Crunch time is fast approaching

Crunch time is fast approaching on a number of our key projects with just one week to go before the community clean up and two weeks before the children’s festival.

As we get closer to the festival, and the workload intensifies, I’ve noticed community members sometimes giving up or doubting their own abilities in the face of adversity. I guess this is not surprising when getting the next meal is the first priority. We’ve had to adapt our ways of working, to come alongside, push and boost confidence and break down the seemingly-impossible tasks into smaller steps.
What’s brilliant is having someone else in Michelle to share these experiences with - Team 'Michneil' has sprung into action and we are now splitting up to divide and conquer our never-ending list of tasks.

We’ve got the Munsieville primary schools onboard now to start school exchanges with one in the UK and one in the US. Supersport have agreed to sponsor (and televise!) football, rugby and netball skills sessions at the festival. Rehearsals have started in earnest for the acts performing onstage. The catering team has also devised its plan to feed all the children (chopping up a cow was mentioned).
Although much as the work is extremely hard, I feel we are going to get there. Please give us a huge boost by joining our Star of HOPE appeal, and donating a little in aid of the festival, at http://www.projecthopeuk.org/ and click on a "be a star".

Neil, GSK Pulse volunteer at Project HOPE UK.

Wanted urgently - book delivery to South Africa

We have 5000 books from the Ishikawa, USA (Caroline's school) book drive and over 50 boxes all wrapped with handmade bookmarks as well as age-grouped along with 9 boxes of stuffed animals for the little orphans and vulnerable children here in Munsieville, South Africa and we can’t get them here without a prohibitive expense.
Please put out on all your Facebook, Twitter, and any other social network sites you know to see if anyone would be willing to fly these books here to South Africa from Arizona for the orphans and vulnerable children who have never gotten a Christmas present in their lives.
I cannot thank enough Gail Jones, all her friends and all the children who tirelessly wrapped and bookmarked all these books. It means so much to me and would mean even more to the children who would receive them. Gail Morgan has also been relentless on trying to find an avenue to get these books to South Africa. Thank you to each and everyone who has participated in this endeavor!!!!
Please spread the word and help us find someone out there who can ship these gifts to South Africa for us.
Thank you for your support,
Michelle (GSK Pulse volunteer with Project HOPE UK).

Getting close to the tipping point

Here we are again, yet another week passed of the African adventure. Week 8 in Jo'burg has been an entertaining week. Perhaps the delirium of being only one month away from the Christmas festival is catching up with us. Michelle's antics have been keeping most of the community amused. On Monday she decided to try her hand (or more accurately, her head) at carrying one of the 15kg maize meal sacks that the women carry here on their heads. I caught her smiling bravely as several of her neck vertebrae were crushed and she took on a new hunchback look!
On the positive side, the young journalists have produced their first film - check it out here. I'm really impressed by their optimism in the face of so many problems. A primary school in the UK has come onboard now to pilot the production of our stories micro website to exchange with schools in Munsieville.
More UK schools have joined to decorate stars for the Christmas Festival. Desmond Tutu, the Patron of the Thoughtful Path, answered a letter I sent him to get his backing for the Star of HOPE appeal and has signed off a letter to some of our corporate partners.
We have also secured a Christmas tree for the festival, through the Parks Department. At first, they offered us just a branch, then the top of a tree, but I think they finally realised we needed something more impressive for the stadium where the festival is going to be. I'm very intrigued to see what we are going to end up with - I suspect it might be a distinctly African version of the classic spruce!!
I think we are also getting close to the tipping point in our way of working with the community. I've been really pleased this week that the message is starting to get through that this community has to act for itself, if it's going to improve things for children.
An example of this occurred during the festival committee meeting. The group has decided that it would like to provide a small meal for the children during the festival. Now instead of just presenting the problem for Michelle and me to solve, the group said straight off we will sort it, we will ask for the necessary donation, and make the catering arrangements. Job done. I'm hopeful that this will continue. Little by little, the community members are taking action.

Neil (GSK Pulse volunteer with Project HOPE UK)