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 N3TC has been touching lives along the span of the N3 Toll Route for the past decade and it was therefore fitting to launch the N3TC Legacy Project this year which involved the Topsy Foundation.
The Legacy Project has focused on three communities that are plagued by poverty – Van Reenen, Grootvlei and Moholokoeng (Harrismith). It was essential that the legacy would continue to benefit members of the communities for many decades to come and the Project therefore focuses on nutrition and education.
N3TC partnered with the Food Gardens Foundation to establish sustainable food gardens in the Van Reenen area; and to enhance the food gardens that exist in the Grootvlei area to incorporate fruit trees as a complementary source of food for the community.
Topsy has previously worked with Food Gardens Foundation to establish community food gardens as well as a food garden at our Sanctuary in Grootvlei. The need was then identified to complement these food gardens with fruit trees.
N3TC supplied the necessary tools and 100 fruit trees to Topsy for distribution to the five communities that the Sanctuary serves. A variety of fruit trees that would thrive in the particular weather conditions in the area were selected, which included lemon, peach, nectarine, orange, naartjie and apricot trees.
The fruit tree planting training, which included a food gardens refresher component into the session, included theoretical modules on interplanting, mulching, watering, labeling, record keeping, crop rotation and transplanting.
Thank you N3TC for your continued and invaluable support. |
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Sonto is a 26 year old patient from Nthoroane who receives treatment at Topsy’s Comprehensive HIV and Aids Care Clinic (CHACC).
This is her story…..
“I started attending the Topsy CHACC programme in early March. I was very sick and I was hospitalized once because of pneumonia. One of Topsy fieldworkers, Maria Gamede, was with me every step of the way, especially encouraging me. I was in denial and could not believe that I was HIV positive.
I only attended school until grade seven and once I started the treatment I had difficulty in reading the instructions on the medication in order to take care of myself. However Maria was willing to help me by coming every day to prepare my medication. I’m so grateful that she helped me, and she is still teaching me how to take it correctly.
Thank you to Topsy for training their staff to have huge hearts and who are willing to help the people that are struggling.
Thank you very much to the whole team, they must keep up the good work they are doing”.
*Not her real name |
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 On Friday 27th November we held our Annual Children’s Christmas Party for some of the beneficiaries of our Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Project. With 97 eager and excited children arriving at the Topsy Sanctuary in Grootvlei, the day could only be a success!
Party tables were set out, and the area was beautifully decorated by Crazy Chameleon. The attention to detail was incredible, and this was a party the likes of which these children had never seen before. Each child received a party pack in the form of a bucket filled with delicious goodies, amongst which were beautiful Christmas candy canes donated by UPD (United Pharmaceutical Distributors), who have taken Topsy into their hearts in a big way.
In the spirit of teaching the children about the true meaning of Christmas, some children and members f the Grootvlei Community, and acted out the Nativity play. A local pastor, guitar in hand, then took to the stage and got the children singing and doing actions to the songs.
The big moment is always when Father Christmas arrives, which of course he did, with presents for each child. While the children were waiting for their name to be called, they restored their energy with hotdogs, cupcakes and their party packs!
Unfortunately the festivities outside had to be cut short as a massive hailstorm took over, but at least the children were able to go inside and hit their piñata to get to the much longed for sweets! It was wonderful to be able to bring a little bit of excitement into the lives of these special children; lives which more often than not are filled with hardship, difficulty and sadness.
We would like to thank the following sponsors for making the 2009 Children’s Christmas Party possible and the success that it was : TC Design Architects and UPD (United Pharmaceutical Distributors) for sponsoring the gifts; Crazy Chameleon for making the party venue look so incredible, and for spending so much time purchasing and wrapping each and every gift, as well as packing 97 party packs – particularly Shirley and Lydia from the Benoni franchise; Johlaine from Pretoria North and Martina from Vaal Triangle. Also a big thanks to Lydia and Paul from Crazy Chameleon Head Office for helping on the day. Sandy’s Ribbons and Bows for sponsoring all the gift wrap which made the presents look so special;
Protech Khuthele for paying for some of the costs involved, and Piñatas for Africa for sponsoring the Piñata.
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