Breadline Africa (BLA), including dignitaries, donors, business partners, NGO partners, board members and staff, celebrated 21 years of making a difference in the lives of children across Southern Africa at the The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town on 30 October.
BLA's programmes and projects have touched communities across Southern Africa as 200 containers have been refurbished into educare centres, community kitchens and ablution blocks. Fifty containers have been converted into libraries for schools in the foundation and intermediate phases with two more in the pipeline. These containers have had a positive impact on thousands of South African youth from under-resourced areas for the past 21 years.
An excellent example of BLA's work is the recent refurbishment of an educare centre in Khayelitsha. Masande was the recipient of two upcycled six-metre container classrooms, a six metre container kitchen and a six metre ablution block. "Conditions in the original buildings were dire," says Tim Smith, Director of BLA. "The facility's roof was not watertight and the harsh Cape winters were systematically destroying what remained of the structural integrity. Children were forced to use a makeshift toilet, as no proper ablution facilities existed, and the kitchen area did not meet basic health standards. In addition, there were few educational resources, making it difficult to maintain an environment that is conducive to learning and development."
The organisation's intervention, made possible by the generosity of its donors, has completely transformed the school. "Before, we had lots of children becoming sick in the winter. Now we know that we can help them to grow up healthy, strong and prepared for 'big' school," says Ntombentsha Sobekwa, who runs Masande.
The Mandela Day Container Library Project was launched in 2011 with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, in response to the critical situation in South African primary schools. The 50th library was launched at Qibi Primary School in the Free State on 15 October 2014. It is the first of three libraries to be sponsored by Air Traffic Control and Navigation Services and is a much-needed resource for the school. It will play a key role in improving literacy scores as the 469 children are now able to make use of the library as a means of complementing their daily classroom learning.
A member of the Breadline Africa Board, Tony Smythe in his keynote address to guests spoke about the history of Breadline Africa and said, "Breadline Africa has for the past 21 years been an organisation that prides itself in being one that helps people to help themselves. With a focus on South Africa's youth, we believe that breaking the cycle of poverty starts with investment into the future leaders of the country."
Sello Hatang, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory spoke to the symbolism of turning 21 years old. He said that this coming of age should serve as a reminder of our responsibility for the future of South Africa and this continent.
As the evening drew to a close, International Chairperson of Breadline Africa Louise Seligman thanked supporters of Breadline Africa for their years of generosity and urged them to continue supporting the organisation in their fight against breaking the cycle of poverty.
