A flurry of goals on the 4th day of the Munsieville Children’s Cup

Offence was the word at the 4th day of activity in Munsieville. More than 13 goals were scored in the 3 games played at the sand pitch of Mayibouye – seeing les Bleus, Team Greece and South Korea adding... 3 points to their record.
A deceiving loss for Team Nigeria
Team Nigeria came in the Munsieville Children’s Cup with a lot of hope to make it to the second round, but yesterday’s results vanished their dream to make it happen, getting their second loss in 2 games. “ We have played a superb game, but we have been unable to take benefit of our chances. I am really proud of my team. Of course the result is deceiving but the children have so much fun. We will make sure to win the next game” said coach Abe. Next Team Nigeria game is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Surprise loss for Argentina!
Established as one of the top ranked teams, Argentina crashed in their second match opposing South Korea, by the score of 6-1. “Very hard to understand our performance after such a great opener. We will regroup this week and make sure that we are ready for game 3, which will be crucial for us to make it to the second round” said Manager Doctor Batsi after this disappointing game.
Team France on their way to the second round!
Finally, Team France still impress with a convincing 6-0 win over team Mexico, winner of their opener against Bafafa Bafafa. A well oiled football machine spectators at the Mayibouye ground were saying. France has now a 2-0 record and have not conceded a goal yet. This result does open a door for Team South Africa to make it to the second round. The challenge is big though, as their next opponent will be Team France. More action today at the Munsieville Stadium as 3 games will be played, Germany v Serbia, the USA against Slovenia as well as Team England's second match against the Algerians. To support your Team in the chhildren's Cup, log on to http://www.hopeactive.org/

Catching the 'World Cup Fever'!

Hi everyone, hope you are all doing fantastically well!

I know, I know, I have been pretty silent on the blog in the last 2 weeks – and I do apologise for it! And thanks for the many reminders people!

But believe me, it's not because things have not moved on here! So for today’s article – I have decided to talk to you about the current work being done for the launch of the Munsieville Model of Excellence, which is at the core of my mandate here in South Africa.

Anyone who has been in South Africa for a day or two these last 3 months, or even in transit for an hour or two at one of the country's airports, will have been in a vulnerable position to be hit by a very dangerous and contagious bug which is currently contaminating the whole country. Many severe symptoms have been identified, including huge episodes of fever, that the authorities have named ‘The World Cup of Football fever’! And it just gets worse... There are no available vaccines and no drugs have shown any type of efficacy either. As you can see, very dangerous this ‘World Cup Bug’! And it is expected to spread all across the world this upcoming June, reaching millions and millions of people across the globe, with some severe alerts for something like 32 countries! Watch out!!!!

Before coming to South Africa in February, I had been warned by my GSK Canada Vaccines team about this bug, and they even tried to protect me against it by giving me a farewell ‘South Africa Bafana Bafana 2010 World Cup’ jersey.

Despite the ineffectiveness at protecting me from getting the ‘World Cup fever’, I have to once again, say a big 'Thank You' to my team back in Canada: Julie, Isabelle, Alex, Cara, Mary-Sue, Angelo and Carole. This farewell gift has been a real inspiration and source of reflection since my departure – in helping me to gather insights for the second phase of my PULSE ‘Be the Change’ assignment delivery, the development of a powerful awareness launch platform within the UK and South Africa, for the Munsieville OVC Model of Excellence and its associated Partnership Investment Programme, which is also creating a lot of excitement within the Munsieville Community.

One of the big differences I have noticed in my new work environment is the very limited level of resources the non-profit sector has to develop and implement plans, as compared to the private sector. Not a huge surprise you will say! So, how will we be able to create rapid awareness around the launch of the Munsieville Model, both in the UK and South Africa, with the limited resources available to us?

After spending long nights thinking about this, discussing with my colleagues, observing and listening to what the locals had to say about this 'bad bug' which is hitting the country… I came to the conclusion that these few words, if all grouped all together in one sentence, might potentially guide us to our solution: Superior Engagement, Creativity, and …external forces! What are those external forces that are present in the environment, which by adding a massive source of creativity to them, can create a product that will reach out to people to favour mass engagement and therefore, help us to create the energy necessary to reach out our “Tipping Point’?

OK, so enough talking- let's go straight to the point! It is with a great pleasure that I formally invite all of you to the upcoming launch of the Munsieville Model, from June 10th to July 10th 2010, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about the Munsieville Model and its associated Partnership Investment Programme - by following the action of the Munsieville International Children’s Cup of Football, where 32 teams of orphans and vulnerable children from Munsieville, aged between 13-17, representing and wearing the colours of the 32 FIFA World Cup Countries, will compete for 31 days, over 64 games, replicating the schedule of the FIFA World Cup of Football. For a full month, the children of Munsieville will be the kings and queens, the STARS of the community – which is at the core of the Munsieville Model. All the community rallied behind its future: the children’s.

More to come on the Munsieville Children’s Cup very soon. And, before I leave you, a quick word of caution. Watch out for this bug...it is coming....fast! Don't say that I didn't warn you...

Talk soon

Martin

Martin Lafontaine

GSK PULSE 'Be the Change' Volunteer

A very special chat...

Hi everyone!

If the last week has been an amazing one, I don’t know what to say about this one - probably 'likkar' (the Afrikaans way to say amazing). Just learnt that this past week!

More progress has been made towards the roll-out of the Munsieville Model of Excellence, through several meetings aimed at gathering the insights and support at various levels: from the community leaders, to the district and provincial levels, to ensure the support and belief is being driven at all levels: 'Everyone Committed, Everyone Contributing.' The momentum is clearly out there!

The highlight of the week... Paul, Betty and I had the chance earlier this week to meet up with a fantastic lady, member of a very famous and influential family, in the name of Sister Mathabo Tutu, the sister of the famous Archbishop and Peace Nobel prize winner, Desmond Tutu.
We went to visit her at her house, in Munsieville – as she is still living in the family house. What an amazing woman, full of energy and so welcoming!!! We stayed there, chatted in her living room for almost an hour – time passed so quickly!

We had a great discussion around the work that we at Project HOPE UK will initiate in her community, which she was really interested in. We also discussed her brother, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and his attachment to the Munsieville community, where he once lived, taught at the local school and also, where he got married. She recommended that we reach out to him regarding the work that we will be doing in the community as he would be very interested to hear about it. So, more to come…

The 'hype' regarding the Munsieville Model is rapidly gaining more and more members of the community, and potential partners - let's keep moving forward!

Have an 'Ayoba' week everyone. Speak soon.

Martin Lafontaine
GSK PULSE Volunteer

Project HOPE UK

Give a man a fish and they will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime...

Hi everyone, what an amazing week the last one has been in the progress towards the launch of the Project HOPE UK Munsieville Orphans and other Vulnerable Children's Model of Excellence.
Several key stakeholders meetings were held during the week, where Paul (Project HOPE UK Director) and I gathered great feedback and a huge amount of buy-in to make things move forward.

We had the chance to meet with numerous people within the healthcare and political systems over the last week, from the provincial to the district level, municipality, passing by the ward councillors of the various areas of the Munsieville township, the local community based organisations association representative, the government social services dept…

Throughout these meetings, we have been able to observe what we have defined as the 'Munsieville Model Stakeholder Gene', i.e. a series of values and attitudes sought in people involved which will 'make it happen', in alignment with the Model objective, vision and... 'DNA': commitment, engaged, focused on results, agent of change, visionary, believer, accountable, team player...

The response to the Model has been amazing at every level, with the various key stakeholders all taking actions towards immediate next steps: engagement and early momentum has been created!

Paul and I also had the opportunity to meet who might become the Munsieville Model of Excellence first NGO Partner, in the name of Ms. Coleen Walter, from the Safe and Sound Organisation, an organisation focusing on early childhood development, which has recently played a major role in influencing South African national policies in this regard! Clearly Coleen and her team have the 'right gene'!

The last week has also allowed me personally to further integrate the whole essence of the Munsieville Model and its aim. I am sure that you all know the famous Chinese proverb: 'give a man a fish and they will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime!' In summary, what the Munsieville Model aims to do is to push further the boundaries of this old proverb… by re-shaping the whole fishing industry through a community movement/local empowerment to make things happen, within the resources of this community to create sustainable change. The main actors being the children and the community members so that the momentum for change comes from within: Project HOPE UK being a catalyst for change. And from what we have heard and seen this week…the Munsieville community and its leaders are ready for this! They have the 'gene'!

Talk to you soon!

Martin

Martin Lafontaine

GSK Pulse Volunteer

Project HOPE UK

Departure for South Africa...

Hi everyone.

Hope you are all doing fantastically well. So here we go... Friday February 26th, currently trying to finalise last minute things and pack my stuff to catch my night flight for South Africa, the start of a fantastic adventure. A long 11 hours flight, in which I hope to get a few hours sleep… Probably not. First because I am a very bad sleeper in planes and two, the excitement to get my two feet on African soil and start the field work with PROJECT HOPE UK team members around the Munsieville Model will most likely keep me up all night.

The last 3 weeks spent at PROJECT HOPE UK offices in London have been fantastic, providing me knowledge and background to help define how I can maximise my contribution. Three weeks of listening, reading, questioning, searching… to help forge my ideas around the tangible contribution I can bring to the development and launch of the innovative Munsieville Model of Excellence.

Three weeks where I was also able to be infected with PROJECT HOPE leaders Paul Brooks and Ellie Higgins passion, conviction and belief towards the development and successful implementation of a ‘global footprint potential’ Munsieville Model of Excellence for the care of orphans and Other Vulnerable Children. And believe me…this passion and belief is dangerously contagious!

I invite all of you to follow my journey over the next few months on this page, where I will be posting regular updates, stories, photos, videos and progress towards the building and launch of the Munsieville Model.

GSK PULSE ‘Be the Change’. Count on us to ‘Be it’! Talk to you soon

Martin

Martin Lafontaine
GSK Pulse Volunteer
Project HOPE UK

Martin Lafontaine joins Project HOPE UK to work on our South Africa programme

Martin Lafontaine, currently National Vaccines Sales Manager for GlaxoSmithKline in Canada, has joined Project HOPE UK for a six month PULSE assignment. Project HOPE is in the early stages of establishing a “model of excellence” programme seeking to push the existing boundaries of care of AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children, located in and around Munsieville in West Rand, South Africa.
After spending a few weeks in London preparing the programme Martin will be located in Johannesburg, South Africa, for three months starting early March 2010. He will be contributing his project management, strategic and communication skills, in order to help create and implement the marketing and communications plan and play a leading role on setting up the first field-based beneficiary programme under the scheme.
PULSE volunteers serve global non-profit organisations locally or abroad on a full-time basis for three to six months. The programme is a win-win for both non-profits and GSK because it helps make a sustainable difference in each community served while supporting leadership development of GSK associates.
Check back next month for news from Martin in South Africa as the project gets underway.

Successful 2009 in South Africa

2009 has been a successful year for Project HOPE in South Africa. Our Village Savings Fund (VSF) programme closed after helping almost 300 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and supporting many caregivers in their struggle to overcome some of the problems that they were facing.

This extract from a thank you letter that Project HOPE received from one of the participants shows how the VSF works:

My name is Dipuo Schalkwyk. I am 50 years old. I stay with my two daughters and 2 grandchildren. I joined the VSF group in May 2009. When I joined, life was very tough because there was no one working at home. I used to go to the Catholic Church every morning to get some food. Some of the days I used to come back home empty handed because there was no food. I tried to apply for the government grant and they told me to wait until I’m 60 years. My daughters have been trying to look for jobs for many years and till today they are still at home.
I was hesitating to join the VSF because I didn’t know what it was and how it could help me. Project HOPE staff asked me to give it a try and see the result after six months. Two months after I joined, I borrowed R200.00 and we bought twenty litres of paraffin. My daughters sold that paraffin in a week and so we bought a further 20 litres for four weeks. As the response was positive, we decided to borrow R600.00 to add to what we had and we bought 100 litres of paraffin. Today I am not depending on someone to give me handouts.
Since joining the VSF a number of positive changes have occurred: 1) My health has improved and my BP is down to normal again - my secret is eating healthy and not stressing anymore. 2) We eat vegetables every day and meat at least twice a week. 3) For the first time I have a savings account. 4) I am part of the Project HOPE food gardening program where I have been given land and seeds and am growing a variety of fruits and vegetables.”

The Social Fund, a form of group insurance used by members of the group in times of emergencies was recently used to allow a participant to travel back home to attend the funeral of his father and see his family for the first time in 18 years! Here is an extract of his account of the visit:

“I was born in North West Province. When I came here (West Rand), I worked for the mines. When the mines retrenched us, I did not go back home because I was hoping to find another job. Unfortunately it did not happen like that. I am staying alone in a one room shack. The last time I saw my family it was 18 years ago. I did not have money to go there. I joined this Village Savings Fund in May. I did not know what it was. At first I thought it was a woman thing. After I attended a few meetings and got some training, I began to understand it. I started to save a little money every week. In September this year, somebody told me that my dad had passed away; I did not know how I was going to bury my dad. I told some of the men in my group about my problem, they told me that I qualified to be given money for the transport to go and bury my dad. I was so excited when I received this R200.00 to go home. Everybody was excited to see me after so many years. Thank you Project HOPE for making this possible.”

As you can see from these testimonies, it doesn’t take much to make a huge difference to people’s lives in South Africa. The achievements of the VSF will be continued in future through local organisations.

The team at Project HOPE UK thank you for your generous support of our programme in South Africa, and wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year.