A Spring of hope Permaculture centre Acornhoek, South Africa 2017
executive summary Ten years ago, A Spring of Hope (ASoH)
for an evening meal. At this time, more
was created to help provide clean water
than 14,200 students in one of the poorest
to schools in rural South Africa. ASoH is
parts of South Africa are eating at least
currently working with 42 schools in the
one nutritious meal every day. With better
greater Acornhoek area of rural South
nutrition, hope grows, and depressed,
Africa, and has expanded its activities
barren schools become alive and inspired
to include assistance in sustainable
to offer a quality education to their
agriculture, water management, sanitation,
learners.
and job development. Increasingly, ASoH is getting requests from Over the past ten years we have witnessed
community members for permaculture
what happens when clean water, the
workshops, for access to organic produce, and for economic opportunities for a sustainable livelihood. When ASoH introduced permaculture gardening education into the schools, we saw a huge shift in the way people think and view the world—gardens designed using permaculture principles are flourishing! We see very clearly that our next step in supporting the people living in this area is to
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most basic of human needs, becomes
establish an “A Spring of Hope Permaculture
available—children have clean water to
Centre” that will broaden the impact of our
drink which improves their health, gardens
work at the community level. The Centre
thrive and fresh food is grown, schools
will enhance our capacity to Inspire, inform
have water to use for preparing lunches
and equip community leaders to go back
for the learners and washing dishes, and
to their villages and begin to change the
many orphans receive food to take home
landscape, one home at a time.
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2017 PROPOSAL
Statement of Need What is Special about this Area? The area where ASoH works is part of a
The Acornhoek region is a designated
UNESCO unique biosphere—a place on
Presidential “rural poverty node”, which
the planet where the biodiversity of both
means it is a “rural area in extreme
plants and animals is not found anywhere
poverty with a serious lack of skills and
else. It is also home to the third largest
services”. Unemployment stands at 75%,
canyon in the world, the Blyde River
the HIV infection rate is 29%, and most
Canyon. It is a particularly beautiful area
homes and villages lack running water.
in very close proximity to the world famous Kruger National Park, where visitors can
This poor infrastructure makes people
view a large variety of big game animals
extremely vulnerable to the impacts
while staying in five-star surroundings.
of climate change. 2015 was the driest
However, most of the local population
year since they began keeping records,
lives in dire poverty. The Acornhoek
in 1904. 2016 was the third year of the
region was one of the Apartheid era
worst drought in 30 years. The lack of
“homelands”, remote undeveloped areas
rain has dramatically reduced agricultural
where the ma jority of Blacks were moved
production leading to soaring food prices
to prevent them from living in the urban
and more than tripling the number of
areas of South Africa. It remains a very
people who experience food insecurity.
challenging place for people to live.
The necessity for people to grow their own
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relationship as
food has never been more critical, and
“Sitting at our back doorsteps,
humans to the world
permaculture can
all we need to live a good
around us. Ultimately,
help. Permaculture
life lies about us. Sun, wind,
is designed to maximize people’s ability to adapt to changing weather.
people, buildings, stones, sea, birds and plants surround us. Cooperation with all these
Permaculture
things brings harmony.”
is really about
Bill Mollison
relationships—
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we believe that by teaching permaculture at the ASoH Centre, we will build personal responsibility, and we will give vulnerable people, people already living on the edge
sun and soil—water and air—plants and
and greatly impacted by climate change,
animals—others and ourselves, and our
a greater capacity to adapt and thrive.
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Operational Plan
Architect’s rendering of the ASoH Centre
Location and Description of Centre The ASoH Centre will give the organization
about these incredible trees later!)
a tangible presence in the Acornhoek
The structure will preserve the African
community. We have obtained 3
style of design while incorporating
hectares (about 7 acres) of land from
sustainable building methodologies. It
the tribal authorities. This site is easily
will be constructed using rammed earth
accessible to the community, and will
technology, which uses local materials
accommodate a structure with two
and has a small environmental footprint.
classrooms, a resource center, a kitchen,
It will be equipped with solar panels and
offices, a caretaker’s cottage, a large
lit by LEDs to minimize electricity usage.
community vegetable garden, and several
It will be designed to capture rainwater for
orchards, including moringa trees. (More
later use. It will be equipped with Enviro-Loo
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waterless composting toilets. Michael
the buildings, which contributes to job
Beukes, of Rammteck Buildings, will build
creation and skills development, which is
the Centre. Michael has built other rammed
badly needed in this community. On the
earth buildings in the area, and has been
previous page is an architect’s rendering
building the Enviro-loo toilet buildings at
of the ASoH Centre. We are hoping to
our schools for several years. Rammteck
begin construction in the Spring of 2018.
uses and trains local people to work on
What will happen at the A Spring of Hope Centre Because of our success working in 40+ schools in the area, additional schools are continually requesting help obtaining clean water/gardens/sanitation. ASoH needs a more centralized way to address these requests, to provide enhanced assistance to the schools where we currently work, and to expand our outreach into the broader community. The Centre will be the central hub for all of these activities.
ASoH Will Educate! ASoH will offer free classes on best management practices in source water protection, conservation, organic gardening and nutrition as well as operation and management of the wells themselves. The focus will be on managing those environmental issues that are already affecting people’s lives. A Spring of Hope will also assist with instruction on how to build economical rainwater catching devices to
This type of sharing is exactly what is
be used during the dry season. Whereas
happening with our 40+ partner schools.
our past efforts were almost exclusively
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aimed at schools, ASoH plans to begin
ASoH Will Create!
offering free classes to individuals so they
ASoH will create opportunities for local
can establish small permaculture gardens
people, who are knowledgeable in water
at home. Once home gardens proliferate,
related issues, permaculture gardening
fellow gardeners can share seeds and
methods, and sanitation, to teach
knowledge with other households.
others. In addition to several jobs at the
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Centre, ASoH will also create opportunities for micro- and eco-enterprises to help the unemployed. For example, many products can be made from the leaves and seeds of the moringa tree. Moringa is referred to as “nature’s perfect plant” and is an extremely potent high nutrient plant that is in great demand both in Africa and in Europe. ASoH will employ local people to assist in the business and share in the profits. There are many other products that could also become springboards for small enterprises. As new technologies come on line for cleaning water, generating sustainable power, and enriching soil, we plan to be at the forefront of creating opportunities for local people.
ASoH Will Inspire! Through education, opportunities to network with other community members, and by providing essential resources to take steps toward real world solutions in their villages, ASoH will help people develop the confidence and tools they need to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and their neighbors.
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Staffing Leanette Sithole—the former principal of
in the national Edu-Plant Competition. Her
Beretta Primary, our first project—is now
expertise in permaculture and water issues,
working with ASoH as a permaculture
and her deep community involvement will
educator, and will be the garden manager
give the Centre instant credibility and will
of the new A Spring of Hope Centre. In 2013
set a solid foundation for our efforts.
she was nominated as African “Woman of
Trygive Nxumalo, another ASoH
the Year”. She led Beretta Primary School
permaculture expert, will also be
to first place in the Province in the national
onsite providing permaculture
Edu-Plant competition. Under her
education, overseeing the home
leadership, Beretta also won first place in
garden initiative and offering classes
the Department of Agriculture and Forests
to children and the community.
Eco-Competition. In 2014, she was a leading voice with the Department of Education’s
In addition, the Centre will employ
“Greening of Schools” initiative, and
an administration clerk/operations
successfully advocated for the Department
supervisor, two gardeners, a
to fund a gardener for every school.
person to clean and do the meal
Recently she was selected to be a judge
preparations, and a security guard.
“Permaculture principles focus on thoughtful designs for small-scale intensive systems which are labor efficient and which use biological resources instead of fossil fuels. Designs stress ecological connections and closed energy and material loops. The core of permaculture is design and the working relationships and connections between all things.” Bill Mollison
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2017 PROPOSAL
Financing for the Centre We are seeking support from individual donors, corporate partners, and government sources to fund the construction and initial operation costs of the Centre. ASoH has a very strong track record with funders, often getting recurring donations from foundations and sponsors. The following summarizes building and operatonal costs for the ASoH Centre. The conversion to US dollars is at the rate of 13R to 1 USD.
Building and Construction
R 3,381,950.00
$ 260,150.00
2-Year Operational Expenses
R 3,118,050.00
$ 239,850.00
R 6,500,000.00
USD $ 500,000.00
TOTAL
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Organizational Capacity
Organization and Management Structure A Spring of Hope was founded and
and the Public Benefits Department.
registered in the state of Florida in 2007 as
ASoH/SA is also registered as a Section
a 501(c)(3) non-profit. For the past 10 years
18A and has exemption from taxes and
ASoH has, by design, implemented the
duties as approved in terms of Section
ma jority of its projects on a volunteer basis.
18A. South African donors qualify for a tax
Joanne Young, the Executive Director, has
reduction limited to a specific formula
lead ASoH as a volunteer and has received
for any contributions made. We are also
technical, marketing, fundraising and
a Level 1 BB-BEE enterprise, qualifying
administrative support from her daughter
corporate donors for the highest level of
Brittany (President) and other Board
credit toward their community service
Members. In 2012 Joanne Young created a
requirement.
sister organization in South Africa, A Spring
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of Hope South Africa (ASoH/SA). A Spring
Our Impact
of Hope SA is a Section 21 social enterprise
According to UNICEF, 50% of South Africans
registered with the Department of Welfare
experience hunger. Since its inception in
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2017 PROPOSAL
2007, ASoH has employed a multitiered approach to addressing hunger, starting with providing access to clean water. We brought clean water to 32 primary and secondary schools, eight preschools (crèches), and five community projects, improving the lives of 14,235 children. With water comes the possibility for creating sustainable gardens that add nutritious food and improve the health of the children. We are providing education and support to every ASoH school to establish permaculture gardens. We are now deepening our work with the schools by addressing sanitation and hygiene concerns. Inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene together with unsafe drinking water are ma jor causes of child deaths in South Africa. Children are particularly vulnerable in the provinces where ASoH works, as water and sanitation facilities are below the national average. To this end, ASoH has begun installing waterless, compostable toilet systems in our schools. We have completed Enviro-Loos at 13 schools and one community project. This enables significant improvement in the children’s health, increases regular school attendance, and gives the learners a much greater chance of being able to focus on their education and break the cycle of poverty.
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Corporate Partners Fund Raising History A Spring of Hope has the following corporate/foundation partners who contribute to the work of the organization through various means Over the past 10 years A Spring of Hope has raised over $1,419,000 that has benefitted 14,235 learners. The fundraising began with U.S. students supporting South African students, raising sufficient monies to provide assistance to one school. Once ASoH became a 501(c)(3) it began to reach out to other organizations and individuals to increase its financial support in order to provide assistance to additional schools.
Conclusion From the outset, A Spring of Hope (ASoH) was created out of passion—the passion and deep caring of a mother and her daughter—that grew into a vital, high impact non-profit organization. A Spring of Hope Centre will be a highly visible expression of our passion. It will elevate our impact and change lives in rural South African communities by enabling people to learn sustainable gardening methods, gain confidence in themselves, and have new knowledge that translates immediately into more resources for their lives. We hope you will invest in this critical next step for our organization. If you have further questions, please contact Joanne Young at 954.775.4997 or joanne@aspringofhope.org. Thank you for your interest and your support.
USA (Head Office)
South Africa
P.O. Box 970444
130 Daisy Street, Sandton, 2196
Coconut Creek, FL 33097
Reg no 2012/093141/08
EIN: 26-0851887
NPO 093141
www.aspringofhope.org
A Spring of Hope is a 501(c)(3) registered charity