Projects


Empower the Community

Empower the Community               

  

Problem: South Africa has an estimated 2.5 million AIDS orphans and the AIDS pandemic is obliterating the population of rural areas such as Zululand.

                   

One of the hardest hits areas of Zululand is Nkandla, home to 140,000 people, almost half (46%) of whom are under age 15.  Unemployment stands at 96% and the majority of households are headed by women.

 

Nkandla has one of the highest HIV infection rates in any area in Africa and the highest in South Africa. There are no reliable statistics, but it is estimated that at least a third of all people in Nkandla are infected with AIDS. 99% of children are malnourished.

 

Nkandla has two main hospitals and 18 outreach clinics. Accessibility to medical care is limited because of the vast rural nature of the area, and because of a lack of doctors. Many clinics have no running water. 

 

Only about 1/3 of the population has a primary education and only 3% of children make it to twelfth grade, mainly because of poverty.  There are 127 primary and 45 secondary schools.  Nkandla has one library.

 

Many families have no adults within them, and are run by children.

 

Despite this, Nkandla only had one orphanage, run by Catholic nuns, and only has space for 30 children.

 

Aim: In addition to our Fruit to School Schemes, child sanctuary schemes, and emergency aid to sick parent’s schemes, we need to raise funds to empower the community in various innovative ways.
 

Building and Employment Schemes

Total Cost: £1,000,000

Unit Cost:          £3,500      

 

Building Scheme:

Most Zulu’s live in abject poverty, in mud huts, without toilet, running water or phone. We want to launch an ambitious building project to transform areas such as Nkandla, and kick start an economic revival.

 

The average new build cost for a small basic three bedroomed house, with toilet, running water and power is £3,500 and this includes labour costs which employs three men for six weeks.

Each three man team can build up to eight such houses a year at a cost of £28,500.

 

Aim: We want to raise £1,000,000 a year to build 285 new homes per annum, employing over 100 men each year.

 

Benefits:

  • Each home will greatly benefit a vulnerable child led family.
  • Each home built employs three local builders for six weeks, creating income for them with which they can feed their families.
  • The schemes create employment, social wealth and economic growth.

Training Schemes                          

 

Total Cost:   £133,200

Unit Cost:           £333      

 

Aim: We want to train four hundred school leavers and single parents a new trade or skill, which benefit them and their families for the rest of their lives and make them financially independent.  

 

Courses available cover Brick laying, Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrical, Welding, Computer Skills, Crafts, Sewing, Clerical, Counselling and Home based Care.

 

Benefits:

  • Provides the individual with new skills.
  • Empowers the individual to secure work or self employment.
  • Makes the individual financially independent and secure. 

Micro-Loans                            

 

Total Cost:   £300,000

Unit Cost:             £300      

 

Aim: We want to encourage locals to grow more fruit and vegetables to feed their families and to earn some extra money. This requires capital for seeds, equipment, fertilisers and pesticides. Money will be loaned for one year, then paid back and re-invested.

We want to help 1,000 Zulu families a year gain independence in this way.

 

Benefits:

  • Provides the family with food security and financial independence. 
  • All micro loans are repayable allowing us to re-invest in new schemes again and again, helping more and more families each year.

 

 

 Operational and Monitoring: Our community programmes are operated through Banana Appeal, UK charity 1122157, and by our committed volunteer partners in Zululand, who manage and monitor the projects. 

 

Reporting: We adopt a very open and personal relationship with our major funding organisations, providing regular reporting and communication. All other donors will be kept updated through our website and newsletters, which will highlight the current activities of the charity.

 

Email: info@BananaAppeal.org

 

Save the Zulu is operated by Banana Appeal charity 1122157

 

 

 

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