GAPA
Grandmothers Against Poverty & AIDs
Everyday needs…
Feb 25th
Our aftercare is brimming full with new children. We’ve had 30 new admissions this year, bringing our total to 129.
This is stretching our resources such as space and teachers to the limit. Most of the new children are from Grade R to Grade 3 which means that Mrs Mavilo and Mrs Ngewu have classes of 30 children each. Last year they were comfortably teaching 20 children but this year their skills are being stretched.
Our major concerns are that we have a small space for 129 children and that its not easy to care for so many children, leading to increased chance of fighting and injuries amongst the children. These are vulnerable children who need the individual care from the grandmothers, however this vision seems to be slipping from reach with the overwhelming need.
And yet…more parents are requesting admission for their children.
We decided that we would have a cut-off number but what do you do when mothers break down crying in disappointment and worry about where to send their children?
The seriousness of the need was depicted just yesterday.
I assisted Mrs Mavilo is setting up a painting class for her children. Their little faces lit up when they saw the paint and it was quite a challenge to expect them to sit down while we organised things.
As the children engaged in this activity I noticed one little girl sitting on the edge not participating. She was not making eye contact with anyone. I immediately recognised this girl to be a new admission who sat crying three weeks ago because she was embarrassed about her shaven hair. Her mother had shaved her hair in an attempt to cure the fungal infection that was spreading on her scalp. When I went forward to hand her a paintbrush, thinking that she was perhaps she was shy to ask the other children for one, she started crying. I was at a loss, not understanding isiXhosa is such a challenge! Once Mrs Mavilo had caringly asked her what was wrong we discovered that she had not eaten food all day because there was no food at home. Fortunately we provide food for the children at GAPA and thankfully she was soon playing around with the other children after some bread and juice.
This just drives home to what extent the services we offer at GAPA are needed in the lives of these vulnerable children.
UNAIDS Event
Feb 11th
On February 8, 2009, ten GAPA grandmothers and three GAPA staff members attended the visit by the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr. Michel Sidibe, hosted by the Treatment Action Campaign and Médecins Sans Frontières at the Ubuntu clinic in Khayelitsha, to honor his inauguration and visit to South Africa.. There was a panel of speakers including Barbara Hogan, the health minister of South Africa, as well as HIV positive members of the Khayelitsha community who spoke about the anti-retroviral treatments they had been receiving from the local Ubuntu ARV clinic.
Dr. Sidibe came to South Africa to learn first hand about the scope of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, some of the programs and responses, and to better understand the successes and future challenges that are faced by HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa. The event was primarily informed by the local Khayelitsha community, which has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in South Africa. In 2007, antenatal HIV prevalence was 30.2%, and 31% of all adults on antiretroviral therapy in the Cape Town metropolitan area are treated in Khayelitsha. The TB incidence rate reached nearly 1,600 per 100,000 in 2006, and TB/HIV co-infection is close to 70%.
The panel representative from the Treatment Action Campaign turned to the health minister and boldly stated: “When Barak Obama was inaugurated he stated that surely it was an exciting historical moment, but there was a huge task ahead for the USA. Well, Ms. Hogan, we may have achieved great success in the rollout of ARV therapy, but we have a long way to go!” This statement elicited a roaring !isXhosa! cheer from the crowd. It was a powerful statement, reminding all that many people in South Africa and worldwide still do not have access to treatment, a right that is stipulated in the UN Millennium Development Goals. But there is hope. And at this particular event, hope was radiating from the community.
new year at GAPA
Feb 11th
2009 is now in full swing at GAPA. All the grandmothers are back from their visits to their homes in the Eastern Cape, all the grandchildren are back at school and now grandmothers that are caring for tiny children are looking for financial assistance that will enable them to register the children at the nearest creche or preschool close to their homes. What a sigh of relief they give when they receive a bursary from GAPA. It is really tiring work caring for lively preschoolers everyday all day and all night. Any one who has had the pleasure of looking after grandchildren will know how nice it is when they can go back to their parents and give granny time to put up her feet and relax. Unfortunately grandmothers that are the sole custodians of their grandchildren have no such respite. This is why GAPA runs a bursary scheme. It costs up to R150 a month to keep a child in a preschool. At these creche/preschools the childen receive a meal, socialisation and school preparation.
For any more details of the scheme, a quick phone call to our office 021 3643138 will provide info.
Children’s Christmas Party
Jan 14th
GAPA Aftercare Christmas Party 3 December
The preparations…
The preparations…
All the excitement!!
Icing Christmas biscuits Judges of the colouring-in competition
Children arrive dressed in their best… GAPA staff sing for the children
The party begins
Mrs Sishuba and the children prepared dances…
and skits…filled with comedy And beautiful songs…More dancing…A day packed with fun!
Younger members also enjoyed the day
Children receive a blessing from Rev. Nyobole (GAPA board member)
Lunch time!
Finally… Father Christmas arrives!
Father Christmas (Mr Moceia)… cheers fill the hall! Soccer balls were so prized. Thank you to The Laser Group for their donation of soccer balls
Next Bafana-Bafana team…
Make-up sets! Thank you to all our sponsors!
Cars “moto”…they guessed before they’d opened it.
Wonder what this is? 
Cupcakes specially baked by Kathleen Broderick – thank you they were delicious! …and party packs for each child
Thank you Charmaine and ladies of Edgemead for the beautiful dolls!
One of the colouring-in competition winners
From everyone at GAPA we wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to making these dream a reality! 
You have made a big difference in the lives of these children who a vulnerable due to the effects of HIV/AIDS
Thank you to:
The Laser Group
The Laser Group
Charmaine Sparks and the ladies from Edgemead
Joan Kleynhans
Fionna and Toby
Ian and Annamarie Barry
Simone Jacobs
Andrew Thompson
Alan Taylor
Henk Kleynhans
May you have a blessed festive season!
Kind regards
Althea Barry
Programme Developer
GAPATel: 021 364 3138
Beyond Christmas toys…
Nov 18th
It has been overwhelming to see the generosity that people are showing towards the aftercare Christmas project.
Despite having reached our target donations are still coming in. A big thank from all at GAPA!
This has afforded us the opportunity to dream beyond Christmas and start considering the new year as children will be making their way back to school.
This been considered we will use the donated money for the following:
- school supplies for the children as they return to their new classrooms (I remember the joy of starting a new year with new stationery)
- equipping our aftercare classroom with much needed art and creativity equipment. Paper, pencils, paint, art aprons etc.
We really appreciate the opportunity your donations are giving us to plan our services for 2009.
Donations can be paid to the GAPA bank account:
Please reference as Aftercare
Cheque Account (G.A.P.A.)
No 4055545538
Town Centre Branch
Mitchells Plain 7785
Cape Town
South Africa
Branch code is 632005
Donations to GAPA are tax deductible
Christmas gifts so far…
Nov 14th
Thank you so much for these generous gifts:
Charmaine Sparks and the ladies in her church (we hope to meet you soon) for the 20 dolls
The Laser Group (Feroza for organising) for 25 soccer balls (Thank you Charmaine and your husband for arranging this!)
Joan Kleynhans for her generous contribution of R500
Henk Kleynhans for his generous contribution of R200
Fionna and Toby for their generous contribution of R500
Ian and Annamarie Barry for their generous contribution of R500
Simone Jacobs for beautiful teddy bears, jewelry and make-up
Andrew Thompson for generous donation of $50 Australian dollars
Alan Taylor for generous donation of $100 Australian dollars
We’ve made it!! Thank you so much to everyone for making it happen! We can now go do shopping to make dreams come true!
Opportunity to get involved in our Christmas party!
Nov 14th
Grandmothers Against Poverty and Aids
J-415 Qabaka Rd www.gapa.org.za
Khayelitsha 7784 www.gapa.org.za/blog/index.htm
Cape Town altheab@gmail.com
Tel/fax 021 3643138 NPO no. 019-642
C: 074 198 2500
___________________________________________________________________
27 October 2008
REQUEST OF SPONSORSHIPS OF OUR AFTERCARE CHRISTMAS PARTY
GAPA is a Non-Profit organisation in Khayelitsha. We are a voluntary organisation that implements programmes to support grandmothers affected by HIV/AIDS in urban and rural communities to continue with their lives and to cope better as providers of care and support for their infected children.
In January 2007 GAPA started its Aftercare Service for 50 vulnerable children who attend the local primary school. The headmaster and teachers identified children who went home after school to empty homes, lived in shacks or were sickly. Currently, there are 100 children who attend the aftercare. The ages of the children range from 6yrs to 16yrs of age. Five grandmothers coordinate the enrichment programme for the children. They get help from other grandmothers that are able to teach skills such as knitting and beadwork. Home work is supervised, the children are fed and a choir has been formed. The grandmothers teach English literacy, tell traditional stories and teach traditional songs. This year in August, I joined the programme bringing a focus on health promotion through occupation.
As the year comes to an end, we wish to create a Christmas party for the children to celebrate the year that has past and enhance their sense of belonging.
Last week the children created a wish list for Christmas, attached are some of the pictures. The whole process of being given the opportunity to dream and hope for something is an important component towards building the children’s ability to cope with the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.
This table indicates the toys they chose:
Boys
Age 6-16
No. wanting balls
28
No. wanting cars
11
Girls
Age 6-12
No. wanting dolls
43
Age 13-16
No. wanting make-up, clothes & photo albums
18
Total girls 61 Total boys 39 Total children 100
We would greatly appreciate any donation (either of the actual toys or financial) you are willing to make in this regard.
At a budget of approximately R45,00 a gift the total financial target is R4500.
GAPA Bank details:
No. 4055545538
ABSA Bank
Swift Code ABSA ZA JJ
Town Centre Branch,
Branch code: 632005
Mitchells Plain 7785
Cape Town
South Africa
Cheque Account
Reference: Aftercare Christmas Party
Please email me with the amount so that I know how much to withdraw: altheab@gmail.com
Please feel free to visit our blog site for more information on our day-to-day activities – www.gapa.org.za/blog/index.htm We’ll post all sponsors on our blog.
Thank you!
Kind regards
Althea Barry
Occupational Therapist
GAPA, Khayelitsha
” All we want for Christmas…”
Dress
Ball
Doll
Car “motor”
Friends
Animals wild and wonderful!
Nov 10th
With the September holidays behind us this post is long overdue.
We had the wonderful priviledge of going on an outing with the 16 Grandmothers and 56 Children to the Tygerberg Zoo. We received a budget from the Stephen Lewis Foundation to have an annual outing for the aftercare, this is the highlight of the year and provides a much needed time for the children to discover more about the country they live in. The pictures speak for themselves but it is necessary to say that for many of the Grandmothers and children it was the first time to see animals such as lions, chimpanzees, wild dogs, cheetahs…even a cuddly looking brown bear.
The day ran wonderfully smoothly. We caught two hired Golden Arrow busses early in the morning and set off for our adventure about 4o km away. Grandmothers paired up and each took care of 10 children to make sure the children could ask all the questions they wanted. The zoo was a spralling maze of different enclosures for all sorts of wild africa (and other ) animals. After a morning of excitement we sat down to a nutrious meal packed by the grandmothers and used some of our energy on the jungle gyms. To end off a perfect day we set off to find the bears…peeking over a high wall 56 faces eargerly looked for the famous bear, who in his own time he slowly emerged from his sleep and filled us all with joy.
We appreciate the committment of all the grandmothers to making this day possible, to the GAPA staff for all the organising and to the funders for making this opportunity possible.
Mrs Nkone (new aftercare coordinator)
Mrs Skefile’s grandson ready to go the zoo
In a line…’can we get there already?”
Inside!! First thing we see are springbok. The children and grandmothers were initially scared of the animals despite the enclosures
King of the jungle – lionesses lazily lying in the grass
This picture doesn’t do justice to how big these tortoises were
Having fun trying to figure out what the chimpanzee was doing
White lion cubs – their paws were massive
Strange monkeys
Thank you and a beautiful smile from Bulela