It has been some wonderful busy weeks. I look forward to share more insights here in my Diary today. These are some of the highlights that I have been busy with the past two weeks (Feb 22nd to March 5th 2011)
Accounting/Audit Preparations
February month has been the last month in our first financial year. I have been 'burried' in numbers... It has both been quite a lenghtly process to wrap up the year and also a very exciting one... To see how much we have actually achieved with a few Rands here and there. It also gives a nice picture of what we must focus on going forward. And the funds needed to sustain and expand.
The papers were handed in to our Auditor HG Page in Plumstead. Hilton is a great help to us. He offers his help at almost no cost. Our Audit for 2010/2011 will be done by next week.
Networking / joining hands with more partners in Community Building
I have connected with interesting people who could possibly open some doors for us.
Leif Soerensen from Norway has two Saturdays in a row visited our Nyanga Youth Programme and also been sitting in on our community builder team meetings. He was very excited! This could open the door for us with sponsors from Norway. Leif leads the Varde Theatre in Norway and is supporting one of our partners here in SA: The Nyanga Arts Development Centre (NADC). They will be putting on a production which will both run in the NADC and also in Pollsmoor Prison. It is a wonderful initiative. We look forward to work hand in hand on this.
I had a meeting with Belisa from African Arts Institute (AFAI). This could be an opportunity for our artists in the Nyanga Township - a platform for networking opportunity and promoting their unique profiles. AFAI also focus on refugees in SA. We are in the process of exploring synergies.
Prison Coaching Days
Every Monday and Wednesday is my prison coaching days. I have been in Brandvlei Maximum Prison, in Worcester Medium Prison and in Goodwood Medium Prison the past two weeks. Brandvlei Juvenile is scheduled for next week. Even when I am not there the process runs in the prisons on a daily basis.
My focus is in the Worcester Prisons (currently 4 prisons) to train the coaches/students (inmates) who are offering The Responsible Individual Programme to their fellow offenders. The coach/students hand in the work of the participants and I meet all participants in an assessment session one-two weeks prior to their graduation.
In Goodwood Medium we (Meeghan and I + coach/student (inmate) Welcome) also have coaching sessions with inmates who are starting with the journey (not training as coaches yet).
In february we had a total of 39+30+10+17 coach/students (inmates) in the process in the 5 prisons where we are active = 96
Meeghan has on March 2nd had a meeting at Pollsmoor Prison with the aim to start the female prison with the process within the next few months.
Youth Workshops and upcoming MY TUNE event.
Our Saturday Youth Workshops in Nyanga are touching me deeply. Yesterday I was observing this young boy - 5 years old - who seeks so much attention. If he doesn't get it he hits the other children and also me. This happens all the time - every Saturday. I understand more than ever how important our work is within the community. How important it is to offer this platform of sharing and caring. How important it is to offer parental education and guidance so that we can create loving environments for the children. Cuma doesn't know any different. This is what he sees, this is what he feels and this has now become how he reacts to it. And he is only 5. Imagine where such hurt can lead to... We will intensify our house visits and through our monthly events inspire the parents to get involve with us. This will also give Cuma an opportunity to experience a change in the environment he lives in. So that it is not just on Saturdays that he experience love and care; but every single day.
Photos are on Facebook in our FB group
We are also busy preparing for our upcoming March Event (19th) where our theme is MY TUNE. It is the month of human rights. We explored in our Nyanga team meeting how we could use this months public holiday to share our own special message. Knowing your rights is about knowing who you are and walking with that in all you do. It's like listening to the voice of your heart. This is how the team came up with the theme: MY TUNE.
In THE RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL manual we picked the area 'My Vision' to use in our Saturday workshops with the youth - to shape the theme MY TUNE.
Establishing our Project Management Committee for NYANGA
After 9 months in Nyanga we have now established the core group of community builders, who are leading the CIRCLE OF CHANGE initiative within the community. They are all from the community. They all LOVE their community.
Sound Project Mangager: More D
Performance Project Manager: Shawn
Creative Writing Project Mangager: Ivan
Arts & Crafts Project Manager: Bulelwa
Re-Integration Project Manager: Thabo
Responsibility Coaching Manager: Farouk
Assisted by:
SmilingOne Coordinator: Karina
Green Coordinator: Meeghan
Recycling Project Manager: Jean Paul
Board Meeting
March 4th we had a 6hour board meeting to revise all policies, work through our 2011 budget and planning and our fundraising strategy.
On March 22nd we will have our AGM.
Database
I am very excited about the database programme that we are in the process of creating. Gabri Rigotti is kindly assisting us with this task (he will create the prototype). We have expanded tremendously the past years and it is KEY to us that we can ensure tranparancy at all times and have some measurable data that are easy to access and use in our reporting.
The database will consist of all our participants in all projects, members of The SmilingOne Foundation, our donors (active or potential), newsletters, linked with our expenditure on each programme, work hours etc.
I look forward to the coming weeks. I am busy with the grant application for the SA LOTTERY. Our 2011 budget goes out to our database through next week - we hope that we can inspire our supporters to help us with further donations.
Have a stunning week and thank you for your support!
IN GRATITUDE
Karina
