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Visiting Ikhaya Labantu

Would you like to visit Ikhaya Labantu? Get taken out of your comfort zone and learn something outside the UK’s material world?

Khokela UK organises regular trips to visit Ikhaya Labantu, and we are always looking for skilled volunteers who wish to participate.

We are working to develop the sustainability of the shelter long term, encouraging UK-South Africa partnerships that enable people to fly out and give something worthwhile, at the same time as receiving a cross-cultural experience of equal benefit. We aim to build enduring relationships, so whilst some visits may be one-off, we want to see the benefits and connections continue to flourish.

Having the means to pay your own way would be beneficial for the purposes of these visits. Once you are in Cape Town we will to work with you to provide as much support as you need to ensure you experience the full richness and diversity of South Africa. Our aim is to ensure that you receive as much you are giving by way of experience, friendship and fun!

Current priorities at the shelter that we are seeking to address include

• Fixing the electrics in the dormitories;
• Fixing the laundry’s plumbing; fixing the showers and toilets in the shelter;
• Constructing some basic storage units for shelter residents;
• Replacing roofing panels over parts of the shelter.

If you want to travel out in person to get involved in sorting these issues out or have relevant knowledge, resources or contacts you want to share please get in touch at khokelamanagement@live.co.uk.

Capetown Reflections

The Khokela team recently returned from a fortnight in Cape Town . We spent much of our time in the township of Langa getting to know our colleagues at Ikhaya Labantu and the children and adults who use their services. We worked closely with the management team to draw up a list of priorities we can work on together. This will inform the design of upcoming volunteer trips linking the UK and Cape Town. We also got stuck into work on some pressing tasks around the site. This is a brief account of our time there.

We enjoyed fantastic hospitality, being treated to a traditional South African meal and invited out on a stroll around the township with some of the shelter residents as part of our own learning and development during the trip. We also had the opportunity to visit Robben Island Prison, where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were incarcerated during Apartheid, and explore the beautiful coastline of the region. These experiences served to illustrate the contrasts that exist in Cape Town; wealth and natural beauty co exist with extremes of economic deprivation and social exclusion and an oppressive, fractured past is matched by the hopes for a prosperous, united future.



Ikhaya Labantu works within Langa, the oldest of the suburban Townships in the Greater Cape Town area, to aid and develop the community, especially those in most need, primarily through offering crèche services to local children and housing to the homeless. Most local residents are of the Xhosa people, though we met people on our trip from all over the African sub continent, and in particular neighbouring Southern African Countries such as Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. There was no doubt that for people staying at the Shelter, Ikhaya Labantu is a Home, not just a place to stay. It was fantastic getting to know residents, hearing their stories and learning more about South African culture and history from people who live it.

Kitchen: With contributions supporters gave at our December event in London see previous posts) we were able to purchase two new gas burners to replace the ageing model that was being used in the shelter to cook. This has now been installed and is being used daily to cook for residents. We were able to transport donations of wheelchairs and clothes graciously provided by supporters in the UK and South Africa to the shelter.

Education: Ikhaya Labantu is going to begin running adult education classes for shelter residents and other local people. To support this new area of work we brought with us some printed learning materials in Information Technology, Literacy and Numeracy. Whilst in Cape Town we also acquired a storage cupboard, chairs and white board to furnish the room on site chosen for teaching.

Garden: On the second Sunday of our visit volunteers from the University of Cape Town joined us along with volunteers with the shelter to work on the garden area, originally installed by a visitor from the UK early last year. Last winter this yielded a healthy harvest of fresh vegetables for residents. Rubbish and weeds were cleared and a new fence erected to divide the garden and crèche and the UCT team has committed to visiting regularly to ensure the garden is cultivated.

Overall this was a really valuable experience, and we were privileged to have the opportunity to travel to Cape Town and share in the work of Ikhaya Labantu. The spirit and commitment of the volunteers that make its work possible is extremely motivating.



THANK YOU!
As a team we were aided in our endeavours by a number of supportive individuals and organisations. We would like to proffer big Thank Yous to
• Nobuntu & Nthombe Nkanyuza, Karen Belgians, Lungelo & all at Ikhaya Labantu
• Waltons Stationery
• Plastics For Africa
• Peter de La Cornillere & Bellville Rotary Club
• Brian Bohlmann & Claremont Rotary Club
• Jake Hoffman and The University of Cape Town ‘Reach Every Street’ Society
• Noloyiso Mtana
• Ben Baldock at New Look UK
• All who attended, performed and donated at the ‘Away in a Shelter’ Fundraiser

Whats Next
There are a number of larger needs which we will be recruiting volunteers to help address on upcoming visits. Watch this space for imminent advertising of these opportunities and for further updates on our work with Ikhaya Labantu.

Thank You!

A Massive Thank You to everyone who braved the elements and the eccentricities of London's transport networks to attend 'Away In A Shelter' last week, not least the performers who turned out to entertain us all on such a wet Winters evening! We raised over £200 for Ikhaya Labantu and will be posting up pictures from both the event and our upcoming trip in due course to share with you.

Happy New Year!

Donate to Ikhaya Labantu Homeless Shelter

Please support the work of our partner, the South African Non Profit Organization Ikhaya Labantu (NPO Registration No: 024 968). Ikhaya Labantu is funded solely by donations from friends of the project so every penny donated by a member of the public matters.

For Example just to feed the 160 users of the shelter and creche costs around £300 per month.

To lend your support right away please click on the link below. Once on the justgiving site click on the 'Donate Now' icon at the side of the screen

www.myggsa.co.za/connect/receivers/ikhaya_labantu_homeless_shelter_and_eyabantu_educare/

It is not neccesary to register with the site in order to donate. Just follow the 'Quick Donate' Option. All donations are calculated in South African Rand.

To find out more about Ikhaya Labantu and it's current goals please read on.

Ikhaya Labantu

Ikhaya Labantu’s purpose is to provide a home to anyone who finds themselves in the traumatic position of being homeless. The shelter helps to rehabilitate people and help them gain skills in order to find a job and a place to live back in the community. Support is also provided to some young people to help them through high school and others into further education.

Eyabantu Educare aims to provide a safe environment for the preschool children of Langa to be whilst their parents are at work. Looked after by a dedicated team they are fed and loved by the ladies until their carers return.



Your support will help Ikhya Labantu to realise the following objectives for 2010

-To provide efficient Crèche services to the parents of 100 children of the local community.

-To become self sustaining through the establishment of the electricity shop, coffee shop and internet cafe offering quality services to our people and the community.

-To run the laundry, sewing workshop and shop efficiently generating profit to support the operational costs of the shelter and Crèche.

-To provide ongoing care and shelter to those that need our services providing healthier meals and a higher standard of living.

-To run effective youth engagement programmes engaging young people through football, music and the establishment of a skills building leadership programme.

-To use the internet cafe and computers to provide an effective rehabilitation courses to help people gain skills to find jobs.

By donating whatever you can to Ikhaya Labantu you can make a real difference to the people of Langa. To explore other ways of supporting Khokela and Ikhaya Labantu please get in touch with us via this blog.



Thank you for your time and support

Team Khokela

Away in a Shelter: Christmas Fundraising Event (December 29th)

Tuesday 29th Deecember, 21.00 – 23.00 at the Lexi Cinema

Away in a Shelter…

Christmas fundraising event for Ikhaya Labantu Homeless Shelter, CapeTown

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…some Africa spirit!

Beat the inter-holiday slump bytreating yourself to a night of spectacular entertainment from a diverse mix of performances celebrating the music and spirit
of Africa. All this titillation AND you will be helping raise funds for vital services for children and homeless people in South Africa.

Enjoy a night of…
• Poetry, Music and dance
• Prizes galore in our raffle draw
• South African Food

The show will take place in the delightful surroundings of the Lexi Cinema, a beautiful independent picture house in Kensal Rise - aren't we spoiling you!

Location: The Lexi Cinema, 194b Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, London, NW10 3JU

• Time: 21.00 – 23.00
• Cost: the bargainous price of £10
• Map:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=523384&y=183559&z=0&sv=NW10+3JU&st=2&pc=NW10+3JU&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf

See you there!

About Us

Hello and welcome to our Blog!

This site is intended to keep the world updated on the activities of our social enterprise; Khokela, and our partners, until our website proper is up and running. We hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to add comments and questions and please do spread the word about Khokela!

Team Khokela

Khokela:

Khokela (Which means 'To lead oneself' in the South African langauge of Xhosa) employs a small staff based in the UK, and is committed to sustainable change in society, UK and abroad. We work through building partnerships, acting as facilitators for people to approach each other as equals, gaining in understanding and finding mutual solutions to issues they are addressing.

In the UK, we are currently engaged in Liverpool, managing a business support and workforce development programme which aims to address the problem of 'worklessness' by improving access to employment for disadvantaged groups. We do this by engaging community networks and city businesses, helping each side develop their understanding of the other and then supporting the action plans that they create.

In South Africa, we are formalising a relationship with the Ikhaya Labantu centre in Langa, a township of Cape Town, providing administrative and organisational support as well as making short term trips to address immediate needs.

Ikhaya Labantu:

Ikhaya Labantu (Home of the People, in Xhosa), is a housing shelter and children's day centre run by a local woman and a long established team of staff. Between 85-100 children are served by the day centre on a daily basis, as well as numerous people who live in the hostel in the longer term. Those who can afford to pay for Ikhaya Labantu's services do so, and all proceeds go towards the welfare of the centre and the payment of teachers for the children.

Ikhaya Labantu has charity status in South Africa and is seeking funding support through local donor bodies, but it currently solely supported by generous friends in South Africa and the UK.