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We are in our eleventh year of operation and we have worked hard to reach where we are today. Our interventions have increased over the previous year from 1949 to 2555. 928 people interacted with our office and 916 interventions arose from the schools projects.

We have run different programmes over the years to meet the needs of the community and neighbouring areas. The three volunteers who started the project with me have since grown and moved on with their lives to permanent fulltime jobs.

Mavis was appointed full-time as the second person in September as Counselling and Admin Assistant. Evelyne Nkoana has since joined us as our new volunteer counsellor and she also assists at Ithute Primary School.

Projects:

Counselling: We have counseled Two Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Five (2555) people at the office including the four schools projects. There is an increase of 606 compared to the last year’s report.

Training: We have supported “Life Skills” to run communication skills for the Home Base Carers last year. Mavis has done a Basic Facilitation Course and I have completed a Basic Computer Course and Advance Facilitation Course.

Schools Projects: We do counselling at four schools being Ithute Primary, Bovert Primary, Athlone Girls and Highlands North Boys. Ekukhanyisweni Primary has recently been added to our group.
 

Disaster Management: Our centre offers disaster/trauma debriefing to the survived family members who have lost their loved ones, their homes and shacks because of fire and we have distributed jumble or clothes donated by community members. We were called in to one of the schools after one female committed suicide after receiving the news that she did not pass her final exams. She was a popular and energetic girl that we had once counselled. We supported the school at the memorial service.

Partnerships: We are involved in the Greater Alexandra Partnership against Aids, Alexandra Service Providers, Alexandra Development Forum and Region “E” Disaster Management Department. We trained 37 young people in March 2007 from the five local High Schools as a partnership with Society for Family Health. We offered training in communication skills, how to handle a rape situation and trauma awareness. The course lasted for four days.

Achievements: We have Christine Usiba who has volunteered at our centre for five years and she is now in her sixth year. I have served for eleven years in the organisation and I have achieved in empowering the people I work with and have made a valuable impact in the lives of the community.

Future: We are working towards making a mailing list for companies that are around Alexandra, Kew, Wynberg, Sandton and Midrand to find donations and also introduce our services. We are going to continue with running Wise Choice for Adults and Youth, we plan to run a July school holiday programme and an August course.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our donors First Rand Foundation, Anglo American Chairman’s Fund and the Lottery for their kind contributions in assisting us to carry out our work.

I would like to thank our additional staff member Mrs. Mavis Rathogwa, our volunteer counsellors Mama Christine Usiba and Sesi Evelyn Nkwana for the valuable work they are doing in the community.

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