Written by Aneesa, Thanda intern
Our mission for The Happy Africa Foundation is to, “Educate, Empower, and Enrich.” What separates us from many other organisations, is that our aim is to provide projects with the tools they need to be sustainable and successful. We are proud to say that that we have achieved that in the Thanda area and much more. We have worked dynamically in the Etshaneni, Mange, and Mafa communities. We have not only educated the youth in the communities but also the adults as well. We have supported the communities and empowered them to flourish.
How did we do this? We provided them with the necessities to be triumphant. We completely renovated imperative buildings such as the Ethshaneni community building, the communities’ farms and gardens, and most recently completing the renovations of Etshaneni Creche and Mange toilets at Mange Creche. The importance of latter projects is extensive to the communities. Creche is the starter of education system for children. Children come here to begin their education, so the environment of the creche is decisive to their careers as students. At Thanda, our goal was to give the children in Mange and Etshaneni, the same opportunities deserved to children worldwide. We achieved this by supplying the mamas with lesson plans and assessments for the children’s education. We also renovated these crèches to make their learning environments more stimulating for the children. Every child should be excited to come to school and learn, not concerned being cold or rained on from holes in the roof and walls.
This month, we have finished painting the interior of the creche. So the toilets are completed and it looks as if a team of professionals completed the job. We have also completed the shading area in Etshaneni, and the mamas and children are able to enjoy a cool breeze, which is a terrific treat for them considering the sun shines so bright on the mountains of Etshaneni.
We are departing from the communities physically but our spirit and knowledge will stay with the communities forever. To make sure of this we left each community with departure packs. These packs consist of essential equipment and more importantly plans and curriculums for each project. During our time with these communities, we provided business proposals and management plans and have trained them on how to thrive in their communities. Now that our impact has been made in these communities it is time to move on to help others.
The work doesn’t stop here, so where to next?
Hoedspruit, South Africa. The meaning of Hoedspruit in Afrikaans, is Hat creek. It is located in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Over the years the town has grown considerably due to its surrounding private game reserves and Kruger National Park. With all of the growth from tourist attractions in the area, Limpopo province still has the highest level of poverty in South Africa. 78.9% of the population live below the national poverty line. This is an area that can definitely benefit from our impact. So this is an extremely exciting move for African Impact and THAF. There is so much in stored for us and so many new relationships to be made. Being in Hoedspruit is a chance for new beginnings, a chance to make a bigger impact, and chance to educate, empower, and enhance more people!