the past two weeks:

Crank's Breaden ...]]> The Blogger Bake Off truly is a Worldwide event. Here are some of the blogposts from around the world over the past two weeks:

Crank's Breaden Espanol from Mallorca.

No Knead Cheddar Batter Bread for Breadline Africa from Canada.

Spicy Sweet Potato Rolls from the USA.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns from India.

And some more support from Spain.

Just a little taste (excuse the pun) of the tasty recipes from the Worldwide Blogger Bake Off. Yum.

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]]> Donor visits to Cape Town - part four http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1807/donor-visits-to-cape-town-part-four http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1807/ Projects Donor Visits Edna 2008-12-09T11:53:55+00:00 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:53:55 +0000 First impressions last forever and meeting Dianne and Tristan Boden was no exception. I was instantly greeted with a huge smile and outstretched arms! Dianne said she felt as though she had known me for years - just from the letters that I write and cards that...]]> First impressions last forever and meeting Dianne and Tristan Boden was no exception. I was instantly greeted with a huge smile and outstretched arms! Dianne said she felt as though she had known me for years - just from the letters that I write and cards that I send – and I instantly felt that there was that ‘special bond’ between us.

After the excitement of meeting each other we enjoyed a cup of tea and I took the opportunity to fill Dianne and Tristan in on the work that we do and the projects we would be visiting.

Our first stop was the Cans4Skills plumbing and bricklaying containers. I introduced them to Neville who is our plumbing facilitator and he in turn introduced them to his students. His students were proud to show off what they had learnt and explained some of the problems and solutions that can be found in a domestic plumbing environment. It’s opportunities like these that I wish I could personally share with everyone as I sometimes wonder if the translation gets 'lost' on the printed page of my letters.

It was also a pleasure to introduce Dianne and Tristan to Roland Wilcox, our newest facilitator for our bricklaying course.

Roland explained the various parts of the syllabus for the students such as:

  • Mixing cement to laying the foundation
  • Drawing and reading building plans
  • Relationship building with other contractors

Dianne was impressed by the hats and tried them on!Next, it was off to see Nonhi’s Pre-school. Everyone just loves Nonhi as she makes them feel completely at home.

Nonhi was preparing for her children’s graduation. Each year, she tries to make it a special occasion by hiring graduation outfits (including hats!) – this really gives the children and parents of this township a sense of pride. I’m sure you can imagine all the attention and celebration of a graduation can be quite overwhelming, especially if you are only six years old – but it is a memory that will last forever.

With much love,
Edna

 

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]]> Seaside Party with a Special Father Christmas http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1834/seaside-party-with-a-special-father-christmas http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1834/ People General Projects Sarah 2008-12-08T11:57:21+00:00 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:57:21 +0000 Damian as Father ChristmasFor the past week, Breadline Africa has been taking underprivileged childr...]]> Damian as Father ChristmasFor the past week, Breadline Africa has been taking underprivileged children to the seaside for a very special Seaside Christmas Party. For many of the children, it's their first ever trip to the sea!

Damian and Smallz from Quirk joined the party on Friday, and Damian even did duty as Father Christmas (you can see him dressed the part in the photo on the right). Damian sent in the guest post below:

"The Breadline Africa Seaside Party was held on the Strand beachfront on Friday the 5th of December, where the kids were treated to an early Christmas, which was a first for many of the underprivileged.

After a warm up on the jumping castles and some time spent playing in the sand it was off to brave the waves. Under the watchful eye of the Breadline volunteers, the kids ran through the water, waded and paddled, while some ran up the beach to get as far away as possible from the ankle high breakers.

After all the kids had had enough time in the open Atlantic, it was back to the Strand beach clubhouse for face painting, games and some much needed lunch.

Once we’d all cooled down from a busy day of fun in the sun and enjoyed some tasty chicken and salads for lunch, the kids were surprised by Father Christmas (Santa Claus). Smiles and waves all around, Father Christmas greeted each one by name and handed out Christmas gifts as well as sweetie packs – as if the day couldn’t get any better.

But alas, the day drew to a close as Father Christmas made his way up the beachfront and the Western Cape wind gently started to shoo us off the beach.

Suffice to say, the day was a huge success for the organisers – but the Breadline Africa Seaside Party must have been incomprehensively enjoyable for the many children who experienced so many new things during the course of the day, and are all surely looking forward to next year!"

Thanks Damian!

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]]> Donor visits to Cape Town (part three) http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1806/donor-visits-to-cape-town-part-three http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1806/ Fundraising Donor Visits Edna 2008-12-04T10:03:35+00:00 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:03:35 +0000 This is the time of the year when visitors flock to our beautiful country. Like birds they migrate to bask in the sun and escape the cold weather in Europe.

And so it was a glorious day when Nicky Manby stepped into our office. With a broad smile she greeted me and...]]> This is the time of the year when visitors flock to our beautiful country. Like birds they migrate to bask in the sun and escape the cold weather in Europe.

And so it was a glorious day when Nicky Manby stepped into our office. With a broad smile she greeted me and said that she was so delighted to be here in South Africa, especially Cape Town. She was here for only a short visit but I was so happy that she made time to meet with me.

I took Nicky to visit some of my favourite container projects that she had so much wanted to see. I thought it would be a good opportunity to drop off a few of the knitted garments from the lovely knitting group in the UK.

We visited Founder Educare centre and were welcomed us with open arms. I introduced Nicky to everyone and in no time she was fitting the knitted jumpers on the children – and we couldn’t help but have a ‘photo-shoot’ in the process!

Nicky helps fit the knit wear for the childrenAnd our girls decide that we should have a photo shoot to finish off the visit (all in good fun)

With much love,

Edna

 

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]]> World AIDS Day - a time to reflect http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1812/world-aids-day-a-time-to-reflect http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1812/ Fundraising Sarah 2008-12-01T07:56:30+00:00 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:56:30 +0000 AIDS Ribbon (image by Jonathan Sul)Today is World AIDS Day, and around the world people will be devoting t...]]> AIDS Ribbon (image by Jonathan Sul)Today is World AIDS Day, and around the world people will be devoting time to highlighting this global problem. In SubSaharan Africa, 22 million people are said to be living with HIV / AIDS - that's two thirds of the people infected worldwide. But the effects of HIV / AIDS are far reaching. You don't have to be infected by the virus to be fundamentally affected by it.

One of the greatest problems arising from the HIV / AIDS pandemic is the children who are left orphaned by the virus. Even if the virus is not transmitted from mother to child, young children are being orphaned by the disease when their parents die of AIDS and related illnesses. Generations of youngsters find themselves in charge of their siblings when they are barely teenagers themselves, having to drop out of school to try and support their younger brothers and sisters. There are estimated to be 11.4 million children in Africa orphaned by HIV / AIDS.

If you receive our emails (and you can sign up for our mailing list here), you will have read of some of the many remarkable women who have opened their homes to these AIDS orphans. They're providing them with a safe place to sleep, a meal and in some small way, a sense of family. They're stepping into the (ever increasing) gap left by HIV / AIDS.

Breadline Africa supports a number of organisations who work with children affected by HIV / AIDS, who provide education and support, and who work with communities affected by the virus. You can read more about these projects here.

A day to bring attention to a problem helps with raising awareness. With our donors' generous support, we are able to assist a number of projects who work in this vital area each day.

Ribbon image by Jonathan Sull, source: Flickr (Used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License)

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]]> Breadline Africa Board Members visit Cape Town http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1804/breadline-africa-board-members-visit-cape-town http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1804/ Donor Visits Projects Edna 2008-11-28T13:10:29+00:00 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:10:29 +0000 Breadline Africa board members
(left to right) Representing our UK board: Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, L...]]> Breadline Africa board members
(left to right) Representing our UK board: Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, Louise Seligman (Chairperson), Tony Smyth and (front) Pippa Smyth, Tony Goodfellow and Sir Robert Dunbar.
Representing our Dutch board (front) Renee Hopster (Chairperson).
From the Cape Town Breadline Africa office (back) Andrew Warner, Debbie Beukman and (front) Edna Titus.

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Recently we were lucky enough to receive a visit from 12 Breadline Africa board members from the UK, Ireland and Netherland.  They spent a week of their own holiday-time with us and fully immersed themselves in our corner of the world - the most amazing part for me was that all 12 members were more than happy to spend the week away from their loved ones and also pay for their own airline tickets!

It was so nice to spend time with each of them and learn about their long-standing connections to Africa. Much thanks and appreciation goes out to all of them.

Now, you know I love writing about projects and taking our donors to experience them first-hand, so I’d like to share with you our visit to three Breadline Africa projects which our board members got to experience.

SIKHULA SONKE – Khayelitsha
This project was recently featured on our website. Sikhula Sonke is transforming pre-school education in Khayelitsha. It works with Early Childhood Development Centres to train teachers to help children develop to their full potential.

Sikhula Sonke's BeliefsOn the day of our visit the teachers were finalizing their portfolios and preparing themselves for their evaluation - this is essential for them before they can move to the next level.

Here is Sikhula Sonke’s mission statement which I wanted to share with you, especially point 1: “We believe that all children have the right to love, care and decent pre-school education” – I wholeheartedly agree and am glad we are able to help this unique project teach more women every year!

SANDANEZWE PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL – Khayelitsha
Of course, no visit to Breadline Africa would be complete without a visit to a school so we visited Sandanezwe Pre-primary. The school is kept in pristine condition and the children were so delighted to see us that they ran out from their classrooms to give us hugs. I could write so much more about this visit but I think the photos speak for themselves!

Preschool visit Khayelitsha

 Children run out to meet usChildren greet us and are full of hugsInside the classroomsChildren pose for us and want to see their photoChildren play in the school yardWe Love ThemBut sometimes it all gets a bit much :-)

Next ... it was off to visit our two CANS4SKILLS containers. This is the first time I’ve written about our Cans4Skills Bricklaying course and I’m so excited to share it with you! Our bricklaying course is being facilitated by Roland Wilcox who has more than 20 years experience as a tradesman. Soon I’ll be attending the graduation of this class and will be sure to post a blog so stay tuned!

Inside the Cans4Skills plumbing container classroom

Our Bricklaying students line up for a photo op Rolan talks to the board members about the new bricklaying courseThe Cans4Skills bricklayiing container

With much Love,

Edna

 

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]]> World Toilet Day: everyone needs a loo http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1779/world-toilet-day-everyone-needs-a-loo http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1779/ Containers Projects Sarah 2008-11-19T15:37:21+00:00 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:37:21 +0000 November 19 is International World Toilet Day. That's right. The World Toilet Organisation has declared November 19 each year as International Toilet Day, a day to think about those whose health suffers without acc...]]> November 19 is International World Toilet Day. That's right. The World Toilet Organisation has declared November 19 each year as International Toilet Day, a day to think about those whose health suffers without access to basic sanitation.

Breadline Africa has been working to get proper toilets to this particular preschool. You can see in the photos what the children are currently using: plastic buckets which have been fitted into a wooden plank. The toilets are outside, with no shelter, and are not very sanitary. This leaves these children much more susceptible to disease.

Preschool Toilets Ilustration of Container Toilets for World Toilet Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We've been raising funds to give them a container converted into toilets for the preschool. You can see an artist's impression of the toilets in an illustration. The container will have four toilets, two wash basins and two separate entrances (one for boys and one for girls, of course). Just one of these 6m x 2.5m container conversions costs about R75,400 (£4,900 or €5,800 or $7,300), but makes a lot of children happier and healthier.

If you'd like to help with a loo for preschool, you can donate to our container fund by following this link. It's something to think about next time you spend a penny :)
 

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]]> The Power Of A Thank You (part one) http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1775/the-power-of-a-thank-you-part-one http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1775/ General Fundraising Edna 2008-11-17T14:21:50+00:00 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:21:50 +0000 Thank you 

 

&n...]]> Thank you 

 

 

 

Thank you (Interjection, noun)

Definition: Expresses gratitude; used to express gratitude to somebody, usually for something given

I work in an environment where we rely on human kindness in order to carry out our work. This is why sending a ‘thank you’ letter in the post in return is so important to me. Although, I am sometimes amazed how our supporters react when they receive a thank you letter from me. I have had every response: joy, laughter, happiness, surprise and even irritation!

For the most part, donors who receive my thank you letters really appreciate being acknowledged for their donation. I think that this is important: sometimes donors are sceptical that their gift has made it to me, or that it will make a difference to the projects we support. This is my chance to let them know what a big difference these gifts make.

But sometimes I receive irritated replies asking me not to waste funds, time and effort thanking people. This is feedback that I do take into consideration. Because of feedback like that, I have begun thanking donors via email - and I’m proud to report this is going extremely well.

Personally, I love to thank everyone that supports Breadline Africa’s work. I believe that it is a blessing that we pass on to make others feel appreciated, and when they leave with a smile it is a reward that no one can take away. When our donors send me news as well, I know how much they appreciate hearing from me.

Below is an excerpt from a letter I received recently:

“Dear Edna,

Thanks for your news. You have really done great things over the years. I remember when I first contributed to your charity (with your predecessor) you were very much a small-time charity, struggling to get going. But how you have grown! Fancy paper, a bright magazine and real ambition - more power to your elbow! But you and your team are doing a great job, bringing hope to those in no way able to help themselves. I don't know if you are a Christian, but certainly God would smile on your mercy to others.“

I would love you to share with me your thoughts on whether you think a charity organisation should acknowledge donations or not, or how they should acknowledge donations. I think some people find this topic a double-edged sword. It’s human nature to want to receive some form of recognition (if only to have a confirmation of receipt), but many people are also aware of the cost and time that it put into such things.

I hope to post more donors comments on this subject as I think it is an interesting debate.

With much love,

Edna
 

 

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]]> How does design help a campaign? http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1772/how-does-design-help-a-campaign http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/1772/ Fundraising Blogger Bake Off Sarah 2008-11-14T13:38:15+00:00 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:38:15 +0000 Best Web GalleryAs I have mentioned before, the Best Web GalleryAs I have mentioned before, the Blogger Bake Off website has been featured on a few "Best of Web" sites for its great looking, CSS and W3C standards compliant design. But, what does that really mean for a website, and in particular for this campaign?

I was looking at the Google Analytics results for the past month, and I thought I would share. It's amazing to note that the top referrers to the campaign website have been the design galleries, although I am pleased to see StumbleUpon has also been sending us a lot of traffic.

However, of course, it's not only about the numbers. These sorts of accolades have been sending plenty of traffic, but as you would guess, it's not very targeted traffic. After all, they're coming through to look at a well designed website, and not for any philanthropical reasons. This traffic means plenty of new visitors, with an above site average bounce rate, and below site average length of visit and page views. However, there have been some conversions tracked to these referrers, so all is not lost!

What does this mean for the campaign (or for anyone planning something similar)? Well, great design certainly helps in giving your visitors a better experience, and great design can clearly be used to attract more visitors to the website. It's almost like a PR exercise, where you cannot predict the sort of coverage that you'll get from these sorts of efforts. Although it is difficult to plan for traffic from those sources, in retrospect it would have been good to have a call to action more likely to convert visitors from these sources.

So, good design for a good cause? We hope so, but there is still a very long way to go before this campaign is successful!

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