As we come to the end of October, let’s look at some of the activities happening in our Prochorus Branches
Cycling Project
Wine to Whales
During the 2016 Wine to Whales MTB Ride, two riders (Lorenzo le Roux and Daniel Mannweiler) from our team will compete in the event to raise funds for the beneficiaries of our Development Cycling project in Jonkershoek. We were blessed with a free Charity entry by Stillwater Sports in support of the project through fundraising and promoting the project. This opportunity is perfectly aligned to support the two riders with their preparations for the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. Daniel from Germany, who has been involved with the project for many years, will race with Lorenzo, who has been on our project since its launch in 2011. The funds raised during this campaign will specifically go towards high performance coaching, to assist the talented riders in reaching their full potential as a cyclist and possibly enter into a cycling career.
Follow the link below and see how you can get involved in helping us reach this campaign goal.
https://www.givengain.com/cause/303/campaigns/12272/
Unakho Creche for the Differently Abled rebuilt
Unakho, our creche for the differently abled is growing, and to meet this demand we have built a new classroom. The objective of the Unakho Center is to enable differently abled learners to make a meaningful contribution to their community. Two strategies are employed in achieving this objective; firstly the Center will provide care and developmental therapy to differently abled learners and secondly, the community will be educated on living with and caring for differently abled people.
The building has been largely funded by an international donor, however we still need a few more materials to see this project completed.
To contribute to this cause and help us finish the new building for Unakho, visit the Givengain campaign on the following link:
Joining Hands with Kingdom Kids in Sir Lowry’s Pass
Something brand new for us here in the Helderberg-region, is to support a project that is not a Prochorus project, but a project driven by other people/organisations. An ECD (Early Childhood Development) centre, Kingdom Kids in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, needed help and several organisations jumped in.
Our women’s ministry team has been supporting the teachers in a spiritual capacity for the past year. After lining up up private and corporate donors, of whom Distance4ADifference was one, they approached us to co-ordinate and assist with a building project needed at this crèche. To meet the Department of Social Development’s criteria for the registration of an ECD, there was a need for another classroom and additional toilets for the children. We broke down and removed a current structure that was unsafe to host the children, and we managed to build two new wooden structures; walls, ceilings and mini-toilets-and-basins installed. As contractors, we used people from the local labor pool. As the current septic tank was also inadequate, a new waste-removal system has also been installed.
The teachers of the crèche are very grateful and excited for these additions, as this will enable them to register their crèche as an ECD centre. We’re looking forward to more involvement, as the buildings need to be painted with the special fire-retardant paint prescribed by the department.
Blessing bags Launched
We are excited to see the new bags for the feeding bag initiative with the development coming from Shofar Christian Church head office. The idea is to make a bag that lasts long enough to reuse, and then to market it in such a way as to give the responsibility of filling the bags for those in need to the community as well. We are thinking in the line of a “pay it forward” principle, so that even tourists seeing the bag will know the story behind it and will help the individual in need get their bag filled.
Rapid Relief
On the evening of the 27th August 2016, 23 shacks burnt down in Groendal. Due to the collaborative effort by Franco and Prochorus, to stockpile food and resources for rapid relief, we were immediately called into action. We drove out to assess the situation and to find out how many families were in need. When we arrived on the scene, Minnie Pietersen the DA counselor was already there organising the logistics. We liaised with her about the rapid relief stockpile we have ready to bring. She told us that Stellenbosch municipality was going to provide for the needs of the people for the first two days. Further, the municipality will build new shelters. She also said that it would be great if we could deliver our resources on Tuesday the 30th August 2016 once all 23 families are in their new shelters.
When Tuesday arrived we loaded up 23 food bags one for each family. This would be able to feed a family for about a week, as well as 23 basins with basic toiletries such as soap tooth brushes tooth paste, and 23 blankets.
We would like to thank Franco for making the rapid relief possible by providing the funding for Prochorus to stockpile these resources. We would also like to thank Stellenbosch municipality and the DA counselors for their rapid response to the need.
