ASAP Blog Entries

Camilla’s visit to the Eastern Cape May 2010

2010-05-26 by camilla

It was high time that I actually saw what ASAP does on the ground out in South Africa after nearly 3 years of working for them, so I managed to tag on a short visit to the end of a holiday.    On the morning of Tuesday 20th May 2010, I found myself in a 4×4  white jeep being driven with gusto by Priscilla Higham (ASAP founder, programme director, inspiration and general mother ship), with Jane Ormsby Gore (long time friend of Scilla and UK ASAP Board member) and Rosie Bartlett (ditto) from the Half Acre B&B in Matatiele (4 hours drive inland south and west from Durban) towards the Drakensburg Mountains to go and visit Mamahau. 

The town was left far-behind us as we turned off the tarmac and onto a dirt road with the landscape opening up to reveal the most beautiful Drakensburg Mountains up ahead with open farm/scub/miele plantations as far as the eye can see.  What is it about the African sky that makes it seem so much bigger than any other?  My seatbelt was firmly on as Scilla put her foot down, we weren’t wasting any time getting to where we were going; pot-holes one side, loose cattle the other and the odd mini-bus taxi with 10 more passengers in it than I’m sure it is meant to carry slaloming down the track. 

On arrival at Mamahau there was huge excitement to see the Drop-in Centre and the Office that have been built, although thte centre still awaits a thatched roof the place is looking fantastic.  Added to which the vegetable garden was a triumph with cabbages, carrotts, beetroot, spinach and an orchard of fruit trees.  The women were busy levelling out the inside of the office and tidying up the area where the thatch was about to be delivered for the roof. 

We saw the children of Mamahau receiving their daily nutrition from the soon-to-be redundant drop-in centre.  A plate of miele and vegetables is handed out to all the children that ASAP has identified as being in need of it and it is received with much thanks.  At school they will only have received a piece of bread for the day and probably nothing in the morning for breakfast.  Some of the children have anything up to a 2hr walk to school and back and must fulfil various duties at home such as collecting water, doing the washing or herding up animals before the day is out.  

Later on we handed out some biros that we had brought for the children, there was a complete stampede as they all elbowed there way to the bag of biros trying to grab more.  These children do go to school but at school they have minimal materials and the run on the biros was very telling indeed.

Over the next few days we saw both the Mamahau and Itikeng projects in full swing.  Both their fantastic vegetable gardens are used to supply crucial nutrition to the children in their daily meal.  I was amazed at how fruitful these gardens obviously are but being so high up, nearly 6,000ft, they get a lot of sun and a lot of rain so are able to really utilise their fertile soil to the max.  Here you see the ladies of Itikeng proudly showing off their celery!

On our final day, we were invited to attend the Gogo’s lunch.  A very moving experience with much singing and speeches.  Many of them were sitting knitting or crocheting but were squinting badly, they are in desperate need of some glasses particularly with all the detailed beading or stitching. 

The whole trip was hugely affecting and emotional.  Coming from such an advanced Western society where we live life in the fast lane and where the waste in water and food is at an all time high, I couldn’t help thinking that this experience will stay with me for a lifetime.  It put a lot of things in perspective.  Let’s hope they stay that way in my head but out in Mamahau and Itikeng ASAP can really make a long-lasting difference.

Plates for orphans!

2010-05-14 by alex

The Make A Plate company has been producing durable hand-designed plastic plates since 1969, and I’ve been a loyal customer since 1983. But let me clarify for those who aren’t familiar: Make A Plates are not plastic plates designed by just anybody, they are custom drawn by you! The kit comes with round sheets of paper and special markers, ready to be scribbled or sketched to the best of your ability, then sent to a factory where they are magically transformed into sturdy plastic plates full of memories that will last a lifetime. (And I should know, I’ve had mine for nearly thirty years!)

When Andy and I decided to volunteer with ASAP, I immediately ordered a kit and packed it in my suitcase along with several other art supplies. Growing up I had so much fun with Make A Plates that I wanted to share the experience with others—and thanks to a kind donation by the Make A Plate company, I was able to do it free of charge! They were happy to wave the processing fees and donate extra plate-making kits, not to mention give these orphans a priceless gift in more ways than one.

As our mission states, one of ASAP’s fundamental objectives is to feed orphans and vulnerable children in rural areas. For me, the words “feeding orphans” conjure images of hungry kids, fresh veggies, and a hot stove. But what I didn’t think about were the little things: plates, bowls, utensils. Often times, I would arrive while the village health workers were preparing lunch (usually semp and beans, sauteed cabbage, and steamed carrots, spinach, or potatoes). I would watch them cook, waiting for the kids to slowly trickle in from school and gather ’round for food. Plates and bowls were loaded up and passed out, and if there weren’t enough, the kids would share plates or eat in groups then pass it on to be refilled for another hungry child. It never occurred to me that something as everyday as a plate might be hard to come by.

The first time we used the plate-making kits I kept the intended outcome a surprise. For an hour the kids drew landscapes, cars, houses, or obscure doodles on the round sheets of paper. Once finished, I collected their work with a promise that I would bring it back soon … and a few months later I showed up with one of the coolest surprises these kids had ever had: real plates that they had designed all by themselves.

Many orphans have very little to call their own, usually having to share everything (from clothes to food and books) with brothers and sisters, aunts, gogos, and neighbors. But the orphans at Mrs. Tshalana’s drop-in center were ecstatic to learn that they could keep their own plates and take them home. With the overwhelming gratitude and joy the plates brought these children—and the generous support of the Make A Plate company—Andy and I took the project to another drop-in center in the village of Masupha. The results were just as creative and just as beautiful.

I plan on taking the finished plates to London for ASAPs annual fundraiser in June, where several children and village health workers will be visiting England (and leaving their village) for the first time ever. I can’t wait to see them all again and show them their beautiful plates (click here for a sneak preview)! Here’s hoping this project can continue with ASAP drop-in centers for years to come.

Friends Academy fall fair: ASAP tee shirts sell like hot cakes!

2010-02-03 by alex

Every fall, Friends Academy—an independent Quaker school for pre nursery through the 12th grade in Locust Valley, New York—has a wonderful fair that brings the entire community together. Through the dedicated spirit of the Friends/ ASAP student committee, led by Stephanie Batista. Grace Dixon, Brooke Hen, Nancy Karches, and Maria Wade, coupled with the support of Friends Academy volunteers and teacher sponsors (Herb Lape and Kat Christie), our committee was able to focus their efforts on raising funds for needy children in South Africa through African Solutions to African Problems (ASAP).

As our contribution to the fall fair this past October, the Friends/ASAP Committee set up an ASAP tee shirt booth. We arrived very early in the morning to set up our make shift booth—a little bit of rain did not dampen our determination, or success! We sold approximately 1,000 dollars worth of tee shirts, not to mention tons of committee-member Nancy Karche’s famous cupcakes! With the money we raised, we were able to help support a nursery school in the rural Eastern Cape of South Africa.

This particular nursery school had no books or educational supplies. The money we raised at the fair provided an entire trunk of bilingual books, toys, and supplies for the nursery school children. We were so thrilled to give this educational gift to all of them.

To date, the online sales of the ASAP tee shirts have raised close to 1,500 dollars, so combined with the fall fair fundraiser, the Friends/ASAP Committee is doing an incredible job! A special thank you to our student committee as well as the Friends Academy community—none of this would be possible without your support! We’re really excited to continue our work with ASAP, and are planning a spring bake sale as soon as the weather warms up.

Thanks for your support,

Maria Wade

Year-end Newsletter

2009-12-12 by alex

Hello All!

It has been a busy spring at ASAP. As many of you know, we lost the permaculture manager at one of our partner CBOs in the Eastern Cape. A fund has been started in her name to educate her five children.

Now, onto better, more exciting news! Thanks to the generosity and support of our funders, ASAP has enlisted the services of Malcom Worby of www.happi-online.org to build two new community centres at our CBOs in Masupha and Thabaneng. Malcolm has years of experience with adobe mud brick, and his environmentally conscious building techniques can both save money and reduce the carbon footprint of a house by up to 80%. Though the structures are Malcolm’s design, the building is being executed by local villagers, and the women have cut and baled the straw for the thatch and made the mud bricks themselves. With these new skills, it is ASAPs hope that further employment opportunities will present themselves for many of these hard-working men and women. So far, the bricks have been formed, the walls are up and brand-new fencing for permaculture gardens is in place. Things are in full swing, and the buildings should be completed in a few months!

The first Food and Trees for Africa training was held in December with Itekeng Batswadi and Mamohau drop-in centres and Maria Linden Junior Secondary School. The fences have been installed, three gardens have been designed, and the soil prepared for planting early next year.

As you know, empowering and training our village health workers and youth is one of ASAPs fundamental goals. We sponsor several trainings per year, facilitated by experts from around the globe. Though all of our trainings are successful and reported on with rave reviews, a few of 2008’s stand-out trainings were the CHMT and PYE.

CHMT—locally known as Siyayinqoba-BEAT IT!—was an incredible opportunity for our CBO staff, village health workers, and youth to become qualified HIV/AIDS peer educators. The training was intensive and covered HIV/AIDS from all angles, and at the end we gave them two DVD players to accommodate the 21-disc set of instructional videos. As we speak, the newly trained and certified participants are out in the rural areas sharing their knowledge and raising HIV/AIDS awareness.

Partnership for Youth Empowerment (PYE) training was held at Hlomelikusasa in September. A selection of 15 youth and our younger CBO staff members were given the skills to then facilitate a camp for 30 kids in the area. The workshop, held by Charlie Murphy, was designed to help young people build self-esteem, support their peers, explore important issues, learn new skills, receive mentorship and guidance, and have fun. And that’s exactly what it did! Hlomelikusasa’s youth coordinator put the group together and has since been diligently working to strengthen a core of responsible, active youth that can be advocates in their rural areas and form strong community bonds.

We have many more trainings planned for 2010. The mood in South Africa is buzzing with the impending excitement of the 2010 World Cup, and ASAP hopes to take some of that excitement and turn it into productivity for our dedicated community groups and the children who’s lives they are constantly changing for the better.

The Holiday Tree Giving Campaign is running until December 19th–so far we’ll be planting over 150 trees! Thank you all for your support, and Happy New Year!

Nokulunga Mzobotshe

2009-11-11 by alex

Born August 11th 1962 – Died October 22nd 2009 The first time I heard the name 'Nokulunga' I thought, “How the hell am I ever going to remember that?” Nokulunga, Nokulunga, Nokulunga. Andy and I practically chanted it, along with the names Fikiswa and Boniswa as we drove the 1000 miles east from Cape Town to Mount Frere in our dinky little car. We were on our way to meet our new co-workers for the next twelve months: the women of Hlomelikusasa, dedicating their lives to the nutrition and education of orphans and vulnerable children in the Transkei region. When we pulled up to their tiny office we were greeted with songs, dancing, prayers, hugs, and the glowing smiles of three beautiful African women. They were as happy to meet us as we were to meet them. And, yes, their Xhosa names were tricky to learn, but Nokulunga Mzobotshe will be an impossible name to forget.

During our year in the desert landscape of South Africa's Eastern Cape, Nokulunga became a very close friend. I tagged along on dozens of garden visits down bumpy, non-existent roads to photograph while she assessed vegetable gardens and gave advice to village health workers. Andy rolled up his sleeves and helped her distribute nutrition parcels, slinging sacks of mealie meal, beans, sugar and more, that our village health workers would later cook for the orphans. We took a chaotic but unforgettable Christmas trip to the beach with 60 giddy orphans. And days before Andy and I left Mount Frere, Nokulunga and I taught a cooking class to a group of young rural women. Nokulunga was beautiful, passionate, intelligent. A good friend and listener. She was dedicated to her job, her friends, her family… and HIV positive, though she was too afraid to tell anyone. Now that she's gone, I rehash every encounter; the ones I can remember, anyway. Every time she coughed, stopped to rest, or just looked like she could really use some chapstick—was she dying then? Was she dying right in front of my eyes and I didn't do anything to help her? That thought will always haunt me. And what really blows my mind: if Nokulunga was HIV positive, were some of our other friends positive, too? Who else is living in silent pain with this viral death sentence, too afraid to reveal their status or seek treatment? The numbers change too fast to tally, but an estimated 5.7 million South Africans are living with AIDS, one thousand of whom are dying on a daily basis. Those numbers used to seem so far away to me, so vague and unrelatable. But not any more. You will never get to meet Nokulunga, but I want to give you the chance to see her through my eyes. Not as one of 5.7 million; not as one of a thousand daily victims. But as Nokulunga Mzobotshe: wife, mother of five, grandmother of two, teacher, student, and friend to hundreds. She had the world's best smile. We all know someone with a great smile, right? Well multiply that by a million. Hers was the definition of genuine, always full of love, innocence, awe, gullibility, and silliness. She wore simple clothes, sturdy shoes, and always a headscarf or hat to cover salt-and-pepper hair that I saw once (and only once!). Every day began bright and cheery with 'hellos' and 'how are yous': “Molo Alex! Unjani Andy?” no matter how badly she was feeling, or how busy her day was. And her days were always busy.

Over 70 gardens were installed in and around Mount Frere, largely based on Nokulunga's hard work, ability to teach with care and patience, and supreme love of gardening. All of her expertise and formal training were provided by ASAP, and Nokulunga praised the organisation almost daily for transforming her life and blessing her with such beautiful opportunities. She took unused scrub and bush clearings and taught uneducated village health workers to mold them into lush, productive vegetable and medicinal gardens. And it wasn't easy. The Eastern Cape has a fiercely arid climate and rain is hard to come by. That's how you knew Nokulunga was such an excellent teacher. Against all odds she made those gardens grow, made them thrive, in order to feed the orphans and vulnerable children under Hlomelikusasa's care. It's impossible to sum up my feelings, but Nokulunga was one of the most beautiful human beings I've ever met. Maybe she was a pushover. Maybe she'd still be alive if she hadn't always tried so hard to do what other people wanted her to … but I can't think about that or I might start crying again. Instead, I want to leave you with a picture of the Nokulunga I knew. The Nokulunga with such terrible handwriting she'd cover her face and blush every time she handed me her notebook to transcribe a report. “Oh, Alex, is it too bad, my handwriting?” “Sho!” Fikiswa would always reply, “Sis Nokulunga, you have the worst handwriting!” And then we'd digress to the subject of Nokulunga's ginormous, clunky fingers: perfect for planting vegetables, but an embarrassment for a refined lady. She shied away from the computer, insisting that her fat fingers couldn't type on the small keys. We'd make fun of her; but she was wrong, of course. Nokulunga had a passion for learning. When Andy and I drew a computer keyboard diagram and I sat down to teach her, she was eager and filled with fascination. Sometimes, when no one else was in the office I'd catch her sitting at Fikiswa's desk, diligently hunting and pecking with the dedication of a surgeon and the grace of a hippopotamus on roller blades. It would take some time, but she would learn. The last time we saw Nokulunga was on her birthday, August 11th 2009. She was turning forty-seven years old. It was our going away party, but since it coincided with Nokulunga's birthday, we bought a cake, vanilla with sprinkles and bright green icing. We played Graceland on the stereo and ate fried chicken from KFC. There was dancing, singing, laughing, and a lot of talking in Xhosa which escaped Andy and I pretty entirely, but it was a great celebration. We were with our best friends. At the end of the day I gave Nokulunga a birthday present. An I (Heart) NY t-shirt and a pouch of cornbread mix from New Mexico. Nokulunga told me it was the best birthday she'd ever had. No one had ever given her a birthday cake before. Then, rather shyly, she asked me if I would take a photograph of her. She didn't have any recent portraits of herself, and she wanted me to take one, if it wasn't too much trouble, of course. Did she want that photo because she already knew she was sick? I can't help wondering. The fact that HIV/AIDS is such a stigma, such a nasty curse that must stay hidden, is tragic. As is such a strong, beautiful woman—dedicated to helping orphans and studying permaculture—dying alone and in denial. Nokulunga Mzobotshe left behind a husband, five children, and two grand children. A fund in Mount Frere at TEBA bank is being started for the care and education of her children, who will never fully know the woman who I will never forget. If you would like to contribute, please use this box:

Filming in the Eastern Cape

2009-07-02 by alex

One of ASAP’s longstanding supporters and force behind Grandmothers United, Elizabeth Ashcombe, has helped to enlist the expertise of Move A Mountain Productions to put together an updated promotional film for the organization. The film crew consisted of Priscilla Higham, Linet Dube (ASAP office manager), Alex Richards and Andy O’Neill (ASAP volunteers), Elizabeth McKay (Move A Mountain director/producer), and Elio Pavolini Zossi (Move A Mountain editor-turned-camera-man). Priscilla wrote the script and worked with the interviewees on-location while Elizabeth took notes and suggested shots, Elio filmed, Linet got forms signed and helped translate, and Andy & Alex did sound, lighting, and production stills.

MOUNT FRERE:

The first leg of filming took place in Mount Frere, with the CBO Hlomelikusasa. We filmed in the exemplary garden of longstanding village health worker, Letticia Tshalana. We were greeted by her family, local sangomas, and about 30 kids singing and dancing. The weather wasn’t great but we still managed to get interviews with Boniswa Ngule (project manager) and Mrs. Tshalana in the garden.

Filming continued at a local junior school with kids walking to school and singing morning prayers. Then, on to a senior school to interview a boy in grade ten. He was a bit tongue-tied on camera, but he talked about how much Hlomelikusasa and African Solutions has helped him over the years with school uniform & supplies, and helped him to feel the same as all the other kids.

Our last destination in Mount Frere was to interview another village health worker, Oriana Lila. She is an adorable woman who doesn’t speak much English but has has a fantastic garden and an uncanny knack for getting the orphans in her area put on government-provided child care and foster grants.

MASUPHA:

We continued our filming in Masupha, at the Mamohau project, a small Sotho-speaking community and new partner of ASAP. We filmed the Mamohau ladies cooking, having a staff meeting, and celebrating our visit. They are such caring ladies and take such good care of the vulnerable children, lovingly washing their hands before mealtime and coating their cracked winter skin with vaseline.

On our last day in Masupha we did more interviews and filmed the cemetery tucked away behind the village. It’s a beautiful, chilling spot, and clearly there were a many fresh plots. However, the people of Masupha are reluctant to list HIV/AIDS as a cause of death–many people deny the virus or think it’s a curse.

QWA QWA:

We moved on to beautiful (and freezing) Qwa qwa in the Free State Province at Kakaretso. Kakaretso has been in partnership with ASAP for seven years. They are a shining example of the ASAP model.

We filmed at an ECD (early childhood development) centre–more specifically, one of Kakaretso’s “centres of excellence.” It was very well maintained–the children had dedicated teachers, toys, art supplies, books, tables, rugs, vegetable gardens, a play structure outside, and uniforms. The kids looked happy and healthy, but they weren’t all orphans; Kakaretso supports the entire ECD program, while ASAP supplies the OVC with school uniforms and materials.

The next day we filmed at the tiny adobe hut of a local Qwaqwa gogo and her 7 grandchildren. The gogo fed the kids, helped them with homework, and told them a story from her youth.

And that’s a wrap! The crew then flew back to Cape Town to finish up the filming at Ikhwezi Lomso, a Grandmother group in Khayalitsha township.

It will be a couple months before Move A Mountain can show us a rough cut. After that, they’ll finish editing the film and make 500 to 1000 copies … and by next summer the new ASAP film will be unveiled.

Andes horse trek raised £2,192.29 for ASAP

2009-03-13 by priscilla

Rosie Tyser came to the ASAP lunch in May 2008 in London and proposed a sponosred horse trek in the Andes.   We were so thilled that she chose ASAP as her cause and was able to raise £2,192.29 for ASAP.  Here’s a report from the horse’s mouth!

I crossed the Andes on horseback from January 24th to February 2nd with Discover Adventure to raise funds for African Solutions to African Problems (ASAP).   We started in Argentina and finished up over the border in Chile.  It was an incredible experience, one which I will never forget.  Despite having ridden all my life and experienced some quite hairy moments in the past, this was something else.  There were several extremely scary moments going over the passes, some of which I would not have walked down on my own two feet, let alone taken a horse. It really helped at times to know that I was on this adventure for a very worthwhile cause.
We were so lucky with the weather; there were clear skies every day and absolutely breathtaking views. I had an amazing horse and it was great to ride “Western style” with their different stirrups and saddle.   Riding for ten hours a day however, sure is a long time and it wasn’t long before the blisters began to make an appearance.
I was in a group of six girls and three gauchos, there were our horses plus six pack horses and a couple of spares.  Every evening the horses were let out into the wilderness and I was always amazed when they were rounded up and brought back to be saddled up every morning.  We rode on Chilean saddles and changed horses for the last day when we crossed the border into Chile.  I was rather sad to say goodbye to my mount as we had been through a lot together.  I would recommend this trip to anyone who has a sense of adventure (and a head for heights).

ASAP in the Telegraph

2008-11-10 by andy

ASAP has been featured in a September 2008 Telegraph Magazine article about our new fundraising effort: Grandmothers United. The article highlights the programmes ASAP funds which offer South African grandmothers (gogos) psychological support and a break from looking after their orphaned grandchildren. The Grandmother’s United campaign will recruit grandmothers in the UK, USA and around the world to raise money which will support these gogo lunches and projects such as sewing, knitting and beading so that they can generate their own income to support their families.

Grandmothers United at Vogue House

2008-11-09 by priscilla

Vogue House, Hanover Square, London W1 welcomed over 100 grandmothers in

support of Grandmothers United for ASAP. 

Sue Crewe, Liz Ashcombe, Rosie Bartlett, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall, Lynne Franks, Candida Lycett Green, Lucinda Lambton, Jane Ormsby Gore and Lyn Rothman, along with the assembled guests, listened to the Telegraph feature writer Cassandra Jardine,  who recently visited two of the communities under the ASAP umbrella in the townships of Cape Town, about which she wrote an article for The Telegraph Magazine published  in September 2008.

She spoke movingly of her experiences visiting the Gogo’s, sharing the startling reality of their day to day lives.   For example, Mrs Bornside, who has no less than 8 dependants, shares her bed with two of her grandchildren as well as a bucket that catches the drips that fall through the roof.  Cassandra pointed out that the human race is the one species that has a need and a role for the Grandmother in its society.   

Champagne, sandwiches, cupcakes, chocolate dipped strawberries and tea, donated by Condé Nast, was orchestrated by Sue Crewe, Editor of House & Garden.

 

 

New A.S.A.P. volunteers in the Eastern Cape

2008-10-28 by alex

Andy O’Neill and Alex Richards will be volunteering with ASAP from September 2008 through September 2009. After Andy finished his PhD in physics at Columbia University and Alex completed her second novel, they are ecstatic to have found the time to work with the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Mount Frere with one of ASAP’s partner NGO’s, Hlomelikusasa. While in Mount Frere, Alex will be working on several creative and fun art projects with the OVC, helping the staff increase their grant writing capabilities, and establishing communication with the ASAP’s School To School program by initiating correspondence between the OVC and the American kids who help raise funds for their school uniforms and fees. Andy, with expertise in maths and sciences, as well as computer programming, will be tutoring students, advising matriculants, creating a much needed database for ASAP and partnering organizations, and initiating the ASAP Christmas Campaign.  They are both looking forward to a great year!