Gratitude to our Donor - SHOPRITE Nyanga

We have for some time knocked on the door at SHOPRITE in Nyanga East. During the month of April they have kindly donated fruit every Saturday and for our FREESTYLE showcasing event they have given us ingredients to cook a wholesome meal for the youth in our programme! The support from SHOPRITE has meant/means a lot to us. Many empty tummies has been filled this month! THANK YOU!

TOGETHER we can make a HUGE difference!

In Gratitude
Karina

Welcome Louis - A new Member of our Re-Integration Team

We welcome Louis to our Re-Integration Team. Louis has worked with us the past 1.5 years inside Goodwood Prison. He was released this Tuesday and is already active in our Nyanga Township Programme. Thank you Louis for your commitment to yourself and to SmilingOne!

It is one of our great commitments this year to focus even more on Re-Integration and through/with our team build communities - for a safer South Africa!

VALIDATION

What a powerful message! One that is close to my heart and that is important to share!
YOU ARE GREAT!!!!

Happy Easter - FUN in Nyanga Township

I am always welcomed with OPEN arms in the Nyanga Township. The kids are normally waiting for me and as I approach the Nyanga Creche they all want to join me in the car (kindly availed by THORP). They all jump in for a photo.

Sharing SMILES...

...and songs...
Everyone is excited. Another day of Sharing and Caring!
And the Easter Bunny is on the loose...
Easter Eggs hidden in the garden of the Creche...
...and the hunt begins...

Yummy Easter Eggs

After the Easter Egg Hunt we play games:
"There is a fire on the mountain..."

What a beautiful day!
FunLoveFilledMomentsSharedCared
IN GRATITUDE
Karina

I simply LOVE these kids!

Another stunning workshop in the Nyanga Township with the youth. These kids are such beautiful souls. Such great mentors! We are all here to learn alongside one another.

Today we had Nyanga Shoprite donating apples and bananas for 60-70 children. THANK YOU! I just LOVE it when a community join hands. This is how we build and shape a healthy community!

In Gratitude
Karina

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Happy ONE YEAR anniversary dear Thabo. You have walked such a beautiful journey honouring your heart and shared your joy and passion for community building with everyone in your community. We are very proud of you!

Thabo Makhanya was released last year 16th of April after a long prison sentence. He has been a valued member of the SmilingOne Family for 2.5 years. He inspires change by BEING change! ♥



In Gratitude
Karina

Update: SmilingOne Database

Meeghan and I have been in two sessions with Gabri Rigotti the past weeks and our database prototype is shaping. It was a hugely inspiring sessions where we expanded on all programmes, contacts, participants, networks, roles within the organisation etc. to be used as framework for our database. It is such a great gift to be given a database that has been made specifically for The SmilingOne Foundation. The aim with this prototype is that it can benefit many other NPO's in their work. Transparancy is KEY!

Thank you Gabri for the amazing support of our work through developing our database software.

In Gratitude
Karina

Can I say 'No' ?

Part of knowing my path is also knowing where not to go. The opportunity to say no thank you has been offered to me quite a few times the past weeks through people offering services, products etc. And it has been amazing to check in with myself, my values and to express my heart - open and honest, with humility and gratitude. The learning has been truly valuable - coz how often do we actually allow our heart to decide?

This made me think of one of the sessions in Worcester Prison last Wednesday. We spoke about pleasing (behavioural pattern) and what it means not be true to oneself. One of the guys shared that pleasing for him often felt like 'my head says yes but my heart says no'.

When we are true to ourselves we can also be true to others!

IN GRATITUDE
Karina

Healthy Choices

I always aim to spice my week with at least 3 visits to the virgin active gym. I am deeply grateful for our Discovery Health/Vitality Package. My kids and I have access to gym at no cost at all. (Thank you thank you thank you!)

Keeping both mentally, physically and spiritual fit is KEY in my life. It is all about balancing. If I neglect one I can easilier neglect the other. It asks of commitment. Commitment to me and my journey.

This counts for my nutritional choices as well. How do I fuel my engine and keep it running smooth all day? I have had quite a journey when it comes to nutritional choices. I was only 15 years old when I started my battle with Bulimia. I know exactly how it is to eat because I feel emotionally challenged and off balance. Eating to fill a void. And I know from experience that this does not serve my body at all. The learning that I have gained when being 'off balance' is knowledge I can use to find a balance that truly serves me - holistically. Today I know my body so much better, I have learned listen to it, to love it and to treat it as my temple.

A few years ago I created my Witch Bun Recipe, which is a wholesome treat for all my senses. See http://www.witchbun.com/ for more info. It is easy to bake. Just mix the ingredients that appeal to you. Don't use yeast. Let it bake at low temperature. If you bake it as a bread let it bake for at least 50 minutes. Buns are less. Find your own unique way!

IN GRATITUDE
Karina

March/April Newsletter

I have just finalized our Newsletter. Ready for download!

UPDATE: Youth Programme - Nyanga Township

Every Saturday I am meeting with our team and assiting facilitation of the Youth Workshop (3yrs-17yrs) and every second Friday I attend our weekly Circle of Sharing for the adult members of the community (from 18yrs upwards). There are different aspects that we focus on in the youth programme.

• SUSTAINABILITY: this is KEY in any community building project. 'Whatever you bring to the community must be able to stay in and be nurtured by the community!' This we do through the education of Community Builders and Responsibility Coaches within the Nyanga Township. They become equipped in implementing CIRCLES OF CHANGE and facilitate THE RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL


• COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: this is one of our key objectives - to reach more people within the community and inspire them to actively participate. How do we do this? In our last session we spoke about how it only takes ONE responsible individual within each household to inspire change in the family. By reaching the young generation of the community we aim to achieve this. Let the children teach their parents! We can not force change! But we can inspire change and responsible living through our own living examples. With our attention on YOUTH in the Nyanga Township we are day by day establishing a platform that will change a whole community.


• IT STARTS WITH 'ME' FOR A BETTER 'WE: Our Youth Community Builders and Responsibility Coach Students are using their personal process as inspiration to guide the children of the community. What we learn and process in Friday Sessions we take with us into the Saturday Youth Workshop. Last month we focused on MY TUNE in relation to Human Rights Day. This month we focus on the theme Freedom' and will showcase at our monthly event (April 30th). Each week we deepen ourselves in what this means. We look at the 'Roles we play' and if we make use of any 'Masks' (hideouts). The kids/youth are creating masks in the workshops and drama's will be created around 'using masks/playing roles' and what it means to LET GO of them to truly be FREE, to live from your heart and be the REAL YOU.


• CRIME PREVENTION/MANAGEMENT: We know that change is possible! This is why we invest in those who lead change and inspire responsible living by their own living example. Crime is one of the BIG challenges of our society. There is no one better to address this than those who have been there and who chose differently. Our Re-Integration Team works hand in hand with our Youth Community Builder Team - for a safer and healthier South Africa.

Quarterly Reports

End of March means that it is time to look at the quarter that passed and report back to sponsors, partners in community building and our network. I LOVE to take some time to reflect upon all processes that we have been busy with and to draw up the next steps for Q2 2011. What an amazing progress! I am so proud of our team and of everyone who have chosen to join the programme, making themselves a priority.

We pride ourselves in comprehensive reporting - transparancy and accountability is KEY! We love what we do and always make sure that everyone can follow the steps we take!

You are welcome to request our quarterly reports. They are automatically availed to sponsors and partners in community building!

IN GRATITUDE
Karina