14 June 2010

Mdantsane is the second largest township after Soweto, situated close to East London, within the Buffalo City Municipality, where an estimated 40% of the population is under the age of 15 years, more than 53% of households are headed by single women, the unemployment rate is about 77% and the crime rate is high.

Recognising the challenges faced by vulnerable communities such as Mdantsane, and recently having launched the R6,0 mio School Transformation and Empowerment Programme (STEP) in East London, MBSA is pleased to announce its support of a School Holiday Programme for children from three schools located in Mdantsane, the host school being Dickson Dyani Senior Primary, joined by learners from two feeder schools, Thembeka Junior Primary, and Inkqubela Junior Primary.

The initiative is being managed by the SA Business Coalition on HIV & Aids (SABCOHA). From 14 June to 9 July, SABCOHA will hold day camps for children in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape; Mitchell's Plain, Western Cape; Chaneng Village, North West; Chesterville, Kwa-Zulu Natal; and Soweto, Gauteng. The camps will cater for about 1 500 children from 6 to 13 years old in these under-resourced communities. Four of the five sites will be at schools.

Called Camp I Am because we want our children to imagine all possibilities of what they can be, the programme is a platform for experiential learning, youth development and fun. The multi-disciplinary holiday camp in South Africa will include academics, athletics, creativity, social and life skills education, including HIV/AIDS prevention.

Well-known youth organisation Soul City, PlaySoccer, dance4Life, loveLife and the South African Rugby Legends Association (SARLA) have partnered with SABCOHA to deliver a world-class activity programme for the children. Operation Hope, the leading US non-profit social investment banking and financial literacy empowerment organisation, recently established in South Africa, is also part of this initiative. They will not only provide financial literacy activity games for the children but, in each community, they will also present adult financial literacy training, soccer clinics, special events and celebrations.

Threading together all the programme components, the SABCOHA Documentation Workshop will record the children's perspectives as they experience the 2010 World CupTM. Using multimedia, their interpretations and feelings will be captured to create a "footprint" that will leave behind a cultural legacy of historical significance.