I am 28 years of age and a YES program candidate at Uthando Centre (Afrika Tikkun) as a Social auxiliary worker Assistant. I joined Uthando Centre on the 29^th of May 2019 as a Social Auxiliary Work student from Luxe College to do my practical for a period of one year. I was very amazed by the job Afrika Tikkun does and how staff interact with each other. They all looked like a one big family and through my stay I learned that they are indeed a family. I did my practical under the supervision of Mrs. Rosina Ramonyai (Senior Social Worker) and with the support and guidance from Nontsikelelo Henrietta Khunju (SAW).

During my practical year I learned a lot at Uthando and really enjoyed the events such as the Child protection parade, Gender Based Violence Dialogue, Mandela Day event (sports Day), Heritage Day event, and all the young urban woman events and meetings they did on the year 2019 and that made me feel that I belong to this big family because there was never a dull moment. Attending all this events enhanced my growth as a professional working in a child and youth care facility. I enhanced my skills and knowledge about working with able-bodied children, children living with disabilities, groups and community at large. This has been and continues to be a learning journey for both my personal and professional growth. Furthermore, it allows me to meet with different professionals from other disciplines which adds more value in my understanding in this field. I have gained strength and ability to conduct social dialogues, events and partake in every activity that requires Social Auxiliary Worker’s attention of cause with supervision. Another milestone that I underwent in this organisation is attending training that enhances a professional with skills and knowledge such as the Gender sensitization training, legitimate leadership, child protection and constant meetings with the supervisor to check on my progress in the space of learning.

On my journey with Uthando Centre I got a contract of a one year as a YES program candidate, which I was appointed as the Social Auxiliary Work Assistant on a SSS department on December 2^nd 2019. Working as social Auxiliary Worker Assistant helped me to grow and to have confidence in myself. I can really say I am a talkative person but I have always had low self-esteem when it comes to facilitating session. The position I hold now has built my confidence so much in a way that I took initiative of entering the annual business entrepreneur competition hosted by Afrika Tikkun Services (ATS). By entering the competition, I didn’t think that I will really make it to top 10 and to actually win the competition. The experience of the competition was amazing and I was very happy and surprised when they announced that I took position Two on existing business, Afrika Tikkun has really helped me grow and I am grateful for all the experience I get here at Uthando Centre.

How wonderful it is that nobody need to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. The clock is ticking, and not one minute can be relived. A social worker is pulled in a million directions. And each minute is lived to the fullest

Anne Frank

Afrika Tikkun recently held a competition to celebrate women undertaking phenomenal work in their communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Recognising the impact that Ma Thulile Maphumulo’s soup kitchen makes in Orange Farm, learners from Arekopaneng Centre selected her for the Community Builder Award. They also appreciated the fact that Ma Maphumulo is also living by Afrika Tikkun values by giving back to the community

As Ma Maphumulo walked the streets of Orange Farm, she realised that many people in the community were starving as a result of job losses and the financial hardship experienced by small businesses. In addition, households in the community usually depend on only one or two breadwinners. Seeing the hunger gap in her community and being a pastor, Ma Maphumulo felt it was important for her to act to alleviate this suffering. As a result, she cooks food and distributes food items using her own money. She has also started a vegetable garden for the benefit of the community and received a chicken donation from Afrika Tikkun which she was very grateful for.

The other reason she was chosen by the learners is that Afrika Tikkun Arekopaneng Centre assisted her son, Mbuso Maphumulo. Mbuso began at Arekopaneng Centre in Grade 9 in our Child and Youth Development Programme, and eventually graduated from our Career Development and Placement programme. He also received an opportunity to further his studies in medicine at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth.

As part of her Community Builder Award, Ms Maphumulo won a Pick n’ Pay shopping voucher worth R700, a grocery bucket and was presented with a certificate on the 9 August 2020 at our women’s day celebration event at Uthando Centre in Braamfontein. We celebrate Ma Maphumulo’s generous heart and compassion for her community!

Grace Masena, one of the three recipients of Afrika Tikkun’s Community Builder Award, is an inspiration to her peers. This Diepsloot resident was a victim of abuse by her husband for almost 15 years. After sustaining injuries from her husband that rendered her bedridden for 2 weeks, Grace decided to seek help from social workers. She, along with her two children, moved out of the house and into a small room.  

Unemployed, Grace decided to volunteer at an organisation in Diepsloot providing home-based care. With the help of other women, she then opened an ECD Centre (crèche). Although she was forced to close it temporarily in response to the lockdown rules, she wasted little time in getting busy and helping her community. Along with some of her community members, Grace started a soup kitchen. She makes use of different community halls in order to reach as many community members as possible.

Having turned her life around, Grace believes that every woman has the strength within herself to turn adversity into triumph.

South Africa (03 June 2020) – Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term meaning “humanity.” It is often translated as “I am because we are,” or “humanity towards others,” or in Xhosa, “umntu ngumntu ngabantu” but is often used in a more philosophical sense to mean “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity.”

And Ubuntu is the philosophy we need to all follow right now!

As a philanthropist rather than a psychologist I know more about people helping each other than I know about why they do it. What I know at the moment is that we’re seeing much more in the way of actual help for those affected by coronavirus than I’ve seen for any other cause, anywhere in South Africa, ever.

I’m not saying that South Africans are not usually a generous bunch. My experience is that many of us give what we can financially when a cause captures our attention; whether a monthly debit order to the charities of our choice or R5 every time we park our car in a public space, but we don’t often give time or intelligence. We’re too busy or don’t have the headspace to think about what is actually required.

Let’s be clear about this: money is much appreciated and always gratefully received. That said, I often wonder how much better our country would fare if our brightest minds got together and came up with long-term solutions to the very real problems, so many of our people face daily.

But with coronavirus, it’s different. Everyone is doing something to help and not just financially. Coronavirus has spurned a hands-on approach to helping that we’ve not seen in South Africa since the demise of Apartheid and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about why?

My simple answer is because of Ubuntu.

Ubuntu literally means humanity towards others, and it’s not some crazy tribal construct, it’s a real philosophy that permeates this country and all that live here.

For the first time ever in this country, everyone feels the same sense of helplessness. In situations like this, the human condition is to freeze or fight. It’s relatively easy to bury your head in the sand – or write a cheque – when you’re not personally involved in something. But with coronavirus, everyone is involved. Everyone is afraid, and everyone is affected in some way. It’s impossible to freeze when you’re surrounded by very real suffering.

No one has a choice but to fight and get involved because every one of us personally knows someone who is hungry. There’s nothing more sobering than a close-up view of the extreme poverty in our country. We really need to pay attention because more than 1 million people are on the brink of food insecurity in our country right now.

I’m actively involved in running several philanthropic organisations that operate across townships and public hospitals and healthcare. At the start of lockdown, we put all our money into creating 40,000 food parcels to get people through a month of hardship. That was back when we thought lockdown was going to last three weeks. As we head for double that length of time, what now? An estimated 30 million South Africans require food parcels. And don’t get me started on the volume of masks and sanitiser required.

As all of our personal and corporate financial reserves start to wane, those of us with something are going to have to learn to do with a great deal less so that we can share with those who don’t have any.

What does that look like? Maybe we buy four cabbages instead of one tiny punnet of asparagus and give three cabbages away. Maybe we learn to grow food and teach others how to do it. And maybe we learn to listen to what people need, which may well be a bag of pap rather than a bag of sandwiches.

The ingenuity we’ve already seen amongst our fellow South Africans has sustained us, sort of. It’s the clothing factories converted into production lines for masks, ensuring continued employment for their workers and health safety for others, and the food manufacturers creating low-cost, high-nutrition, easy-to-distribute food packs, and the generosity of the neighbour who shares what they have with those that don’t that will keep us limping along.

Everyone, in the true spirit of Ubuntu, needs to keep coming up with new ideas. For instance, you know all those loyalty points you collect but never use. Most loyalty card schemes are now allowing you to donate them to feeding schemes. Do it! Apply your mind and come up with your own ideas about how you can make a meaningful difference.

As South Africa heads into week nine of lockdown, the needier our people become. As you give, give enough so that your recipients can share with a friend or neighbour. In other parts of the world that’s called conscious capitalism. In South Africa, it’s called Ubuntu.

To Read More on this click the button below!

Click here

Young People’s Experience During the Pandemic

Over the last few weeks we’ve been inundated with Covid-19 news, advice and memes. What we’ve heard relatively little about is how people are really coping, particularly young people. In light of this, we reached out to a few young people in our Child and Youth Development Programme at Uthando Centre. In addition to asking them to provide an inspirational quote that gets them through this time, we asked them to give us the true lowdown on the lockdown:

The lockdown has its advantages and disadvantages. It has helped me bond with my mom, because my mom and I get home really late and we are usually exhausted and don’t have time to spend together. However, the lockdown comes with financial challenges because my mom is self-employed and she is kind of lives hand-to-mouth, so it will be hard after the lockdown. But I know that God will be with us. Sibusiso Busie Nkomo, grade 9

Days at home gives us time to relax and recover from school; it’s a time to bond as a family and catch up on each other’s lives. It also gives families time to resolve issues and problems. Being a President at the Johannesburg Housing Company Youth Executive (JHCYE), and with the help of the executive team, I had to make sure all my peers stayed at home. I am not the type of person to stay at home to be honest, even though my days at home have turned out to be fun. Still, I feel like I am missing out on a lot of school time, the running club at the centre and workshops at JHCYE. What I fear the most is that returning to school after the lockdown we will be swamped with lessons and work. We are grateful for the online lessons and the commitment from our educators to keep us in check during this period. Sphesihle Mbele Grade, grade 10

I live in Hillbrow, a place that doesn’t really listen to rules. There hasn’t been a lockdown because people just go outside to chill. Then we ask ourselves why it’s getting worse. I haven’t been doing school work because my school has not sent us or told us anything and there are some things I need help with. For some, this lockdown is a joke. For us, it’s a matter life or death. Fear still lives in us as we go through this pandemic period. For it seems like no one adheres to the rules in my community. Calvin Kamphinda, Grade 10

This Coronavirus pandemic got me by surprise, I knew it was going to have a huge negative impact on my academics as I thought that the grade 12s would be going to school. It’s been hard for me to cope as I am not used to self-study or online learning, I had to try and adapt to the change, which at times is difficult. I have so much pressure because of the workloads given to me by subject teachers. At home, we were able to make to the 6th day with food and by luck I got a call from one of the facilitators telling me to organise young women from the Young Urban Women Group to come and get food parcels from the centre, which I am very thankful for. The burden of worrying about food supplies was lifted off my mind. I can now fully focus on my studies. Noxolo Khupe Jele, Grade 12

Ever since the pandemic started spreading like a wild fire, followed by the lockdown, I’ve had the chance to work on something new, to practice or even finish books. The lockdown is also giving me the opportunity to spend more time with my family, to laugh and have the best memories one could ask for. It’s giving me plenty time to understand myself more, reflect on what I did, what I am doing and what I wish to do. Marvellous Sibanda, Grade 10 student.

Since the lockdown was announced, all that filled my head was the negativity; the sad reality that all my plans, opportunities and projects that would have to be cancelled. But who said reality cannot be altered? When everyone sees trash in the lockdown, I see a treasure of opportunities to “give back”. During this pandemic, life is my privilege, and giving back is the only positivity I can offer my community. I am conscious and aware of the rising pandemic but I do not think my whole community is. I have found my opportunity to give back and I will not let it go. Karabelo Moima

Afrika Tikkun gets massive Internet upgrade from Workonline Communications boosting connectivity for thousands of learners across the country

Workonline Communications, a pan-African, global Network Service Provider, has radically increased its long-term commitment to providing Internet facilities to Afrika Tikkun Centres of Excellence across South Africa.  The five centres, which benefit over nine thousand young people, will receive an impressive connectivity upgrade thanks to the commitment of the Workonline team, bringing them in line with world-class academic institutions.

Workonline Communications has been generously providing Internet connectivity to all five centres since 2016.  The upgrade, which requires some intricate logistics considering the location of the centres, will significantly improve the Internet speed and educational experience of the youth who attend the centres.

Although Workonline doesn’t provide commercial enterprise services in its usual course of business, the leadership of Afrika Tikkun, under direction of the Lubner family, as well as Edward Lawrence and Ben Maddison who founded Workonline Communications, both share a commitment to excellence and a passion for helping South Africa become a world-class nation worthy of all who live in it.

 Afrika Tikkun Centres of Excellence are little worlds unto themselves; vibrant spaces where information relating to education, skills, careers and life is shared. Aware that the kids of today live in a world increasingly characterised by digital interconnectedness, Afrika Tikkun’s centres also attempt to carve out technological hubs where information is just a click away.

To meet the needs of an adapting generation, Afrika Tikkun’s Cradle to Career 360° model includes the use of computer labs and multi-media rooms that are integral resources for those in the Children and Youth Development Programme (CYD) and Career Development Programme (CDP) respectively. However, their efforts to transform their centres into spaces that truly reflect 21st century technological efficiency has not always matched their vision, largely due to limited bandwidth. This has compromised the ability of their young people to access and share information quickly, explore the potential of innovation and participate fully in local and global communication platforms. Poor bandwidth has also impacted the running of the centres more broadly.

The growing partnership between Afrika Tikkun and Workonline Communications has addressed this and will undoubtedly have a significant and positive impact on Afrika Tikkun’s young people and the South African economy.

Although, admittedly, connecting the centres at such high speeds has been a challenge for the Workonline team due to the physical locations of the centres, we have worked tirelessly and persevered to ultimately achieve the desired result. Through this extension of the partnership, the quality of the Internet service at Afrika Tikkun’s centres will be on par with other leading academic institutions in the world.

CEO of Afrika Tikkun Services, Onyi Nwaneri says, “The expected changes we anticipate with this upgrade will make the lives of our children and young people so much better, which is our goal. For some time, our centres have been unable to utilise certain equipment as a result of slow Internet connectivity. The generosity of Workonline will certainly change this and the potential impact of utilising a full complement of equipment in a centre is an exciting unknown”.

Instead of having to divide and rotate the time allocated for Internet use between different groups, more children will be able to use the equipment at the same time. The accelerated Internet speed will allow for broader and more efficient online searches, enriching the learning experience and improving learning outcomes. This will also allow for further implementation of e-learning skills programmes that will improve the ability of young people to increase their skills, search for jobs and potentially transition to employment or self-employment. At the level of centre management, better internet connectivity will ensure administrative tasks and communication are streamlined.

“Access to the Internet is such an incredible enabler,” says Edward Lawrence, co-founder and director of Workonline Communications. “In fact, most of the academic knowledge I have today I have learnt from having access to the Internet! The Workonline team’s commitment to continuously improving the Internet experience across communities in South Africa, and indeed across sub-Saharan Africa, is based on this premise.  Our partnership with Afrika Tikkun allows us to play a small part in helping communities to share skills, best practice and training and ultimately, extend the incredible impact that Afrika Tikkun already has on the South African economy.”

It remains undeniable that organisations must develop their capacity to operate effectively in a digital space. Our children, the majority of whom make up Generation Z or post-millennials, must be equipped with the skills to engage effectively in the cyber environment, draw as much helpful information as possible, and connect with like minds across the country, region and world. Afrika Tikkun and Workonline are about to make this happen.

For all your digital and connectivity needs, visit www.workonline.africa.

My name is Tumisang Mohoto, and I am a 17-year-old boy from Orange Farm. Human rights are basic principles that secure me from injustice, oppression and inequality. Through human rights we become better people, who do things at their fullest potential with no fear of facing injustices such as nepotism nor racism. These principles allow me to cherish the greatness of my own country, with no fear of being judged because of my physical appearance. They instill a sense of faith in me that no matter how young am I, I am obliged to make this world a better place.

In my neighborhood, ignorance towards human rights has become the greatest challenge. The right to health has been highly violated by our health practitioners. An ordinary Orange Farm person does not come back satisfied from the health facilities. Furthermore, our rights to a healthy environment are highly infringed, as it has become a norm that people we consider to be role models smoke in front of us. Yet, we have accepted such conditions because in the world in which we live, we often have no say towards the actions of ‘the grownups’. The right to freedom of expression has also been greatly undermined, as young girls have to be constantly alert and careful out of fear of being sexually harassed.

However, there is still a sense of hope in our community. We are blessed with organizations such as Afrika Tikkun which cherish the significance of human rights, predominantly of those living with disabilities. Child protection secures the rights of a young person from being infringed. Both child protection and human rights secure humanity against situations of oppression or injustice. 

A lot still needs to be done to ensure that human rights are secured. We can support the efforts with our dedication and determination. People need to rise up and educate one another about human rights. This is not only the duty of the authority as leaders can be influenced by money and corruption. Education, however, leaves an impact that lasts forever.

A young woman empowered 

Pretty Chaboyo Lehong, 27, was looking forward to immersing herself in the job market after graduating from her mechanical engineering course. But instead, she was met with the bleak reality of unemployment. At the time, Pretty was also struggling in an abusive relationship. When the abuse became too much, she sought help at Afrika Tikkun’s Wings of Life center in Diepsloot. Mr. Makwena, the centre’s social worker was very supportive and together they established a personal development plan which included Pretty joining the Career Development and Placement (CDP) programme. 

Life was not easy for Pretty and she did all she could to get things back on track. For some time, she depended on Afrika Tikkun’s food parcels and other donations to stay afloat. Upon completing the CDP programme, she joined Afrika Tikkun’s Alumni Programme  and she was appointed its vice-president. Towards the end of 2019, she also joined the Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme. Pretty currently works as the Alumni’s Network Coordinator and continues to hone her leadership skills, particularly when organising the Alumni camps. 

Reflecting on highlights from her journey with Afrika Tikkun, Pretty said, “gender sensitization helped me deal with my previous relationship. I became part of the Young Urban Women and Men campaign which teaches and encourages young people not to stay in abusive relationships.” She has since regained her confidence, so much so that a childhood dream of becoming a lawyer is within reach. Thanks to the stipend Pretty receives from Afrika Tikkun, she is able to study part-time for an LLB through UNISA. 

Pretty is testament of what belief, hard work and the right kind of support can do. We look forward to the next chapter of her life!