Our grantees are dedicated to health, education, and leadership development in South Africa.

 
 

Goals for Girls

With the support of the Hope in South Africa grant, 13 girls ages 15-18 years old from Richmond, Northern Cape traveled to Johannesburg to participate in a 3-day Goals for Girls Leadership Summit, in partnership with Ragball International and Grassroots Soccer. The group of girls represented a diversity of backgrounds, speaking Afrikaans, English, and Xhosa.

By the end of the summit, the girls from each community were to identify a need within their community and create an intervention project to address it. The girls from different regions within South Africa worked together and provided feedback to one another on their projects, all while practicing public speaking, setting goals, and improving communication skills. The group from Richmond is working to address Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder within the community and continues to meet on a regular basis to bring awareness to this issue.

 

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Prevention Partnership


South Africa has the highest rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), also referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), in the world. The disorder causes facial disfiguration, central nervous damage, and physical and mental developmental delays. This entirely preventable disorder requires urgent interventions raising awareness about the dangers of drinking while pregnant. If left unaddressed, the condition will continue to cost families, communities, and the country at large. 


We partner with FARR, Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR)  and FASfact to help reduce the risk of FAS for children born in the Northern Cape and beyond. Together with our Rotary partners, HISA has concentrated its efforts to build awareness among the youth to the acute dangers of drinking during pregnancy.


We created a three-phase plan to build community awareness in collaboration with Rotary and trained 30 community leaders in FAS education and awareness.


We have established local FAS outreach teams in Richmond, Colesberg, and De Aar and organize FAS awareness efforts in each community. We are implementing FAS awareness efforts among local farm workers and conducting FAS awareness presentations in the local middle and high schools.

 

Richmond Community Center

The Richmond Community Center houses a soup kitchen, a children's library, recreational facilities, bakery, community garden, and health and education offices. From this hub, the dedicated staff feed approximately 150 children per day and orchestrate outreach efforts to the youth in the local community and in the neighboring communities. The center is the second largest employer within the community and provides critical education, recreation, and health services to adults and youth in Richmond.

 

Richmond Community Computer Lab

Within Richmond, access and availability to information technology is scarce. Availability of and proficiency with technology is key not only in building skills and capabilities but also providing children with the insight and exposure they need in order to make their dreams reality. Hope in South Africa provided a grant to support building a computer lab at the center, including building a safe space to house laptops and iPads and working with staff to develop age appropriate curriculum covering math, English, Afrikaans, and internet use. We have a multi-year agreement to provide additional funding and/or in-kind donations to ensure the Richmond lab has sufficient technology refreshes.

 
18903715574_092d0931fd_k.jpg
 
8255824919_a96a10e200_b.jpg
 
18903804794_d3e126a885_k.jpg
 
8256888224_369cd7014e_o.jpg