The clock is ticking towards Christmas and towards the end of 2021 – and we are reflecting on what has happened in Zululand this year. It has (as usual) been a content-rich year, and we give you a brief summary.
Covid-19
South Africa is like the rest of the world with restrictions, face masks and distance. Face masks were introduced by law already on 1 May 2020, and since then we have not looked back, neither in the store nor at school.
Food rations
Zulufadder still work in six different districts outside Eshowe in Zululand. Often there is a grandmother who takes care of her grandchildren since the parents have either passed away or they have moved somewhere else to find work. Sometimes the family never hears from them again. Grandma receives a small social security every month and it does not last when you have to satisfy many hungry stomachs. Therefore, those who are in the worst condition still receive a food ration from us every month. The families are very grateful and WE again are grateful for the help from you, which is the reason why the families are doing well!
Riots
A few months ago, there were riots in South Africa, and Eshowe and the surrounding area were hit hard. It was very scary! The locals were incited to steal everything in the shops before they either smashed the shop or set it on fire. The police did nothing, and in the end the president had to deploy the army. The result made it impossible for people to get food, and AGAIN our sponsors came to our rescue: We got extra money for food and a rented truck, which drove for hours to shop for our families.
Warm clothes and blankets
The winter in South Africa is cold, especially after the sun goes down. We set up a clothing/blanket fund and you made sure that we could give out warm clothes and blankets in heaps!
Gratton School
Zulufadder main focus in recent years has been education. We have our own Education Fund and our biggest project is Gratton School. From our early start in 2009 when we took over the school which had 31 students, fast forward to January 2022 where there will be 570 students at the school. About 60 students are fully funded by Zulufadder with tuition and boarding.
Because Gratton scores so high on national tests, our school has become a favorite among local families who can afford to pay tuition. Our students are very lucky to get this chance, and it’s again thanks to you! How would their lives have been otherwise? But they work hard, and they get paid for the effort! In several classes, the Zulufadder children are the BEST students, and one of the students seems to be graduating from high school next year with only As! Isn’t it just ABSOLUTELY amazing!?
This year was also the first year that the children moved into our own Zulufadder boarding house. It has exceeded all expectations, and we can offer more than before, among other things, the children learn to swim.
The school has also been expanded and we now run two campuses – our new campus for preschool and 1-3. class, and our original campus that houses 4th to 12th grade.
Students
In addition to Gratton, we provide/have provided support to almost 60 students at university level. Some have completed their education and are working, others are taking further education and every year we help new students who meet the admission requirements. There is an impressive list of types of education the students have chosen.
Doremi kindergarten
Popi’s kindergarten “Doremi” is doing very well after being fried for several months in 2020. She is a motivator and promoter of the rare and the children love her ❤️
Letter from godchild
We received a letter from a Zulufadder girl, thanking her sponsor. Thanks to the Norwegian sponsor, she has had a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LIFE than she would have had. And this applies to ALL our children! You have no idea what a difference you are making!
Thank you very much!
This is a newsletter, a thank you letter and a Christmas letter in combination! We want to thank each and every one of you – whether you have been a child sponsor for 17 years(!) – or are brand new sponsors (Welcome!) and we wish you a beautiful Christmas without Covid infection, without stress, without stupid things. And give you the certainty that all of our sponsors are making a huge difference to many people, who if they knew a letter was being written, would have shouted “Siyabonga kakhulu” (Thank you very much in Zulu).
Jabulela Ukhisimusi – or Merry Christmas – and a very Happy New Year to all of you wonderful people out there!
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who has given Christmas presents! Most of the gifts have been issued and the gift photos have been sent out, and a few will be issued in January. See photos from the Christmas gift days below.
Good hugs from
Mari, Silvia and the rest of our team
