The story Mariette was talking about was the Tourism Community Development Trust !
Mariette explained to listeners how the TCD Trust had put action behind their good intentions and teamed up unifying the efforts of players in the tourism industry to bring real and meaningful benefits back to the community at large.

Mariette discussed some of the increadible success stories already achieved through the Trust with the support of our “friends of the Trust”. She also mentioned Blomvlei project and the increadble news that we beging building in January 2010 with this ambitious and wonderous project.

“Creating a variety of secure, sheltered, meaningful and inspirational spaces.”

What is our call to action ?
1. SECURE SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO MAKE THE DREAM COME TRUE.
2. ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY TO JOIN AS FRIENDS OF THE TRUST AND SUPPORT THE GOOD WORK WE DO.
3. GET THE COMMUNITY, PARENTS AND CHILDREN INVOLVED.
4. FINDING PARTNERS AND RESOURCES TO ESTABLISH AN EXTRA MURAL CURRICULUM.

A very BIG THANK YOU, once again, from all the Trustees to David Dickson from the UK. David has given another generous donation to the projects supported by the TCD Trust of 5 000 British Pounds, approximately R70 000.00 !

David was in South Africa to cycle in the Argus Cycle Tour ; he has come out on six tours in the last ten years with Di Thomas from Daytrippers. After braving the south easter wind and managing to complete the cycle tour, in one of the most grueling conditions in years, David asked Di if it would be possible to visit some the projects supported by the TCD Trust in Khayelitsha, which he has previously seen and generously donated to in the past.

Our first stop was to Bromvlei Primary School in Hanover Park on the Cape Flats to show David our plans for the new multi-purpose centre to be built at the school. We received a warm and enthusiastic greeting from the school’s headmistress, Dawn Petersen, and we were given a tour of the school and the site for the centre.

After our stop at Bloemvlei Primary School we visited Khayelitsha to see the work that the TCD Trust has done at Baphumelele Educentre and the recently opened Respiste Centre for HIV infected children. David said he was impressed to see how far the center has developed since he visited it two years ago with Di.

The money which David has donated will go towards Blomvlei Primary School multi-purpose centre as well as Baphumele Educare and Respite Center – Thank you David !

With the help of people, such as David, we can once again bring the benefits of tourism to grassroots in South Africa.

I would like to introduce myself to the Friends of the Trust, some of you may already know me as I have been involved in the tourism industry for many years. I was born in Zimbabwe and grew up with a genuine love and passion for Africa which has never left me. I have, as a tour operator, travelled Southern Africa extensively. For the past four years I have worked on a part time basis with a social upliftment project in the townships in Cape Town which has given me great joy and a deep respect for these communities. The project also involved the tourism indusrty and I saw how the project changed many people’s lives from living in a shack to owning a home of their own.

I look forward to working together with the Trustees and the Friends of the Trust to continue the good work which has already been achieved by the TCD Trust and to see the reality of the dream for the new multi purpose centre at Blomvlei Primary School in Hanover Park.

I recently visited Blomvlei Primary School for the first time and met with the head mistress, Dawn Petersen. She proudly showed me around the school and the new sports flieds which were being laid, the first step towards the bigger picture of creating an enviroment for these children that they can be proud of and play in a safe area. We were there on a scorching hot day and the children were having their school assembly out in the school courtyard, Dawn said she could not wait for the day when they will have the centre open and the children won’t have to sit outside.

I hope to meet with many of you as soon as possible and look forward to working together.

Bronwen has been in the tourism industry for over 20 years and has, for the past four years, successfully coordinated projects involving the tourism industry and raising funds to build houses for shack dwellers living in the townships of the Western Cape.

With her passion for the upliftment of grassroute projects in South Africa and a vast knowldge and understanding of the tourism industry, Bronwen will continue to expand our Friends of the Trust and work with our various projects which the Trust supports.

The multi-purpose centre at Blomvlei Primary School in Hanover Park will be the focus of fund raising efforts and ensuring that the project continues to become a reality for this community.

We welcome Bronwen onboard and look forward to working together.

We as Baphumelele Respite Care Centre/ Childrens Home, the Management, the Staff and the Children we would like

• to deeply thank you for the donation of the beautiful car bought for the Respite Care. We would like you to know that
• We are deeply humbled and we highly appreciated everything you all have done for us at Baphumelele and definitely has made a difference to the organization as a whole.

Looking forwards to seeing and hearing from you again soon. May God bless you, your family and colleagues in every area of your work.

All the best

Simphiwe Mabuya

The Woodberry Woodpeckers from Ireland are showing their ongoing commitment and support to the Baphumelele Respite Center. They understand that their great work of building and refurbishing the Center in 2007 was phase 1 of the project. The next phase is to ensure that the new icon in Khayelitsha is sustainable and can provide care in a controlled environment for the sick in years to come.

In November 2007 the Woodberry Woodpeckers donated €12 000 (R116 992-80) to the TCD Trust in support of the newly employed qualified nurse at the Respite Center.

Another fundamental inhibitor to proper service was the lack of transport. Patients need to be transported to and from the hospitals for further treatment, medicines need to be collected at the local clinics and taken to day patients, etc.

Again the Woodberry Woodpeckers, as part of their commitment, purchased a vehicle for the Respite Center with full insurance. In picture you can witness the hand over of the keys to an elated Rosie Mashale by Derek Wallace, one of the founder members of the Woodberry Woodpeckers.

The GM Dealership in Cape Town, Reeds Cape Town will service the vehicle for free until it reach 100 000km’s. We also thank them for their support.

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Dear Di Thomas and Friends,

I, Rosie Mashale, the staff and management from Baphumelele Children’s Home Khayelitsha Cape Town, is hereby writing this letter to thank you for your kind donation. We truly acknowledge the endowment of food you bought for the Christmas Party for the Baphumelele Children’s Home. Your contribution definitely made a big deference. We thank you very much and my God’s richest Blessings be with you all in every area of your work. May you also have a great and prosperous new year!

Your contribution helped to save young, innocent children, whose lives have all been impacted by the HIV/Aids pandemic rampaging in our country – they are orphans or they have been abandoned by dying parents, they have been dumped as little babies or they are HIV-positive themselves. One way or another, they have all already experienced death, disease, abuse, neglect and hunger in their still so young lives.

It is people like you, who help to give them back their childhood, their smiles, their trust in life and a future. We are very grateful for your support and we hope that you will continue the support even years to come because Baphumelele is running five programmes and staffed with 69 people which means there is a long way to come for you to help.

All the best

After the visit to Table Mountain we went to the Camps Bay beach.
There we played cricket, football, tennis and had a refreshing swim.
The tour group from the UK arranged a lunch for all the children which everybody enjoyed very much.
On our way back to Baphumelele all the children where sleeping, the end of a great day full of excitement!

Thank you to REALIZE Events, Table Mountain and the tour group from the UK! You all helped us realize this day!

Rosie – its always a pleasure assisting you and your hard-working assistants!

To the volunteers – thank you for your time and effort!

Dear Di,

We thank you very much for your recent projects at our children’s home. We ac-knowledge the very kind donation of the wall for safety. This is going to enable us to create a recreational space for the older children to enjoy. They will love having a space to practice their soccer as they are working hard in their soccer league.

In addition, the creche children greatly benefited from the activity and positive stimulation from the structured activities. Thank you for recruiting brave volun-teers to interact with so many children at once!

As for the boat trip, it was truly a special outing for both the children and the staff. They are still all talking about the Spur food they enjoyed!

All these efforts you have made help us to save young, innocent children, whose lives have all been impacted by the HIV/Aids pandemic rampaging in our country -they are orphans or they have been abandoned by dying parents, they have been dumped as little babies or they are HIV-positive themselves. One way or another, they have all already experienced death, disease, abuse, neglect and hunger in their still so young lives.

It is people like you, who help to give them back their childhood, their smiles, their trust in life and a future. We are very grateful for your support.

Kind regards,
Rosie Mashale

Managing Director
BAPHUMELELE CHILDREN’S HOME