Charlize Theron Project — Cloetesville, South Africa

CHARLIZE THERON PROJECT — CLOETESVILLE, SOUTH A…

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Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Foster Home Project

Donate to this project and give a brighter future to children in Cloetesville, South Africa

Project Summary

From an early age, children in Cloetesville, South Africa are forced to struggle with the tragic consequences of their community’s significant socioeconomic issues. Historically an underprivileged suburb, Cloetesville is now home to families who range from the lower middle class to the extremely impoverished. Currently, over a third of Cloetesville’s residents are unemployed and have resorted to living in over-crowded informal housing. These living conditions have spurred the widespread occurrence of substance abuse, domestic violence, and HIV among Cloetesville’s families.

As a result, children from Cloetesville are often exposed to abuse and neglect. Tragically, these young people do not have access to any safe havens or stable resource centers in Cloetesville. Instead, the suburb’s orphans and abused children are faced with the daunting option of being sent to distant institutions far from their homes. This limitation has led to many children either being left in difficult conditions or forced to leave their community and all they have ever known.

Brett's project will offer an alternative for children in Cloetesville. It will fund the establishment and two-year operation of a small, community foster home for at-risk youth in Cloetesville and allow 6 children under the age of 12 to live in a loving home. All 6 children will not only live under the care of a diligent foster mother in Cloetesville, but will also have access to specialized medical care, proper schooling, therapy, and opportunities to embrace the fun and adventure of a normal childhood.

Join Brett, and donate to this project to ensure 6 at-risk children can mature in a safe, loving environment within their community!

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What?

This project will support the purchase, equipment, supplies, and operations of the foster home for 2 years, including:
-property construction and renovations
-utilities and building maintenance
-furniture and supplies
-cost of food
-salaries for the foster mother and a part-time assistant
-school fees, uniforms, and school supplies for the children

The project will also ensure the 6 benefiting children receive the medical and psychological care they need to recover from their past trauma. It is likely that at least one of the children will have HIV/AIDS and this project will even cover the medical costs for any care a diagnosed child needs.

Why?

Home from Home will purchase a house in Cloetesville to accommodate the foster mother and six children. Since the house only has 2 very small bedrooms, renovations will be needed to add a third bedroom and expand the two existing bedrooms so that they can each accommodate a bunk-bed and a single bed. The main bedroom for the foster mother is a comfortable size and will not need to be renovated but a small bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower head will be added on for the foster mother’s use. Once the house has been purchased, Home from Home will contract with local laborers to expand the two smaller bedrooms for the children and build a small bathroom for the foster mother. Since the house currently lacks cupboards in the bedrooms they will need to be purchased or built for all three rooms. Furniture and supplies that are not obtained through donations will be purchased. Items that are needed include 2 bunk beds and 2 single beds for the children, a refrigerator, stove, microwave and other kitchen supplies, a dining room table and chairs as well as furniture for the living area including a television. Additionally, the project will support the home’s operations for two years by covering the cost of food, utilities, building maintenance, household supplies and the salaries of a foster mother and part-time assistant as well as all six children’s school fees, uniforms, and supplies. The project will also ensure the 6 benefiting children receive the medical and psychological care they need to recover from their past trauma. It is likely that at least one of the children will have HIV/AIDS and this project will even cover the medical costs for any care a diagnosed child needs.

How?

To successfully implement this project, Home from Home is grounding its work in community support. Home from Home will begin by partnering with two local churches and founding a committee of committed Cloetesville residents who will ensure the six foster children are loved and cared for once the foster home is opened. With this network established, Home from Home will use project funds to purchase and renovate a home. A foster mother will then be carefully selected for the home who will receive special training and support from community members and the partnering churches. Throughout the two years of operations that this project supports, Home from Home will provide social services and offer support groups to ensure the foster home remains efficient and effective.

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Cloetesville is a small South African community of approximately 18,000 residents located just outside of Cape Town. In the past, many of Cloetesville’s families supported themselves by working in the vineyards of a more prosperous neighboring community. However, in recent years,unemployment has become a serious challenge for Cloetesville’s residents, leaving many vulnerable to extreme poverty. These issues have been compounded by the significant income disparities that exist within the community. While lower-middle class residents are able to maintain comfortable homes, many others live in desperate conditions; over a third of Cloetesville’s families live in informal housing without access to basic amenities. The poverty evidenced by these living conditions has led to a dramatic upsurge in substance abuse and domestic violence in Cloetesville. Tragically, the HIV pandemic has worsened this situation and left many children without parents or neglected. As a result, a growing number of Cloetesville’s children are being sent to be raised in large institutions far from their homes and community.

Learn more about Cloetesville

History of Cloetesville

Cloetesville is a suburb that lies outside of Stellenbosch, a region in South Africa recognized for its vineyards and the presence of a university. This project was inspired by Home from Home, a non-profit that has had success founding foster homes throughout Western Cape. Home from Home has been working in Kayamandi, a township close to Cloetesville, where the organization developed a partnership with The Vineyard Church. Recently, the Vineyard Church’s pastor and social workers have brought the needs of Cloetesville to the attention of the Home from Home staff. The Vineyard Church's pastor subsequently approached a local church in Cloetesville to partner with Home from Home and the Vineyard Church to found a foster home in the community. The families of Cloetesville have been receptive and are looking forward to the foster home's establishment.

Community Population: 18,000

Climate

Cloetesville has many serious needs as a result of the community's high rates of unemployment and poverty and overcrowded and inadequate housing facilities. Among the most pressing of the resulting issues that face Cloetesville include alcohol and drug abuse, child neglect and the spread of HIV / Aids. There are very few supportive services offered within the community and families are forced to travel to seek help. The community's available social workers do not have the staff or resources to meet residents' needs.

Main Occupations

A large number of Cloetesville's residents are unemployed and depend on state welfare such as Old Age pensions and Child Support grants. Most of the employed either work as laborers on surrounding farms or as domestic workers in wealthier households.

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Direct Impact of Your Project

• Ensures 6 at-risk children can grow and thrive in a loving, safe home
• Allows the 6 children to receive the therapeutic intervention they need to overcome their early trauma
• Provides the 6 children with the resources and support they need to attend school and receive a proper education
• Trains and employs 2 previously jobless adults to serve as the home’s foster mother and part-time assistant

Extended Impact on Your Partner Community

• Family members of the 6 children living in the home will receive supportive social services such as counseling
• Provides 10 local laborers with employment during the foster home’s renovations
• Empowers 30 community and church members to give back to those less fortunate by supporting the home in various ways including assisting with childcare duties, household chores such as gardening and repairs, transportation services and financial management
• Community members will gain better understanding of the social problems in their communities through community forums on issues such as health and crime.
• The social stigma against families and children affected by HIV will be reduced within the community in part because community members will be able to see the children thrive when receiving the proper antiretroviral medication.
• Community members will benefit from the positive example set by the foster mother.

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