Government:

The Dept. of Social Development, Eastern Cape, subsidises 33 children per month, the salary of a social worker and stipends for 5 child and youth care workers, which covers about 50% of Vuyani’s annual expenses.

National Lotteries Commission – mostly they give funding for areas not subsidised by the Department of Social Development, e.g. infrastructure, some categories of salaries and assets.
During 2017 Vuyani received funding for a Quantum bus, 2018 for staff salaries and training and in 2021 we could buy a new property for a home for our older children.

SOUTH AFRICAN DONATIONS:

MONTHLY INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS

Ampie Jordaan

Gerald Buisman

Marnus Ochse

Maretha Willemse

Jess Hobson

Jennifer Kroon

LOCAL CHURCHES:

Assemblies of God – monthly donation

AFM Bethel

NG Kerk Graaff-Reinet

VGK Kroonvale

Oosstraat Congregational Church

Parsonage Street Church

St James Anglican Church

Trinity Methodist Church

Corporate funders:

Johan & Gaynor Rupert Family & Education Trust

We are immensely grateful for the huge difference the Rupert Foundation makes in the town of Graaff-Reinet, but also specifically to many education needs at Vuyani. Through their financial support we are able to run our Vuyani Learning Centre for our children with challenges in numeracy and literacy and our afternoon care for our foundation phase learners. Since 2022 they funded us to continue with our therapeutic program for children needing occupational-, speech- and physio therapy and psychological interventions.

SAMARA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE

Since 2010 Samara Private Game Reserve hosts Vuyani’s annual Christmas Party at one of their lodges. They also financially assist us though their Friends of Samara Foundation with Christmas presents and a set of new clothes for each of our children annually. Over the years Samara has invited our children to the Reserve for various ecological projects. The Samara team is consistent in their whole-hearted support of the work we do for children in the Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality.

Montego Pet Nutrition:

Since the inception of Vuyani Safe Haven in 2000, the founding-owner of Montego Pet Nutrition (also established in 2000), Hannes van Jaarsveld and his wife, Carol-Ann were very involved in Vuyani. They were on the first board of Vuyani and through the years stayed active in supporting the children of Vuyani. The new generation at Montego took over this role through Montego Cares and Vuyani can always depend on Montego when a need arises.

WIPHOLD CHUBBYCHUMS

Since the early days of Vuyani Martin Barnard and his child protection organisation, Chubby Chums, linked Vuyani Safe Haven to the Black Women Empowerment Organisation, WIPHOLD, who has donated substantial amounts of money through the years.

The Stretch Foundation:

The Stretch Foundation assisted Vuyani since 2018 to the beginning of 2023. We are very grateful for their valuable contribution to the children of Vuyani Safe Haven.

iLead Et al

This Pretoria based Leading digital advertising agency with director, Johan Nortjè, has been donating a monthly amount to Vuyani Safe Haven since 2015 and supports Vuyani with free web hosting.

KFC SOCIAL TRUST-ADDHOPE

Vuyani Safe Haven has been one of the grateful beneficiaries of the KFC Add Hope program since 2015. The R2 you donate when buying a meal at KFC does reach the children in your community!

Vuyani was nominated by Charles van den Hever, franchisee of Graaff-Reinet KFC and Managing Director of Chargo Group. Charles generously funds Vuyani through his Chargo Group when a specific need arises.

DG Murray Trust

In 2021 DG Murray Trust assisted us with funding for the training of 5 of our caregivers as Child and Youth Care Workers. They training commenced in 2022 and was completed early in 2023. We are immensely grateful for this funding which will lead to rendering a more holistic service to our children in the day-to-day life space at our two homes. In 2023 Vuyani received funding towards crucial posts, namely the social worker and 5 Child and Youth Care Workers for top-up of salaries only partially subsidised by DSD.

Gift of the Givers

Since 2019 Gift of the Givers has given substantial aid to Vuyani with donations in kind, e.g. water during the drought. clothing for our children, food, and many more. We really appreciate their timely interventions all over South Africa and other parts of the world to relieve the effect of poverty and disaster.

Dentists @ Health

Dr Bernardt Beukes and his team assists our children with an annual check-up and any dental work needed, even extractions under sedation. They are also sponsoring some needs at our two homes.

Goldrush Gaming Group:

Goldrush Gaming Group opened an outlet in Graaff-Reinet in 2015 and decided to make Vuyani Safe Haven one of their Social Responsibility Projects. They supported Vuyani with funding for much needed equipment at the home and a small car and in 2023 with cupboards for our rooms.

Mercedes Benz Club – Eastern Cape

In May of 2022 Vuyani was the beneficiary of a very generous donation from the Mercedes Benz Club during their Graaff-Reinet event.

Metropolitan Life

Vuyani was chosen as a beneficiary of a donation when they opened a local branch during 2022.

N1 Construction

Petrus and Ilse Botha of N1 Construction have donated a generous monthly amount since January 2016 – until Covid-19

Given-Gain Fundraiser – Peter Kroon:
During 2022 Peter Kroon, formerly from Graaff-Reinet, after conquering Mount Kilimanjaro, cycled from Kilimanjaro to Cape Town. He raised funds for Vuyani through the Given-Gain platform. This proved to be so easy – you only need a measure of following on your social media to support the charity of your choice. Peter raised money towards Vuyani’s Buy-a-Brick campaign for our building fund, mostly through his Instagram account. Please contact Vuyani if you have an adventure or race coming up and would love to fundraise and make your specific venture more memorable and in so doing assist vulnerable children in the Karoo.

Mergon Gap Fund:
During Covid-19 we received a once-off funding from Mergon to overcome some of the financial burden caused by the pandemic.

Karoo Legacy Safaris:
Very recently this combined SA and US hunting safari team decided to support Vuyani Safe Haven as a local charity, while enjoying a hunting trip to the Karoo. The hunters pay a visit to Vuyani, opening their hearts to the needs of the children at our two homes. We are so grateful for these new Friends of Vuyani, bringing hope in a challenging financial time. The hunters belong to Safari Club International who advocates for responsible hunting.
Read more: Giving back to communities is an SCI/F family value. SafariCare Blue Bags are filled by chapters, individual members, church groups or even groups of schoolchildren or scouts. The contents may include medical, educational, and other relief supplies, or clothing and toys. The Blue Bag is taken to remote areas of the world by hunters who have planned hunts in these regions. The supplies are delivered directly to villages, clinics, orphanages and schools, doctors, caretakers and teachers to use with people in need. SCI and SCIF, like so many organizations, put forth enormous effort each year to help improve the quality of life throughout the world.

OVERSEAS SUPPORTERS OF VUYANI SAFE HAVEN:

Schools, organisations and churches

Lathallan School:

Since 2011 Lathallan school from Scotland visited Vuyani annually for volunteer work with a group of learners during their summer holidays. They stay over in Graaff-Reinet for about 5 days and interact with our children and staff and work hard physically to make a difference to our homes. Through the years they fundraised for many different needs at Vuyani – each year something different, e.g. vinyl flooring for our bedrooms, winter clothes, a lounge suite, a bigger screen TV, renovations and painting and upgrading of our facilities.

Swiss donors:

During April 2022 two Swiss pre-school teachers with many years of kindergarten experience, Brigitte Burkhart and Kirsten Schön, volunteered their services at the Vuyani Learning Centre. In December 2022 their Pre-school, Kindergarten Weierhof in the town of Wil, raised money for Vuyani. These funds assisted us, early in 2023, to move the Learning Centre to the premises at our Thanduxolo House.

Other regular Swiss donors are:

Ulrich and Doris Gerber

Verena Gerber and Kathrin

St Gallen Evangelische Kirche Gemeindetablat Switzerland – Christina Hegelbach

Petra Reissbrodt & Walter Hartmann

Overseas donors:

Party for Life UK – Sam & Lynn Ballantyne

Party for Life Australia – Fiona & Allen Gerber

Rene & Esther Klein – Netherlands

EE Gramsbergen –  Netherlands

Jessica Hazel – Nieu Zeeland

Vincent Heuvelsland – Netherlands

Isobel Dixon – UK, previously from Graaff-Reinet

Isobel Dixon, MD and Head of Books at the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency, and a renowned poet in her own right, did several Zoom events about her poetry with schools in Argentina and the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She asked the schools to donate to Vuyani Safe Haven instead of her receiving a fee.

Isobel previously also donated the honorarium paid for her poignant poem, Matshepe’s Dance, published in the April issue of The Johannesburg Review of Books.

Safari Care International USA donate through their Blue Bag project with special mention to the support of professional hunters in South Africa.

DONATIONS IN KIND:
To all Vuyani’s friends from Graaff-Reinet and elsewhere who so regularly deliver donations in kind at Vuyani, e.g. food, new and second-hand clothing, toys . . . we can’t name each of you here, but know that we appreciate your kind gifts to Vuyani!

Vuyani Safe Haven is listed as a beneficiary on the Pack for a Purpose website.

All travellers can participate. Travelers and responsible tourists can add value to their vacations, honeymoons or business trips by using the information found on the Pack for a Purpose website http://www.packforapurpose.org. When you choose to take needed supplies to community projects at your destination, the graciousness of your act not only enriches the local community, but also enhances the joy of travel.

MEDIA SUPPORT:

We thank the editor and staff of The Graaff-Reinet Advertiser for their friendly co-operation and willingness to support Vuyani with the placing of regular articles!