MUGGED... Nobody can rob our hearts!

The path of community building is such a beautiful one and at times also VERY challenging. Our dear team member and facilitator Farouk Ulueme has been mugged twice in the Nyanga Township on his way to session/workshop.

The last incident was on this very last day of the year. He shared with us all: "I feel so terrified, so fearful and vulnerable. Once again I was attacked by street gangs in the Nyanga township on my way to facilitate the responsible individual session with the youth community builders. Why have I attracted this I do not know. But I feel I desire some moments of silence so as to connect with the peace within me."

Even in this time of great challenge he looks for the gift: "My journey is so unique. I am so grateful. Am allowed to be vulnerable. For in my vulnerability lies my greatest strength."

The incidents are also gifting me and the team with a reminder of how important our work is in the townships, how important it is to plant the seed of LOVE and to inspire LOVE by our own living example.I am so grateful that Farouk was left unharmed. We are NOT giving up! Nobody can rob our hearts!

Let us join hands and walk UNITED... for a greener, healthier and SAFER South Africa!

In Gratitude
Karina

Thank You SmilingOne Team

Thank you Vivian
Thank you Diana
Thank you Meeghan
Thank you Farouk
Thank you Thabo
Thank you Chris

Thank you Ivan
Thank you Shawn
Thank you Chumani
Thank you Mo D
Thank you Bianca
Thank you Bulelwa

Thank you Esther
Thank you Thando
Thank you Luyanda
Thank you Sibabalo
Thank you Welcome
Thank you Louis
Thank you Malcolm
Thank you Andrew
Thank you Malixole
Thank you Brian
Thank you Bradley
Thank you Mlandeli
Thank you Lumkile
Thank you Thembalethu
Thank you Collin
Thank you Franklin
Thank you Alfred

Thank you Ricardo

Thank you DCS
Thank you Brandvlei Maximum

Thank you Brandvlei Medium

Thank you Brandvlei Juvenile
Thank you Worcester Medium
Thank you Goodwood Medium

Thank you NADC
Thank you Nyanga Community

Thank you SHOUT

Thank you THORP

THANK YOU ALL

O N E
S O C I E T Y

Walking UNITED in DIVERSITY

Inspiring LOVE
BEING LOVE

HAPPY NEW YEAR

♥ Special GIFTS of 2010 ♥

I am SO Inspired

Every single SMILE touching my HEART
Walking a path paved with LOVE
Beautiful Moments SHARED and CARED
PARTNERSHIPS formed and strengthened

Walking UNITED
The GIFT of CHANGE is EVERYWHERE

Releasing Fear

Allowing LOVE

Aaaaaah

♥ Being LOVE ♥
Such JOY to walk by and be true to my HEART
The Journey is taking me...

W O W

What a GRAND Year


I welcome 2011 with an open and grateful Heart

♥ HAPPY NEW YEAR ♥

L O V E &
G R A T I T U D E
Karina

Each day is an opportunity to share and care!

On Christmas day - the 25th - it was Farouk's Birthday. He is one of our committed SmilingOne Team Members who assists/facilitates the SmilingOne Re-Integration and Youth Programme in the Nyanga Township - always sharing and caring!

We wanted to give Farouk a very special treat and invited him to come to Muizenberg to stay with us for a few days.

Lekker Bday late lunch in Hout Bay on the 25th

Farouk's first surfing adventure on the 26th


Moments of Sharing and Caring

It only takes a moment to touch someone's heart! I am so grateful to have and to nurture these beautiful connections. My heart SMILES when your heart SMILES!

Share a SMILE, touch a HEART!

IN GRATITUDE
Karina

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing YOU and YOURS★
★MERRY★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★CHRISTMAS★ 。* 。
...° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
............˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門｜ ˚And a FABULOUS 2011★
★Thank you to ALL for your loving support!★
Peace, Love & Gratitude ★ Karina & The SmilingOne Foundation

Special Moments shared and cared with my beautiful children on Christmas Eve.

My Letter of Gratitude 2010

View original letter here: CLICK

When I look back at this year I am in AWE! It has been a year of SHARING and CARING. A year of EXPANDING and DEEPENING ourselves - both as eternal STUDENTS and EXPLORERS of life, and as HUMBLE and NEUTRAL Guides. It has indeed been a year of remarkable transformation!

As we entered 2010 we were active in 2 prisons: Brandvlei Maximum and Goodwood Medium. Through the year committed and valued team members/guides have taken the process with them as they transferred to other prisons: Worcester Medium Prison, Brandvlei Medium and Brandvlei Juvenile Prison are all active with THE RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL today. Recently we have had another two team members transferring to Malmesbury and Voorberg Prisons. The journey will show us the way...

I am reminded that we might sometimes ‘think’ we know where this is all leading us – however – we have indeed only seen a tiny bit of what is still to come. It is profound when we can ALLOW the process to take us, instead of us controlling the process. It asks of us to TRUST in ourselves, to pay attention to the guiding VOICE within and to LISTEN to the messages that our journey avails us. Before acting we check in with ourselves to make sure that we operate from LOVE instead of FEAR.

In 2010 we have WELCOMED many wonderful new team members / fellow coach students and community builders to walk this INTRIQUING path of RESPONSIBILITY:

• We are now 18 active coaches/students inside South African Prisons: Luyanda, Sibabalo , Thando and Welcome. New: Andrew, Malcolm, Bradley, Brian, Mlandeli, Lumkile, Thembalethu, Malixole, Collin, Franklin, Ricardo, Johannes and Louis.


• There are 2 active coach students in our Re-Integration Programme for Ex-offenders in Cape Town: Chris and Farouk, (both assisting our youth process as well).


• 2 active coaches assisting facilitation in prisons plus youth/re-integration programme: Meeghan and Karina.


• 1 active Senior Community Builder (also part of our Re-Integration Programme) in Nyanga Township: Thabo and 5 active Youth Community Builders: Ivan, Shawn, Mo D, Bulelwa and Bianca – all involved in our Youth and Holiday Programme.


• 2 active coaches in Denmark: Diana and Vivian.

The SmilingOne Family is growing daily. Each one of us a VALUABLE and truly UNIQUE puzzle piece – not one without the other! This year I have come to understand more than ever how CONNECTED we all are... < >

I realize that the more I add to me and my learning, the more I add to the UNITY! As I heal ME, I heal YOU – as YOU heal YOU, YOU heal ME.

MY VULNERABILITY

used to be what I feared the most
used to be what I could not face
used to be what I called weak

IT FELT SO MUCH EASIER
TO ESCAPE

I was trying to be somebody else
trying to hide behind masks
covering up the scars
of my past

I WAS TOO SCARED

What I did not know
What I did not understand

MY VULNERABILITY WAS THERE TO TEACH ME
Beyond fear lies love
Beyond weakness lies strength
Beyond separateness lies wholeness

BEYOND...

I chose to risk to be guided
by what I feared the most
MY VULNERABILITY
Standing naked
Not knowing
Listening
...
I felt like
coming
home

I suddenly realized

MY HEART
KNOWS

As we bid 2010 farewell and welcome 2011 I walk PROUD in my vulnerability and understand that it has become my greatest strength. It is where I feel the most connected to everyone else, it is where I give of myself fully, unconditionally. May each one of you find the gift of your own vulnerability. It is not only there to teach you about yourself – also about others!

This has indeed been one of the great teachings in our activated CIRCLE OF CHANGE for the YOUTH of The Nyanga Township (since July 2010). Vulnerability we see every single day and we see how so many try to hide it away - ‘surviving’ instead of truly living. We are there to inspire LOVE, to add spice to LIFE and to assist building bridges instead of walls. We have joined hands in PARTNERSHIP with the Nyanga Community, the Nyanga Artists and with the Nyanga Cresch. It is our vision to EMPOWER a whole community as we strive towards a HEALTHY, GREEN and SAFE South Africa – one heart at a time!

I realize more than ever that it is the small steps that counts. Each one of them counts! Inspiring CHANGE is not rocket science. It starts right here with ME! And as I have experienced with the YOUTH - it is the quality time I spend, the hugs I give and the love I share that truly matters. With this we establish a platform of LOVE and TRUST and from here we can build anything that a heart desire!

This is a beautiful reminder to take with us in all our relationships... BE there with all of your heart! Each step counts!

I wish each one of you a peaceful and tranquil festive season – you have it all within! Thank you for the gift you are!


In Gratitude
Karina

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR 2010 SPONSORS:



THE SHOUT FOUNDATION

THORP MOTOR GROUP

ABC Press, That’s Africa, International Cablemakers Federation, CTICC, Dave Thorpe, Asset Print, LRC, Eben Human / Assignment3, Ashton Gardner, Marguerite Holtzhausen, Gisele Cadieux, Aslam Bava, Maureen Dugmore, Glenis Du Toit, Fernando Smit, TransformationWithin, Khosi Myaka, Lorraine Forbes, Laura Lykkegaard Selander, Peter Kater, Amanda Kropman, Brian O’Shea, Phillip Dexter, Nouchy, Stephan Kloppert, Gas Appliance Centre, David Untiedt, Susan Daly, Christine Hansen, Vaughan McGee, Eva Georgia and Family, Naomi Norwitz, AD, RDA, TeenFest, Craig Prins, Debbie & Bruce Prins, Joy Manual, Karina Andersen...

More than 100 kids in YOUTH Programme

I am in AWE of the SmilingOne Team running our Holiday Programme for the Nyanga Youth. Today more than 100 kids came to Share and Care! And the team is still going strong. THANK YOU Thabo, Ivan, Shawn and Mo D for your commitment to the kids and for showing up every day during holidays. THANK YOU Esther for your loving heart and your cooking! Making a difference TOGETHER! ♥ ONE FAMILY ♥

Everyone is eacited and ready for today's holiday programme!

Food is being bought for next weeks Monday-Thursday Holiday Programme

More than 100 kids have joined us today!

WISH LIST:

1. We are depending on sponsorships to give our kids food every single day during our holiday programme (outside holiday we run programme every Saturday). Most of the kids come hungry to our programme. You can help us with a donation. We can make one meal for ~100 kids for around R100/day. That is only R1 per child. We would love to serve fruit on a daily basis as well (right now we only have funding to do this Saturdays) - fruit cost us an additional R2 per child per day (2-3 fruits per child).
   
   
2. The Cresch needs urgent attention as the buildings and interior are overdue for repair. Any help is highly appreciated!
   
   
3. Donations towards facilitation and education of our team. Holiday season is covered. We are looking for funding for 2011 - to continue to pursue our shared vision for the Nyanga Township - and other SA Townships!

IN GRATITUDE
Karina