Joya News December 2024
It was a beautiful & busy year!

 

 

 

 

Since the start of Joya Homes and Educare 14 years ago, we have been dreaming of growing into a sustainable organisation that can help, care and protect all the women and children under our umbrella for many years to come. The second part of 2024 will always be remembered by us for the year this dream for a sustainable future became a reachable reality…   

 

 

Education is priority

Meet Nicky…he is our beloved teacher behind the Cloetesville afterschool project.
It takes a special person who can keep kids interested in schoolwork after school hours. Nicky has a way to keep schoolwork fun even after the two o’ clock bell rang!
Nicky grew up in Cloetesville himself and used to be a teacher in some of the local schools for many years. There is therefore no one better to speak into the children’s hearts and help them overcome challenges while growing up in an area where drugs and violence is part of daily life. 

 I touch the future, I teach.” 

 

The gift of writing
In the beginning of the year two children came to our Nomzamo project who have never been able to attend school. We jumped into action to try and get the children into a school and our teacher started to teach them the basic alphabet.
It was a joyous day when one of the children could write her own name for the first time!
We are also happy to report that with the help of partners, we have been successful to get these children placed in a good school in the heart of Nomzamo.
The future now shines bright for these children because of donors like you who care and support these children. 

 

 

 

From Farm to Foster Homes

On Wednesdays we have the ‘farm to foster house’ vegetable project to benefit all our foster children. A friendly farmer donates a ‘bakkievrag’ full of vegetables to all our foster children and after-school projects every week. It is quite a logistical tale as the vegetables travel from pick-up to drop-off points. Children, foster moms, after-school care centres and soup kitchens across Stellenbosch, Nomzamo and Strand all share in the vegetables! Thank you so much farmer Donnie– we really appreciate the healthy farm fresh vegetables every week!

 

 

 

When dreams come true!
Imagine going to a new school…You take part in school sports for the first time, start doing art, play chess for the school team, and take part in the Eisteddfod. And then you are selected to showcase your art next to a world-renowned artist! Your grades go from struggling to an average ‘A’ on your school report. That is the power of education. And that is what our supporters have done for one of our boys this year.
We are so proud of you, our boy! 

 

Spier Mandela Day
Spier volunteers and employees baked cupcakes, cooked soup and picked vegetables for Joya Homes on Mandela Day.
All the children received a hearty bowl of soup and the Cloetesville children were each spoiled with a beautiful, colourful cupcake. Every foster mother as well as the after-school projects received a bag full of freshly picked vegetables form Spier’s vegetable garden. 

 Thank you Spier employees and volunteers! 

 

Foster mother support and training 
Being a foster mother is hard- you need a special kind of mother to be able to help these children through trauma and hardships. This year we started a programme to equip these mothers better and support them with the challenges they face daily. 
Every second week they meet in a support group: They eat together, talk and share experiences and receive training on relevant topics. 

 

 

 

The year flew by… but we have a bag full of memories

There were hikes in Helderberg Nature reserve and up Gordon’s Bay mountain all the way to the white anchor. There was a visit to Giraffe House, the beach and a Christmas party at the beach, to name a few. We spent afternoons in the local ‘parkie’ and watched in amazement as the digger loader repaired our driveway after winter flood damage! We want to thank The Erinvale Golf Club’s members’ Charity, The Eagles, especially for their contribution which made this repair work possible.

And thank you to all our other partners who pulled us through this year, who carry these kids with your love and your support

They ran, they played, they learned- they did normal things kids do- because of you. May their lives be a thank you note to you all.❤️

 

 

 

Love is not something you sow and reap instantly. You have to watch it grow and become stronger.

 

Art by a boy whose dreams became true… Age 10

 

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