Fountain of Hope
Baphumelele Fountain of Hope provides young people aged 18-21, who have been raised in residential care or who have recently been orphaned or who are vulnerable, with a safe and nurturing environment. They are taught a new skill set including life skills, computing and how to grow their own food, and given educational support enabling them to build a positive future for themselves.
Located on a hectare of farmland in the Philippi Horticultural area on the Cape Flats, the farm hosts a stable group of young people in the farmhouse and temporary residential buildings. Supported by a small team, the youth are being assisted back to school or into vocational training, as well as taking part in programs dedicated to building up their independent living skills. Recent sessions include life skills, career guidance, equine therapy and sports participation.
R50,000 of the proceeds from the 2012 Solstice Foundation Annual Ball was used to upgrade the security at FOH. Despite the advice of every gardener, you can grow vegetables in sand fed with salty water! Having started with spinach and beetroot, Joseph and Gerome are now growing cabbage, turnip, broccoli, cauliflower, and broad beans as well as various herbs. The garden is doing really well and providing food for the residents and the produce is being “sold” back to the children’s home and to some local restaurants.
Work around the farm has also continued with additional security features (keeping out strangers and often keeping our youth in!), cleaning up of the grass areas and building new wash areas for the youth. The addition of a computer room in November 2012 means that the youth now have a place to firstly learn how to type and use a computer but also to draft up their CVs, do their homework projects, and if they’re really good, have a play on the internet!
One of Rosie Mashale’s key aims is to build proper accommodation for the youth and volunteers who will help run the program, as well as multi-purpose/vocational training rooms for the program itself. This is a huge project with much fundraising still to be done.
