2010 South Africa Print

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Our visit and Donations

 

The Tartan Army Children’s Charity have donated £30,000 each to two deserving causes:

 

  • Umthombo Street Children, Durban

 

  • Let us Grow, Orange farm, near Johannesburg

 

 

TACC's South African Trip

 

 

Friday 11th June - Let us Grow, near Jo'Burg

 

(Trustees Carey and Jamie’s travel costs were funded by a corporate donation. It remains TACC policy that 100% of every £1 donated by fans goes directly to good causes)

 

We were picked up from our guesthouse in Jo'burg at 9am by Sixolili and Joseph, staff at Oxfam and Let us Grow, for the 1 hour drive to Orange Farm. On the way we stopped at a sports shop to buy a sack of footballs - TACC's 30k grant had been transferred a few weeks earlier but we didn't want to turn up empty handed.letusgrow_3_320x214

 

 

Orange Farm is a vast informal settlement inhabited by people who travel there hoping to make a living in Jo'burg. It is exactly as you'd imagine it, with red dirt "streets" and basic accomodation. On this day however there was also an excitement in the air, with South Africa's opening World Cup match taking place that night.
 


We were greeted by the Let us Grow founder - Mama Rose - and her young staff. Most of them were once orphans supported by LuG, so they are the best people to try to connect with the children, to earn their trust. After a beautifully delivered traditional African welcome song, the team introduced themselves to us, explaining their own backgrounds and current roles. It is inspirational stuff. This is a hard place to grow up as an orphaned child, with extreme poverty, physical and sexual abuse to contend with. To have come through that and now be working to help the current children is remarkable.

 

 

letusgrow_2_320x214We spent a short time organising a TACC sponsored football tournament that will take place in July, the day before the Wolrd Cup Final. The aim being to give the children a day of world cup fun, with many teams taking part and food and drink for every one.
 
We were then shown around LuG, effectively a small brick building with a small outdoor (but covered) cooking facility. They provide food to the children 3 times daily, the kids queuing up with their plates or margarine tubs and then sitting in the open to eat, even in bad weather.
 
LuG currently supports over 1,000 children who's parents have passed away of TB, Aids or other illnesses. Often the children are left to look after their younger brothers and sisters, because in Orange Farm no-one knows who they are, where they're from or who their relatives are.
 
As we watched the children queuing for lunch, one small boy of around 2 dropped the lid of his margarine tub. An older boy of around 8 picked it up for him and helped him put it back on, then held his hand while they waited.

 

Afterwards we went out onto the street where there were a few children milling about, curious about these men in skirts!  As soon as we got the footballs out loads more childen appeared, and we soon had several kickarounds going on. We tried our best but were hopelessly outplayed!

 

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The lasting impression we got was of the inspirational staff who run the programme, and the cheery, friendly nature of the children.
 
TACC's donation to LuG will fund it for the rest of 2010, providing food, counselling, support, medicine, sport and education.

 

 


 

Saturday 12th June - Umthombo Street Children, Durban

 

We were invited to watch the England vs USA match with the street children at "Safe Space", the Umthombo centre.
 
Founder Tom Hewitt picked us up from our hotel - although the centre is only a few streets away, it's situated in a total no-go zone.

umthombo_3_320x214There were around 20/30 kids there to watch the match with us - and you couldn't find a friendlier, more polite bunch of children, despite the horrors they've face in their lives. Most of them came over to chat at some point, and they clearly found the kilts hilarious.
 
Englishman Tom was in his country's colours and when England opened the scoring early in the match the kids all piled on top of him. Even within our first hour at the centre it became clear that Tom is really loved and respected by the children - a real father/brother figure.
 
After the match Tom gave us a tour of the building, showing us how TACC's grant had already been put to use. Firstly they had bought some very sturdy tables and benches for their dining room. He then showed us the dorms - triple bunk beds for 18 girls and around 50 boys. We were gobsmacked to find out that TACC's grant had paid for these and helped Umthombo take a massive step change from a day centre to a 24/7 Safe Space for the children. As recently as last month the kids had to leave at night, and would sleep together along the side of the building for safety.
 
We were blown away by the implications of this - for Scotland's football supporters to have provided this for these children is a fantastic achievement and leaves a lasting legacy. These are children who face violence, drugs and abuse on the streets - even this week one of the girls was raped - and to give them a bed for the night will make a massive difference to their lives.
 
And yet to watch the kids that evening, laughing and playing with each other, you really wouldn't have known how hard their lives have been and still are. There is a real feeling of trust and respect.

 

 


 

 

Sunday 13th June - Umthombo, Durban

 

When we had pledged our grant to Umthombo one of our requests was that they spent a small part of it on a party day for the children.

In the run up to the World Cup Finals, the street children in Durban were coming under great pressure from the authorities - even on the internet we found many stories of them being rounded up and driven 10 miles out of town, where they would be beaten and left.
 
These alleged round ups were shocking - if the authorities wanted to "clean up" the streets during the World Cup could they not work more closely with centres like Umthombo? Anyway, our hope was that the party would give the kids a day of World Cup fun for themselves, and also generate some extra awareness/PR for the centre during this difficult period.
 
We arrived at the centre at midday to find 40/50 children tucking in to a special BBQ. They were then treated to a magician (Adrian the Magician, no less) who was really cheesy but hysterically funny to the children, and then a local hip hop DJ. Several of the children actually took the mic and entertained their mates with some impressive rapping and singing.

 

TACC presented the centre with a new style Scotland shirt with the words
"TO THE CHILDREN OF UMTHOMBO. BEST WISHES FROM THE TARTAN ARMY".

The football team gratefully received this.

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Monday 14th June - Umthombo, Durban

 

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Tom kindly offered to show us Umthombo's outreach work in action, and on Monday we spent time at the surfing and football programmes.  Umthombo is situated in downtown Durban and in order to keep the younger boys safe, the centre employs some former street children as 'security'. They've adopted our TACC t-shirts as their new 'uniform'.

As well as simply providing the children with shelter and food, Umthombo's goal is to rehabilitate them. Nearly all of them will have suffered abuse at home forcing them to leave in the frst place. Once on the streets they get through life with the help of glue and petty crime. Umthombo uses social work and outreach programmes to rehabilitate the children, address their traumas and try to get them off the streets for good.

 

As well as a way to connect with the children and get them involved in the first place, the daily surfing and football programmes give the children something positive to focus on - the physical 

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aspects of surfing and football demanding dedication, practise and team work, all of which helps the children to make the choice themselves to come off the glue and spend more time at Umthombo. 
 
Seeing this first hand really hit home to us what a valuable resource the programmes are, and we're pleased that 1/3 of TACC's grant will help to fund them.
 
We left Durban with our eyes opened to the horrific plight of street children, and the amazing work that Tom and Mandy and people like them do. It may not be the "fluffiest" of charitable causes, but it's one that touched our hearts deeply and that we are now 100% determined to support going forward.
 
 

 

Note: many of Tom's staff are ex-street children themselves, a groundbreaking model for outreach.


The Tartan Army's support of Umthombo has literally enabled us to extend the services of our therapeutic drop-in centre, called Safespace, to being open 24/7. Children living on the streets of Durban's Point district, the area where most street children are, have somewhere to live now and sleep during the process of our social workers empowering them to leave street life. This is a huge boost to our work and to the children who have been living on Durban's city streets. Thank you for the partnership, for the support and encouragement. There will forever be a framed Scotland football shirt on the wall of Umthombo!!! Thank you Scotland. Thank you Tartan Army.

Thanks so much for everything. Not joking, your support has transformed us. Take care mate,

 

Tom 


 

(Trustees Carey and Jamie’s travel costs were funded by a corporate donation. It remains TACC policy that 100% of every £1 donated by fans goes directly to good causes)


 

 

Friday 11th June - Let us Grow, near Jo'Burg

 

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(Trustee Derek and Tracey funded their own trip to South Africa. It remains TACCs policy that 100% of every £1 donated by fans goes directly to good causes)

 

The day before the World Cup Final we went out to Orange Farm to take part in the football tournament. We were picked up from our guesthouse in Jo'burg by Sixolili and Joseph again, the Oxfam staff who drove out to Orange Farm. We have to thank both of them for all the help and support they have gave us at TACC in making the donation, and the work they do every day with NGOs like LuG.

 

This time we took t-shirts to give to the children taking part in the football tournament, and Sixolili and Joseph brought vuvuzelas with them too.

We were met by Mama Rose and her team. Word had spread quickly about the football tournament, and the party to follow, so there was a lot of excitement and a load of children running around. Two little girls ran up to us and gave us a cuddle. I’m not sure who it meant more to – them or us – but it was a lovely welcome.

 

 

The party had already started, with a banging beat booming out of loud speakers. The LuG team had got permission to close a side street for a few hours, so a tent had been strung across the seat, bunting put up and seats laid out. Word had spread there was a party, so there were both adults and children everywhere.

 

Mama then told us her story and that of LuG. Mama has been through some terrible times in her life, and lived with HIV for over twenty years, but refuses to let anything get her down and is a truly amazing lady. She is a strong, generous and giving woman who is clearly adored by everyone around her. Her team of helpers are dedicated to keep LUG going, and to helping the never ending waves of children coming through their doors.

Mama went on to tell us about how they try to keep families together by offering support in their homes. Carers go in to the houses of sick adults and orphaned children, and offer care and support wherever it is needed. This is done in a very matter of fact way, and is simply part of everyday life to them. It means there is a very strong sense of community in Orange Farm, and no-one is ever turned away.

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We gathered all the children together and went over to the football ground. Teams of children from four NGOs took part, and the girls from LuG were cheerleading throughout the tournament. There were penalties, tears over missed chances, and jubilation when the winner was decided. Lunch was provided just before the final in the shape of hot dogs, and again it was amazing how much the children looked after each other. When it became clear that there was not enough hotdogs to go around the children just sat down and shared what they had, handing over bits of rolls and halving sausages.

 

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Then it was back to the LuG offices to award the prizes and continue the party. The music continued, now accompanied by a chorus of vuvuzelas, and by now children were pouring out of the woodwork. Some speeches were made, the t-shirts were distributed to all of the football teams and the cheerleaders, and we presented our own gift to the LuG football team. For the first time ever, and to the envy of the other NGO teams taking part, LuG now has it’s own football strip. Scotland blue obviously! Nobody was prouder it seemed than the goalkeeper, particularly when he realised that Derek played in goals in his past too. We also gave them a presentation shirt commemorating TACCs new connection with LuG, and the hard work all the staff there put in.

 

 

 

The rest of the day was taken over by the party. Some fantastic food was cooked up by the ladies of LuG, and was handed out to anyone who was there, adults and children alike. The boys of LuG told us more about what they do including trying to teach them a variety of team sports such as football, basketball and netball. They also highlighted how important this day had been to the children in particular. It is very rare that they are able to do something fun for them as all their time and funding has to go, necessarily, on the struggles of everyday like. We were delighted that to be able to use a small part of the money that TACC supporters donate to provide a little bit of fun.

 

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Gallery

 

June 11th - Let Us Grow - Jo'Burg 

 

 

July 10th - Let Us Grow - Jo'Burg 

 

 

 

                    


 

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Background

 

You've raised £60,000 for children in South Africa in 2010

 

In 2008 Scotland’s football supporters embarked on two journeys – to support their national side’s quest to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa, and to raise money for disadvantaged children in South Africa.


Unfortunately the first didn't work out as we all hoped.


However Scotland will be represented in South Africa, when the Tartan Army Children’s Charity donates £30,000 each to two deserving causes.

 

  • Umthombo Street Children, Durban

 

  • Let us Grow, Orange Farm, near Johannesburg

 

Even though Scotland didn't qualify, Scotland fans will leave their mark with a gesture that shows the World what Scotland and in particular the Tartan Army is all about. Over the course of the last campaign you helped us to raise a magical £60,000 to support disadvantaged children in South Africa - thank you!

 

Umthombo

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Umthombo Street Children is an outreach program in the coastal city of Durban.


A project run predominately by former street children, Umthombo provides Durban’s 500 street children with shelter and support, with the aim of empowering children to leave the streets and re-integrate back into their communities.


TACC’s request was that their grant would be used to provide tangible benefits to the children rather than on administration costs, and also that it would provide some fun and relief for the children in a sports related way


The result is that TACC’s grant will assist with their Safe Space and outreach and aftercare programmes:


  • £20,000 on Safe Space – their rehabilitation and therapeutic centre and shelter for street children, which is in need of extension and refurbishment, plus hot meals and drinks for the children.

 

  • £10,000 on street-based football, surfing and arts programmes plus outreach and aftercare

 

  • Plus an all day party for street children during the world cup

 

Let us Grow

Our second initiative is working with an Oxfam backed outreach programme, "Let us Grow", which supports orphaned children, based in a settlement of 1.7m just south of Johannesburg called Orange Farm. TACC will donate £30,000 to the children of this inspiring project.

 

The number of orphans in South Africa is growing. UNAIDS estimates the total at two million, half of whom have lost their mother, father or both parents to AIDS. About 40,000 households, headed by children, receive home and community-based care, but thousands more are not reached.

The problem in Orange Farm is exacerbated by the fact that people come to stay in Orange Farm and no-one knows about them or their families. A couple of months later, they succumb to AIDS and die leaving children without anyone to look after them.

Many children do not have birth certificates and so are not eligible for social grants. Others are not even aware that they are entitled to assistance. Most orphans are taken care of by extended families, many of whom are themselves struggling under the strain, especially those headed by elderly people and women who already live in poverty. School enrolment rates for orphans and other vulnerable children living in poorer households tend to be lower than for other children.

 

Let us Grow supports children who have been brought to Orange Farm by parents or grandparents who know they will soon die of HIV, Aids and TB related illnesses. The children are then left to fend for themselves, and often for their brothers and sisters.

 

 

Let us Grow gives the children treatment, food parcels, clothes and blankets, home-based care and counselling.
 
TACC’s grant will be used to fund all of these aspects of the programme, helping to feed and support over 1,000 children.

Let us Grow gives the children treatment, food parcels, clothes and blankets, home-based care and counselling.


TACC’s grant will be used to fund all of these aspects of the programme, helping to feed and support over 1,000 children.

 

 

 

 

 

 


As Scotland supporters we want to leave a lasting legacy of our visit in 2010.

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What we aim to do!

The £60,000 donated by Scotland supporters will help South African children in many ways:

 

  • Providing footballing facilities in communities where there currently are none, giving the children something focus on and something healthy in which to invest their time

 

  • Carers to support children with household tasks and help children with homework

 

  • Educational activities

 

  • Counseling sessions

 

 

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Photograph - Jane Beesley/Oxfam GB

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  • Food parcels to orphans and vulnerable children on a monthly basis

 

  • Sports and culture activities after school and during holidays

 

  • Clothes and blankets donated to needy families

 

  • Support groups for children taking HIV treatment to help them cope and assist with adherence

 

  • Assistance to child-headed households and vulnerable families who foster children with processing legal documents in order to access foster-care or social relief of distress

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Photograph - Crispin Hughes/Oxfam GB

 


 

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Who has helped so far?

 

  • The Cheque Centre...who donated £1 for every currency transaction by a Scotland fan in the run up to the Holland match. Managing Director Billy Shaw presented a cheque for a whopping £1,500 for TACC to Gary Caldwell.

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  • The Crack of Dawn Tartan Army (again!) who raised a massive £1,000 for TACC in a raffle.



  • Michael, Martin, Calum and Laura who are aiming to raise £5,000 for TACC and Huntington's by walking from Oslo to Glasgow ! The First Minister is already a fan - click here to support the Tartan March



  • £2,500 donated by the Scottish Football Association

  • £375 collected by the Caledonian Pipe Band The guys did a bucket collection in the Clockwork Orange before the Norway match
  • £328 and £500 donations by The Football Club of Edinburgh proceeds from their charity disco night and from from a raffle and auction at their race night in December

  • £213 donated by Casita Curtains Joan McEvoy (Carey’s Mum!) had a collection bucket in the shop earlier in the year.
  • £280 donated by Don Lawson Proceeds from the Renfrew Ferry before the Croatia match
  • £80 donated by TartanArmy.com Proceeds from the Darts at The Gathering
  • The SFA, who donated £5,000 at Christmas (money they saved by not sending out Christmas cards)
  • £1,360 from Crack of Dawn Tartan Army, Fraserburgh Continued their support for TACC by donating the entry money and raffle/auction proceeds from their New Year's party on the 3rd January.
  • The folks from The Broch Long term supporters of TACC, having previously raised £1,200 with a sponsored swim and another £1,000 last year when two members asked friends to make a donation rather than buy them birthday presents!
  • £395 from Edinburgh Tartan Army Donated £395 from the raffle and auction at their St Andrew's Day bash in December
  • Karen and friends who raised £616 for TACC at their Burns Night in London
  • Andrew Douglas who raised £300 for TACC by obtaining a limited edition bottle of Famous Grouse for auction at a Burns night in St Albans
  • Dublin TA who raised £135 for TACC at their Burns supper
  • Michael Laidlaw and friends who are trying to raise £5,000 (!) for TACC by walking from Oslo to Hampden in August (see www.tartanmarch.co.uk for details of how to sponsor the guys)
  • John Stirling at JMS Framing who is generously donating ALL the proceeds from sales of the James McFadden signed portrait - available at an exclusive price of £99 on the TACC website at www.tartanarmychildrenscharity.org.uk/shop

 


Links

 

Oxfam Scotland 'team up' with Tartan Army Children's Charity 10 October 2008

For more details follow the Oxfam website link....

 

Notes

Oxfam is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 202918), and Scotland (SC0039042).

Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International.


 

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