Thembanathi, which means "hope with us" in Zulu, is dedicated to providing support for orphans of AIDS and other vulnerable children in the region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Thembanathi currently supports projects on the ground that feed and educate children, and will also be starting an After-School Program for High School students in South Africa next year. This program will focus on activities that create behavioral changes and prevent HIV transmission, as well as skills development. Thembanathi raises money for its programs through its jewelry company, Tanda Zulu- jewelry is made by women in income generation projects in South Africa. Tanda Zulu uses ICT to sell its jewelery to customers in the United States as well as to communicate with the women who make the jewelery. Proceeds are donated back to Thembanathi's orphan projects in South Africa.

Background

Thembanathi, which means "hope with us" in Zulu, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for orphans of AIDS and other vulnerable children in the region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

As it stands, children in KwaZulu-Natal face a bleak future. As the HIV/AIDS rate steadily increases-40.7 percent of pregnant women in the region are HIV positive - so does the number of children orphaned by the pandemic.

In an effort to address the complex needs of these children, Thembanathi began fundraising for Holy Cross Hospice in 2003 to assist with their mission of feeding and educating orphans of AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal. Thembanathi was started by foreign students who spent years conducting research on orphan care in the region, and has raised over $110,000 to date. Thembanathi members work in the United States, but travel to South Africa each year to visit the projects. To date, Thembanathi has funded school fees, teachers' salaries, food parcels, homes for child-headed households, and satellite feeding centers at Holy Cross Hospice. Transportation, a feeding scheme, and a holiday camp have also been funded at the Holy Cross Preschool for orphans and vulnerable children.

Currently, Thembanathi is focused on securing the funds necessary to facilitate the organization's next step: the establishment of an after-school program intended to address the social, psychological, and practical complexities of HIV prevention, poverty, and orphan care.

The goal of the After-School Program is to provide alternatives to risky behavior and a safe place to stay during the afternoons for primary and high school students. It offers novel activities and skills that urge students to think creatively and innovatively about their futures. In a country where one in three people are unemployed, we want students to gain useful skills for the workplace and to think as entrepreneurs. We want them to feel empowered to take initiative in their futures.

Thembanathi has also recently launched a jewelry company, Tanda Zulu. Handmade by women in an income generation project in South Africa, the beaded jewelry has become an effective method of fundraising for Thembanathi's various programs. Tanda Zulu has been able to propel Thembanathi towards its goal of supporting and empowering orphans of AIDS, while also supporting otherwise unemployed women and their families in South Africa.

ICT's role in achieving Thembanathi's goals

Thembanathi's web site uses research and personal stories to help donors understand what life is like for those affected by HIV/AIDS. A photographer volunteered to join us on one trip to South Africa and we make use everyday of the thousands of photographs taken on that trip.

ICT is also essential to Tanda Zulu, connecting jewelry production in South Africa to sales in the United States and donations back to South Africa. Tanda Zulu has a web site that allows Americans to buy online items handmade by people affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa, helping people understand the significance of their purchase. We also use email to communicate with the women in the income generation project.

A major feature of the after-school program will be the computer program. We plan to have at least 20 computers and internet for the students involved. They will learn everything from typing to graphic design to business spreadsheets. Located in a rural area, but not far from a city, these children are aware of computer technology but have very little personal experience with it. Our goal is to expose them to the versatility of computers and to the wealth of information on the internet. We want them to realize that they too can have access to this knowledge and that it can apply to all careers.

Impediments

One of the best features of Tanda Zulu is that the women make the jewelry in their rural homes and can care for children as they work. They save money and time on travel because they only travel into the city once a week to deliver jewelry, collect new orders, and collaborate on new designs. This is also the most difficult feature of the project. Some women do not have telephones and so it is not possible to give them orders or inform them of changes during the week. This slows production and customers can be very impatient! Without proper communication, we might not know that something is being made incorrectly for a full week. We recently created a catalogue of certain items that we put on our website and gave one to each of the women so they could use the pictures as a guide. After months of working to get the exact color combinations correct, the catalogues have made a real difference. We are now able to sell jewelry items of a specific color and style through our website, which has allowed us to raise a lot more money.

Words of Advice

Think innovatively and be creative. Combine different fields and develop ways to help more than one person at once. People will only donate for so long and grants expire, so try to come up with a more sustainable way to fund your program. Don't be afraid to try income-generating projects to support your organization. If these projects don't work out, at least you gave someone a job for a while.

For more information on Thembanathi: http://www.thembanathi.org
For more information on Tanda Zulu: http://www.tandajewelry.org