Changing the world,

a matter of

Wanting it & Doing it

BENEFIT EVENING - 22 February 2015

On Sunday 22 February the benefit party took place in Hauwert. The party was graced by Michael Nobbe, singing school POP UP and Linda Waldeck.

Thanks to the help of the many volunteers and lots of buyers, this atmospheric evening has become a great success and we can realise a nursery for 60 children in South Africa! Here our foundation is very proud and happy with it, so many thanks again to everyone who has contributed his/her contribution, for the children and on behalf of the children!!

The Africa group mainly teaches project-oriented work. They're going to get action-oriented. The purpose for which they are intended is: 25,000 euros to be able to build a nursery for 70 children and to be able to lay a vegetable garden, so that these children can have a healthy meal twice a day. Six trainees are involved in the Meetingpoint project. At a later stage, the intention is to also offer an internship in South Africa.

Judy and Brian have set up a volunteer center at Coffeebay. A similar center in another area closer to East London (Chinsa) had a positive effect on the development of the region. Judy and Brian maintain contact with the founders of the center in Chinsa. Willen & Doen supports this project with a micro credit. The amount invested is returned to our cash on repayment.

Volunteers from South Africa and abroad can stay in this centre and support the local population through specially designed projects. Projects focusing on agriculture and education will focus on this. But also medical support is one of the possibilities. The centre fits in well with our goals. Through our HBO Internship project we can deliver volunteers from The Netherlands.

Our foundation has been able to present itself as an internship project at the HvA (Amsterdam University of Applied Science). In 2012-2013, two internships are carried out in the Netherlands. At a later stage, the intention is to offer an internship in South Africa as well.

“We are four second-year students from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and are studying Cultural nd Social Education. We conducted a research for the Willen & Doen Foundation for six months. Our main question during this study was: "How can the Willen & Doen Foundation, by means of an effective low budget method, recruit multiple donors, so that it creates greater support and can profile itself well?"

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We have processed the results of this research in a report and offered it to the foundation. In the coming months we will be making even more efforts for the foundation and we are already very enthusiastic about this. We are organizing a fantastic benefit evening, in which we will launch a promotional film for the foundation. ”Linda de Jong, Bo van Ladesteijn , Rosa Smits and Elisabeth de Wit.

The aim of the NGO (non Governmental organisation) Sustainable Coffeebay is to improve the lives and prospects of the children in the rural, remote community, so that they can fully participate in their environment. This is where moral, cultural and environmental awareness is central..

MONTESSORI EDUCATION

Sustainable Coffeebay specializes in Montessori Preschool education. Willen & Doen cooperates with them in the development of training projects in the region. Dawn helped us with the design of our preschool and provides training for our teachers.

At the moment, the payments of our teachers and managers at Mawotsheni also run through the foundation of Dawn. Together we also investigate other possible projects in the area to improve training.

The Sexuality and South Africa project was set up by Willen & Doen in collaboration with Stichting Dynamo, the ROC Spaklerweg and GGD-Amsterdam. The aim was to approach ethnic youth to get them to take action on the HIV and AIDS issues in the Netherlands and South Africa..

The young people were given knowledge about the South African situation through workshops. The stories from South Africa, however intense sometimes, can be very inspiring. Talking openly about HIV and AIDS is also still a taboo in the Netherlands. Moreover, there is an unjustifiably less attention to safe sex. Hence this project, in which young people here in the Netherlands are committed to and moving in the situation of peers in South Africa. And with that also by looking at other glasses for their own situation..

After the workshop, the young people started to set up campaigns. In the Dapperbuurt in Amsterdam they set off to share their knowledge and to inspire others to take action. The problem was brought to the attention through creative, musical and sporting activities, which involved the entire Dapper neighborhood..

The group involved consisted of 24 students, both boys and girls. Many had never heard of Chlamydia and other STDs. They learned to present and the project was a great success.

During Wil Groot's stay in Cape Town, he had a lot of contact with Homestead, an organization that takes care of street youth and runs the Learn to Live school. The school was set up by the Salesians as "last chance education". Many street boys are referred through the reception center.

Many of these Ciske's (as we call them, after Ciske de Rat) can neither read nor write. Some pick it up quickly. Most of them, however, not because of the frequent use of wrong drugs, or with parents as alcoholics. It is great for them that they can choose for practical training. This is how they learn to work with their hands.

COMPUTER EDUCATION

In 2009, Willen & Doen set up a space for computer education together with the school. Working on the computer can be important for these young people in their further development. Moreover, it stimulates their writing skills.

The first collaboration project of Willen & Doen was Ons Plek. The project was set up in 1999 by Deon Mulder. We were involved from October 2007 to October 2011. Through our cooperation with Deon, we learned a lot about the HIV problem in South Africa. This meeting was of great importance for the development of Willen & Doen.

Due to personal problems of management and because self-reliance did not get off the ground, Ons Plek was closed in 2011.

In collaboration with Deon Mulder, two other children's homes have been set up that are still run independently: Thsepang in Bloemfontein and Khaya Lethu in the Transkei.

THE PINK HOUSE

In 2008, Thsepang children's home was opened in Bloemfontein. It was purchased by the management of Ons Plek (link) to give the children, who were currently staying in Ons Plek, their own accommodation. It is located approximately 1 km from the location of Ons Plek. In order to make the house suitable as a children's home, a renovation was necessary. Together with Wings of Support, Willen & Doen adapted the house appropriately. The living and sleeping areas have been expanded and hygiene improved with stone floors and a new bathroom. In 2010 a step towards self-reliance was made with the purchase of solar boilers and vegetable tunnels. In 2011, the project was taken over by the church organization, which was also involved in the purchase. At that time the name of The Pink House changed to Thsepang..

Five children from the first hour (October 2007, when Wil Groot first came to Bloemfontein) still live here. We are working hard to get the status of children's home officially. Now it is officially a Safetyhouse and children should not stay longer than six months. Yet it is expected that the fifteen children who now live here can stay. One of the children in Thsepang is Tebogho. Wil Groot was there when a seriously weakened baby was brought to Ons Plek with his mother in 2007. It was thought that the child - Tebogho - had only a few hours left to live. In the years that followed he was very introverted. He is now attending primary school first class and we can say that he is doing well.

Deon Mulder introduced us to Coffeebay. There was a demand from the community for a shelter for AIDS orphans. That is why the Khaya Lethu children's home was built. "Khaya Lethu" means "Our Place" in Xhosa (the language of this region). At Wil Groot's first visit there were a dilapidated "flat" (rectangular building) and three rondavels (mud huts). Everything in a terrible state. With, among other things, money from Willen & Doen and help from Christene and Gerry (Coram Deo) and Deon Mulder, a beautiful children's home has been built here. Khaya Lethu was completely taken over by Christine and Gerry in 2010 and is now running independently. It has the safety house starus means that children can be looked after for a period of 6 months.

DAY CARE

Childcare started in August 2008. Just before the end of Wil's 9-month visit to South Africa, he put the beds together. The shelter offers space for twenty to thirty children..

VEGETABLE GARDEN

During the construction work was done on the vegetable garden. The garden is managed by a few ladies from the community.

PRE-SCHOOL

The preschool in the project offers space for 25 children.

HThe first collaboration project of Willen & Doen was Ons Plek. The project was set up in 1999 by Deon Mulder. We were involved from October 2007 to October 2011. Through our cooperation with Deon, we learned a lot about the HIV problem in South Africa. This meeting was very important for the development of Willen & Doen. Due to personal problems of management and because self-reliance did not get off the ground, Ons Plek was closed in 2011. Two other children's homes were set up in collaboration with Deon Mulder that are still run independently: Thsepang in Bloemfontein and Khaya Lethu in the Transkei.

PLACE FOR CHILDREN

The combination with a children's home was obvious. Often sick women with children came to the shelter. After the death of their mother, the children could continue to live in the home. One of the children we met here is Lydia. Unfortunately she passed away, but her cheerful character and beautiful smile remain an important inspiration for our work in South Africa.

SAFE PLACE

In Ons plek people were taken care of, who had nothing more.

They were often rejected by family and friends because of their HIV infection. Sometimes they were literally dumped on the sidewalk. For many, Ons Plek has been the last place on earth, others were able to continue independently due to good care and medication. But for all residents, Ons Plek was the home that they had lost.

WORKING WITH THE CISKE'S

We call them Ciske's, little rats, because they remind us of Ciske the Rat. Not desired babies at home  at the wrong time. Or in the wrong place, such as the garbage dump of a township. They reject the mothers of these street kids, they never knew their fathers. They live on the street themselves.

In projects with these street youths, the peer method in particular is very important, transferring to their peers what they have experienced themselves. For example, Karl (a "street rat" who accompanied eleven boys) learned the consequences of drug use on his own development. He listened carefully to what Wil Groot had to say about it and shared his knowledge with the boys in his group. The entire group participated in a workshop. Nine of the twelve Ciske's followed a course a year later. She no longer lived on the street.

ETAFENI DAY CARE CENTRE

The Etafeni Day Care Center supports all HIV-related problems in the township of Nyanga, Cape Town. In addition to testing, information and sewing for women, the center also provides live skill workshops (life skills for HIV-infected people in particular). On the basis of the stories of others and coaching by the group leader, the participants regain their self-confidence, so that they can actively participate in the community again and be helped to find a job. The conversion rate is very high. Wil Groot participated in a number of these workshops. 

YABONGA

Yabonga means "thank you". In addition, it is the name of an organization that deals with HIV and AIDS, and everything related to it. Yabonga is active in almost all townships of Cape Town. In clinics they mainly provide support and counseling. Their clients are of all ages. Almost everyone who gives counseling is HIV positive. Yabonga trains these women and men so that they can give presentations and counseling at various Yabonga Support centers. The mission of Yabonga is to create a positive effect in the lives of children, families and the community.

At Yabonga I did research into their field of work. At the clinics in the townships I had conversations with the people who were active there. They reported on the problems they faced on a daily basis.