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Ask anyone who has gone to Hope Camp. They will tell you it is an amazing and life changing experience. It doesn’t matter whether you ask a Canadian or an African. Truly, Hope Camps have been the catalyst for immense improvements in quality of life for children who then impact their families, their schools, and their community. 

Enormously important to the success of Hope Camps are the community relationships that our staff form and maintain. This time-consuming work strengthens each child’s support network. Staff meet with the school district offices to get permission, then with the principals of the specific schools, and then the guardians to get permission slips. Children’s extended families are involved in trust-building conversations with our staff so they understand what camp involves. When camp begins, invariably, there are some children who don’t make it to the buses on time. Someone has to find those kids and bring them to camp so they are not left out.

Home visits are the central means by which staff and Youth Leaders introduce themselves to and maintain relationships with parent(s)/guardian(s), siblings, aunties, uncles, grandparents of the children involved in our programs and clubs.

Home visits build trusting, mutual relationships throughout the community. Home visits also give families an opportunity to express their needs (food, school uniforms, etc); and simultaneously allows the Youth Leader or staff to assess the situation and plan appropriate responses and referrals. Eg cases of rape - our social worker will follow up. 

Several hours of staff time are involved in arranging and carrying out each home visit, in addition to transportation and communication costs. As well, visits will often include food support or clothing if such needs are known in advance of the visit.

At Hope Camps, our social worker, Simangele (shown here in her office at the Litsemba Centre), does her best to speak to each and every camper one-on-one. Sometimes exhausted, this amazing person continues supporting children and families who are in the most difficult of situations. Much of what she carries in her heart must be kept confidential, even from other staff. Yet her work makes an incredible impact, arranging support for everything from adoption to rape situations. One counselling session involves communication costs, vehicle fuel/maintenance, and time.

Young mothers who participate in the Pregnancy Care Program are faced with very difficult decisions and family issues. Along with the TLC the pregnant moms’ receive, a Newborn’s Starter Pack says, “We are here for you when Baby comes too!” They include diapers and cream, a few baby outfits, infant feeding supplies, etc. (Specific contents vary.)

Includes the Newborn’s Starter Pack along with several hours of tender parenting support from the Pregnancy Care Program staff. Shown here is Senath, who heads up the Program.

One week supply.

Few things build trust as quickly and deeply as supplying food. Seeing the fear of families going hungry is heartbreaking for our staff, but drives us all forward to do more. Food deliveries sometimes take our staff to remote places reachable only by four wheel drive. Costs include food, vehicle fuel/maintenance, communication, and several hours of staff time.

Alternatively donate a full month of food for just $130.

$300 will feed the community for a week; $1200 for a month!

The Litsemba Centre is located in one of the most vulnerable areas of Mpumalanga. Children often worry whether they will be going to bed hungry while parents/guardians agonize when there is nothing to give them. This initiative will mean meals can be available on a daily basis and will take tremendous pressure off the families that live nearby. Food security allows adults to seek steady employment rather than worrying about whether their children will have to go to bed hungry.

Our staff need to often take children to medical or dental appointments. This usually requires one or more follow up appointments. Accessing good medical and dental care is a challenge for the families we stand with. Transportation is costly, and the distance to the nearest medical clinic is often too far to walk. 

Alternatively, providing a child medical care to achieve full recovery is about $275. This estimate is based on an average of 2-3 visits to professional care plus medication.

$100 will cover about 1/5th of the process. Gathering the necessary information and then advocating for children to obtain ID is very time consuming, often requiring four or five trips to distant government offices. Without proper ID, no government assistance is available.  Many of our children are born into poverty and have either lost their parents or immigrated. Many of these children do not speak English or the local language. Documentation, if it ever existed, has been lost.  The government cannot assist the child without ID. 

Alternatively, cover the entire average cost of obtaining ID for a child for $450.

The essentials of a complete uniform include a shirt, trousers/skirt, shoes, and jersey. The most vulnerable children are the ones who go to school with tattered uniforms, fitting too tight, or non-existent. In SA, all schools require uniforms. Being so visibly poor is embarassing and makes these kids easy targets for other students who haven’t yet grasped how harmful their bullying is. Costs include staff time, communication (e.g. to determine sizes), fuel/vehicle maintenance for purchasing and delivery. 

Alternatively, costs of individual items are

• Shirt: $25
• Trousers/skirt: $25
• Shoes: $30
• Jersey: $30
• Backpack: $20