Sozo Foundation Annual Report 2014 - 2015

2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5 ANNUAL REPORT

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CONTENTS P A G E

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WHO WE ARE

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CEO REPORT

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CHAIRMAN REPORT

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SOZO CENTRE

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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

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WHERE WE WORK

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THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN

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ORGANOGRAM

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SOZO EDUCENTRE

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SOZO DESIGN

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SOZO EDEN

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SOZO YOUTH CAFÉ

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SOZO LIFESKILLS

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OUR STORY SO FAR

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INCOME

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EXPENDITURE

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OUR FUNDERS & FRIENDS

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GET IN TOUCH

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W H O WE ARE Vision “We see the community of Vrygrond living with dignity, purpose and hope.�

Mission We participate in the community by being part of the community We create opportunities for holistic development through various initiatives, focusing on education, social upliftment and food security We encourage sustainability through equipping and empowering individuals with the right tools, skills and knowledge, to be the change they want to see Through relationships, we help people to help themselves, so they can help others

Strategies

Core Values

Education

Relational Participation

Skills

Empowerment

Wellbeing

Sustainability

Youth

Joy

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C E O ’ S REPORT ANTON CUYLER

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I n 1995, following the first democratic elections of the new South Africa, President Nelson Mandela launched a campaign to invite all South Africans to play an active part in the transformation of our rainbow nation.

In his opening speech, Mandela said these powerful words, “The laying of this brick symbolises the building of our nation, by all of us, working together in partnership to bring a better life for all South Africans. Let us all build together and let us build each other.

Masakhane!”

In many ways, I feel like 2014/2015 was the year of Sozo’s “Masakhane” campaign. The construction of the new Sozo Centre formed our campaign’s backdrop, paving the way for new opportunities and dreams for everyone. As a tribe, we grew in number and character. We learnt how to be very flexible and support one another through tough times.

We gained a deeper sense of what it means to believe in a vision, and we experienced the reality of the cost involved in pursuing such a dream.

This year, our slogan,

“We help people, to help themselves, so they can help others”, has been lived out among us. Now, we look ahead with a fresh resolve that our slogan could be true for everyone in the Vrygrond community.

Thank you to every individual, trust, foundation, church and business who contributed towards helping us build this dream centre. To all of you, I echo Nelson Mandela’s words,

“Masakhane!”

Let us build together and let us build each other.

Anton Cuyler CEO

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CHAIRMAN’S R E P O R T When I reflect on the past year, the word ‘sustainability’ comes to mind.

While we have continued to refine our vision, purpose, the various levels of governance, structure and communication, we have taken specific steps to increase our ability to continue to make an impact in the future.

We have focussed on the following areas: • The development of a deeper leadership structure, encouraging and equipping new and existing leaders and managers; • We have extended the reach of our projects, as they have naturally grown; • We have extended the age range that we serve to include young adults, with the introduction of our Youth Café. This will become a new focus in the upcoming year as we give opportunities to “youth at risk”; • Our community relationships have broadened and deepened. We are consulting and working with other NGO’s and local leaders, integrating us in deeper ways; and • Our donor support has grown, by strengthening relationships with existing partners and developing new relationships, both local and international.

Our internal strength and external connection and support have grown significantly. This gives us an amazing foundation to grow from as we move into our new building, where we anticipate greater levels of establishment and integration into the community of Vrygrond.

We remain deeply grateful to our donors and partners, our amazing CEO and staff, our community, and our trustees.

We are excited about the coming year, as we journey on together.

Roy Kempster Chairman of the Board

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S OZO CENTRE New Building By far the most exciting development of 2014 in the Sozo camp was the start of construction on our new Sozo Centre in June 2014. Built from the ground up, our new centre will enable Educentre to grow to 70 learners in 2015, and 100 learners in 2016.

The centre is a ground-breaking development for the community of Vrygrond as it is the first facility in the area that is dedicated solely to Youth Education. The two-storey centre will feature four grade specific classrooms, each fitted with their own computer centre to provide computer literacy to Educentre learners. The building will also house the Sozo offices, as well as a Youth CafĂŠ.

The construction would not have been possible without the initial seed donation of over R1 million gathered at New Wine Festival in the UK, as well as the numerous monetary gifts and material donations throughout the building process. We are also extremely grateful to our electrician, architect and engineer, who donated their time for free, as well as our construction team, who have been hard at work for over a year. A big thank you to all who have contributed to making this dream a reality.

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E V E N T HIGHLIGHTS Sozo Eden Pub Quiz

Golf Day Our annual Golf Day is always tons of fun, and this year was no different.

Companies and individuals came out to support our cause, participating in a 4-ball alliance game at the prestigious Erinvale Golf Estate in Somerset West. With the support of the players and various donors, we raised over R29,000 for The Sozo Foundation. A big thank you to Erinvale for hosting the event, as well as Redsands Golf, SWAGG, SAB and Pernod Richard for prize and beverage donations.

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We gathered Cape Town’s finest brainiacs for the Sozo Eden Pub Quiz, Eden’s very first fundraiser. The evening was a huge success, with each team giving other competitors a run for their money. Annabelle’s Boys (pictured below) soared to Pub Quiz success, taking home fabulous prizes donated by some of Constantia’s finest wine farms.

#TAG Campaign In August of 2014, we kicked off our monthly giving campaign, #TAG (Transform A Generation), to raise funds for Educentre. Sozo supporters and friends rallied around the campaign, and through their generous monthly donations, we now receive almost R400,000 (£22,000) a year through #TAG. This meant that in 2014, we were able to provide almost 10,000 meals and over 215 hours of tutoring and mentoring per student!

WHERE WE WORK Vrygrond is a multi-cultural community with more than 40,000 residents living in two areas; Vrygrond, a formal settlement, and Overcome Heights, an informal settlement. The community has a diverse cultural makeup, consisting of both local and foreign black and coloured residents. This diversity is unique for a South African township and has a huge impact on the challenges faced within the community.

Although Vrygrond boasts many early childhood development centres and an excellent primary school, there is currently no high school in the community. Because of this, young people are forced to walk far distances, through dangerous gang-infested areas, to attend high school in neighbouring suburbs.

Evenings and weekends hold little hope, with no facilities or safe places for these young people to go. Vital centres of information on youth employment, development or education are similarly non existent.

The youth of Vrygrond have been severely overlooked in a number of ways, evidenced by the extensive lack of services targeted at young people, particularly teenagers and young adults.

These realities motivate us to do what we do in the Vrygrond community, and why our primary focus as an organisation is Youth Development.

Did you know?

77%

of Vrygrond households have a monthly income of R3 200 or less - defined as living below the poverty line. (Stats SA, 2011)

50%

of households in Vrygrond were victims of crime between 2007 and 2009.

(RCT International Publication Series No. 1, Violence and community activism in Vrygrond, South Africa, 2011)

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THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN The Sozo Tribe has grown hugely this year, with the addition of seven new staff members. We are pleased to report that the majority of new staff are from Vrygrond itself.

Back Row L-R:

Middle Row L-R:

Front Row L-R:

Nelisiwe Nomadwayi Receptionist

Steve Morris Youth CafĂŠ Project Manager

Elom Faiwoo Intern

Natasha Thomas Operations Manager Keenan Mowers Graphic Designer Franscisca Jeftha Garden Centre Manager

Kim De Jongh Garden Centre Assistant

Kate Ellis Eden Project Manager

Arlene Bock Educentre Project Manager

Sophie Olivier Resource Manager

Nomthandazo Magadla Educentre Coordinator

Kelly Notcutt Marketing & Communications Manager

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Diana Morris Volunteer

Andre Baartman Logistics Elana Cuyler Youth CafĂŠ Project Manager Anton Cuyler CEO Amanda Engelbrecht Social Worker Sasha-Lee Moolman Design Project Manager

ORGANOGRAM

Projects Project Manager Arlene Bock

Project Manager Kate Ellis

Eden

Project Manager Sasha-lee Moolman

Social Worker

Educentre

Graphic Designer

Garden Centre Manager

Design

Keenan Mowers

Kim De Jongh

Garden Assistant

Francisca Jeftha

Amanda Engelbrecht

Educentre Coordinator Nomthandazo Magadla

S o z o Foundation Trust Board of Trustees CEO

Anton Cuyler

Lifeskills Youth Cafe Project Manager Steve Morris Elana Cuyler

Youth Interns

Operations Manager Nelisiwe Nomadwayi

Receptionist

Natasha Thomas

Andre Baartman

Logistics

Project Manager Natasha Thomas

Catering Manager Anthea Kieghlaar

HQ

Resource Manager

Sophie Olivier

Kelly Notcutt

Marketing & Communication Manager

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S O Z O EDUCENTRE What We See In The Future “A generation of young leaders who inspire positive change in their own communities”

The Ins And Outs Of What We Do The Sozo Educentre provides a safe space for 50 high school learners (between the ages of 13 – 18 years) to be equipped and empowered within their own community so as to achieve their full potential. After-school tutoring and academic assistance is offered four days a week to young people at a central accessible venue, the Vrygrond Community Library.

Educentre Team

The program provides alternative role models, who are committed as mentors to help grow and develop every individual to be able to take responsibility for their own dreams through commitment, perseverance, shared learning, giving back and fun.

Our mission is to see every child finish high school successfully and to assist each learner to secure post schooling opportunities that will lead to a dignified job.

“I enjoy being a Sozonite because I’m in a place where learning is provided at no cost and where learners feel they are in a safe protected environment” - Educentre Learner

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T H E G A P S WE’RE CLOSING There is currently no high school or youth education facility in the Vrygrond community, and with very high levels of gangsterism, crime and violence, this community offers no safe space for youth to further their academic development.

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Limited exposure to academic resources & parental supervision and support

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Lack of appropriate boundaries & discipline

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High levels of crime, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, school drop-out rates & unemployment

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Lack of positive role models

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No other programme such like the Sozo Educentre nor a high school in Vrygrond

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Local schools under pressure due to classroom overcrowding resulting in lack of individual attention

Did you know?

Local schools have limited appropriate resources, compounded with language barriers & constant curriculum changes

of SA youth complete Matric or move beyond school. (Department of Basic

•

•

Small overcrowded homes limit physical space to do homework

31%

Education, 2013)

14%

of 16 to 18-year-olds were not attending any form of national educational institution. (Stats SA, 2014)

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ACHIEVEMENTS THIS YEAR Supplementary and Core Tutoring This year we were able to provide a safe space for 50 learners to receive general tutoring and homework support. Our Supplementary Tutoring is learner driven, and our tutors provide continuous feedback and positive reinforcement. On the other hand, our Core Tutoring takes a more focused approach where we provide specialised tutoring in areas such as Maths and Science.

Over the past year, a dedicated, passionate and committed team of tutors has emerged, growing from 10 to 30 tutors by the end of 2014. We would like to thank every tutor for their involvement!

In partnership with Out of The Box Training, Errol Valentine facilitated an exciting Study Tips Workshop with our Grade 11 and 12 Sozonites, which helped to make studying fun.

Results • Our Pass Rate for 2014 was 83%.

Attendance • Our Attendance Rate for 2014 was 93%.

In 2014, we provided: • 300 Hours of Tutoring • 4500 Nutritious Meals

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Information Technology The exposure to Information Technology has proven to be vital for our Educentre learners, not only in assisting them with homework and projects but also in developing their computer literacy, which is an essential skill for future careers.

In 2014, in partnership with Lynette Harding, we ran a Career Workshop with Grade 11 and 12s using the PACE software. The workshop provided learners with the opportunity to identify their interests and the correlating study paths.

Mentorship Mentorship is an important strategy in our programme, and provides for ongoing relationship building with each learner. Grade mentors journey with their learners as they move up through the Educentre Programme, from Grade 8 through to Matric (Grade 12).

The grade mentor is seen as a positive role model for the learners, particularly to our learner representatives, modelling leadership skills and including them as part of the decision making process.

Grade Mentors

Highlight - This has proven to be such an important link between the learner and referral process as the grade mentor is able to build greater trust and is a consistent mentor figure throughout the learner’s time at Educentre.

Nutrition Nutrition forms a pivotal part of the model by providing each learner with a wholesome meal during every session. We felt it was important to employ a member from the community as the caterer, responsible for developing a sixweek menu that includes fresh fruit and vegetables. Our partnership with FoodBank SA continues to grow from strength to strength allowing us to expose learners to a variety of healthy food.

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Career Inspiring Initiatives Career Inspiring Initiatives include three key aspects: excursions, short courses, and career guidance with the aim to inspire career aspirations. We believe that one of the main issues that could stop a young person from pursuing their dreams with passion and determination is not being given the opportunity to try. Therefore, this strategy provides the platform for career development to take place and in doing so, fosters the ability to dream.

Short Courses: Fine Art Course

Excursions: Sisanda Connect

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Design Indaba

University Open Days

Wilderness Foundation

We are very thrilled at this as we strongly believe in the development of the whole learner, and recognise that there are many factors that socially affect their ability to thrive.

Highlight: Through psycho-social intervention, we have been able to assist learners in difficult situations, as well as seen relationships restored, a decrease in risky behaviour, a general sense of self-awareness and a healthy development of personal identity.

Cosmo Day (Womens Day) Sisanda Fundaytion

Psycho-Social Intervention We are acutely aware of the psychosocial needs that exist, and therefore we have employed a social worker dedicated to providing therapeutic intervention, while also networking with schools and parents.

Refresh Child Protection Training 2014 On the 31st May 2014, we ran our 2nd Annual Refresh Child Protection Training in partnership with The Bay Community Church. We invited local NGOs in Vrygrond that work with children and youth to attend the event, and were joined by guest speaker Helga Haupt of the Department of Social Development.

Helga presented informative sessions on the Children’s Act, and shared valuable insight and knowledge from her time in the social work field. Trainees left feeling empowered and filled with hope, aware that we ALL play a significant part in the fight for child protection.

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STORY OF SUCCESS

LWANDA SILWANA

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Known for his servant heart and big smile, Lwanda Silwana is a bright young man that has been part of Sozo’s story since the beginning. Born in a small village in the Eastern Cape, Lwanda moved to Cape Town with his mother and younger brother when he was in primary school, settling in Overcome Heights, an informal settlement of shack dwellings in Vrygrond.

By his first year of high school, Lwanda was struggling to pass his school subjects. “I tried studying in groups with my friends, but nothing ever worked”, he explained. Lwanda heard about The Sozo Foundation and Educentre, and was one of the first students to enroll in the tutoring programme. At Educentre, Lwanda received the academic assistance he needed. It also became a place where he could gain confidence.

“When I first started at Educentre, I was very shy. I began writing poetry to express myself, and read my first poem to Anton. He really encouraged me to own my expression and be more confident.”

Throughout his time at Educentre, Lwanda always asked the facilitators if they needed help cleaning up after Educentre. Lwanda explained why, “I’m here to gain but also to give back, so I made a point of asking how I could help. Sozo became my family, and I gained what I have because of Sozo.” Lwanda’s servant heart so impacted his fellow learners that they named him Sozo Ambassador

of the Year in 2014, an award given to the learner that best embodies what The Sozo Foundation and Educentre stand for.

Lwanda is now studying towards a degree in Financial Management, with the goal of becoming an accountant in the future. Even though he’s now studying, Lwanda hasn’t lost his passion to give back. “Whatever I gain I have to give to others”, he explained. Soon after finishing high school, Lwanda signed up to volunteer as an Educentre Tutor, teaching Accounting, Economics and Geography throughout the week.

“I know what it feels like to struggle and not have any help. There are very few accounting tutors but lots of accounting students at Educentre.

If I volunteer as a tutor that means the students will get help with their accounting throughout the week, not just on a Saturday.”

Not only does Lwanda love giving back through tutoring, he gets a kick out of seeing his learners succeed.

“The learners at Educentre want to learn, and I feel proud when they do well.” We’re certain Lwanda has a successful life ahead of him, but what we’re most inspired by is his determination to empower others to achieve their best.

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SOZO DESIGN What We See In The Future “Inspiring and enabling opportunities for a generation of creatively skilled young people”

The Ins And Outs Of What We Do Sozo Design empowers and equips gifted young people from the community of Vrygrond in areas of graphic design. We offer the practical experience of a working environment, where youth have the opportunity to learn, grow and also teach others in design. This project takes a holistic development approach by incorporating elements of lifeskills into various activities and tasks.

We also partner with Educentre to equip high school learners with a basic understanding of design, as well as expose learners to designrelated career opportunities.

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The Gaps We’re Closing Our Educentre learners buzz with creativity and artistic ability. However, access to artistic, creative outlets and learning is almost non-existent, with only two of the 11 schools that our Educentre learners attend offer Design or Arts and Culture as subjects.

Due to this massive gap in the development of these young people’s creative minds, there is little hope of them entering a creative career.

This in turn leaves a huge gap in the creative market that these young, talented people could be filling.

Design Team

ACHIEVEMENTS THIS YEAR Basic design training for school students: As a part of the career inspiring initiatives linked to the Sozo Educentre Project, we took seven learners to the 2015 Design Indaba to be inspired and exposed to professions in creative industries. A number of learners from the group expressed keen interest in design.

As a result, will be launching our first Sozo Basics in Design course for seven Educentre learners in mid July 2015. The twelve-week course will provide learners with a basic understanding in graphic design, as well as basic computer literacy.

Keenan Mowers has just completed a year-long learnership at Sozo, and we are thrilled to have Keenan continue his time with us as a full-time employee as of March 2015. During his learnership, Keenan assisted Design Project Manager, Sash, with internal design work and helped with projects for external clients, such as Out The Box Training. Keenan has also developed the course manual for the Basics In Design course to take place in June 2015, during which he will train seven Educentre learners.

Social Enterprise: Sozo Design offers design services to businesses and organisations as a means of generating income.

Some of our previous clients include: The Bay Community Church - Logos and Murals Out The Box Training - Brand pack Design

Learnerships: Our Design Learnership offers young people the opportunity to get handson work experience in graphic design at The Sozo Foundation.

Chafford Hundred Church in England - Bible series advertisement Sports Coalition Singapore - Brochure Design Riaan Swart - Typography for T-Shirt design

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S TO R Y O F SUCCESS

KEENAN MOWERS

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Likely the most cheerful guy you’ll ever meet, Keenan Mowers has a serious passion for creativity.

Keenan grew up in the coastal town of Plettenberg Bay, surrounded by creativity and exposed to the arts from a young age. He fell in love with illustration and drawing, and by the time he was eight year’s old, Keenan knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up: a Graphic Designer. After finishing high school, Keenan packed his bags and moved to Cape Town to pursue his childhood dream.

Soon after his arrival in Cape Town, Keenan settled in Vrygrond, the very same community in which The Sozo Foundation is based. It was in Vrygrond that Keenan was invited to a local youth group, where he met Sozo Foundation co-founder, Elana Cuyler, and was invited to complete the Design Learnership offered

by Sozo. During the Learnership, Keenan was empowered to put to use all that he had learnt during his studies and further develop his graphic design and personal skills.

When asked about key lessons he has learnt during the internship so far, Keenan responded, “There is never a moment when I sit around.

I always have something to do.

Because of that, I have learnt how to manage my time, not just at Sozo but also at home and in my personal life.”

With a heart to give back and share his love for design with young people, Keenan developed Sozo Design’s latest initiative, the Sozo Design Course. The course will train Educentre students in the principles of design and help them to develop a portfolio that they can use when applying to study further in a designrelated field. Keenan believes the course will play an important part in encouraging the arts in a community largely cut-off from creative opportunities.

“The kids in Vrygrond are creative and have a lot of talent, but they have to go outside of the community to get artistic input. The Sozo Design Course will provide them with creative training within their community, as well as expose them to design career opportunities”, said Keenan on the course. The first Sozo Design Course will take place in July 2015.

With his sights set on the future, Keenan hopes to someday start a T-Shirt design and printing business.

If his current designs are anything to go by, we’re certain Keenan’s designs will be a huge success.

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SOZO EDEN What We See In The Future “A self-sustaining, food secure, community of organic food gardeners”

The Ins And Outs Of What We Do Sozo Eden is a holistic programme that equips and empowers lowincome families to be able to provide nutritious food for their household by developing individual gardens within their own community. Through an established hands-on training course, follow up support visits, access to the community garden centre and a full-time gardener we are able to provide the resources and increase knowledge and skills in urban agriculture. Our mission is to see every home gardener grow their own vegetables successfully, through commitment, perseverance, shared learning, having fun, assisting each other, giving back and selling or bartering their produce within the community.

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The Soil We’re Turning The vast majority of people living in the Vrygrond/Capricorn community are either unemployed or earn minimum wage. Without economic security, they are unable to feed themselves properly. An unhealthy diet leads to many health problems, which, in some cases, results in the inability to work and earn a living, causing abject poverty. Many community members also lack the knowledge and resources to grow their own food. The soil in Vrygrond is beach sand, which, if left on its own, is not conducive to growing nutritious vegetables to feed families.

A recent survey on food insecurity in Cape Town’s low-income areas (of which Vrygrond forms a part) found that over 80% of the households were food insecure (Crush, J. and Frayne, B. (eds). 2010. The state of urban food security in Southern Africa. AFSUN Series No.2. Cape Town: Unity Press).

Eden Team

ACHIEVEMENTS THIS YEAR After working as Sozo Eden’s Garden Centre Manager since 2013, Francisca Jeftha has gained valuable gardening insight. In early 2014, she began training Home Gardeners for the first time. As a resident of Vrygrond, Francisca understands the challenges of gardening in her local community.

In addition, her passion for gardening as well as her love for people in her community combine to make her the ideal person for this role.

Soil for Life Partnership

Eden hosted two Gardening courses in 2014 from March to May and September to November respectively, equipping 14 Home Gardeners. Francisca provided the training for both these courses, and loved the opportunity to equip community members with the lifechanging skill of Home Gardening.

Cisca attends training with other Trainers at Soil for Life in Constantia on a weekly basis and our full-time gardener Kim De Jongh attends biweekly Life Skills classes hosted by the Soil for Life team at a local community centre. Both Cisca and Kim have benefitted hugely from this ongoing training and are constantly being challenged and inspired by innovative ideas they can implement in the Vrygrond community as well as their personal lives.

Sozo Eden has received much support from Soil for Life since 2011.

We use their training manual and methodology for gardening in local communities and their staff have provided mentoring and free training for our Eden team. We also relied heavily on their provision of organic waste for our Home Gardeners for the most part of 2014.

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S-Cape Food Garden

Annual Eden Prize giving

In September, we partnered with human trafficking safe house, S-Cape, and turned their backyard into a beautiful food garden.

Sozo Eden hosted its first end-of-year celebration in 2014, and invited all past and present Home Gardeners to the festivities. Women shared stories of how the Eden course had impacted their lives. Cisca and Kate handed out prizes and certificates to Outstanding Gardeners. The prizes were donated

by Jubilee Church, who had received a warehouse full of designer clothes, shoes and accessories, so naturally the women were overwhelmed and very grateful.

Not only does the garden provide residents with nutritious food, it is also a space where the women can find peace and tranquility. The staff at S-Cape sent us this picture of a couple of perfect organic turnips grown in their own garden. Women from Vrygrond and Overcome also joined the training and enjoyed the course thoroughly.

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Income Generation Garden Sales

Market Day

The Sozo Eden Garden is based at the Vrygrond Community Centre, which also houses many other NGOs such as True North, Communiversity, Vrygrond Computer Labs, Assitej and Jo’s School. The employees of these NGOs have supported us considerably by purchasing our organic produce over the past year.

All proceeds go towards The Sozo Foundation and help to keep our garden growing.

In September, Ludovic Rochat, a Swiss-French intern completing his Masters Degree in Social Development, connected Sozo Eden with the Marina Da Gama community.

We were offered a spot at a monthly market hosted by Elaine Meyer, owner of Upper Crust. We have since set up a stall on the last Saturday of each month and almost sold out of all of our veggies every time. A few of our customers remarked that our spinach is the best they’ve ever eaten!

Our Eden Garden is very well tended to and produces far more than we could sell to neighbouring NGOs. This presented us with the opportunity to sell our produce beyond Vrygrond, sprouting the idea of Veggie Boxes.

In August, many of the members of The Bay Community Church were telephonically contacted and given the opportunity to purchase a box of fresh, organic produce from Sozo Eden. We delivered boxes door-todoor and many families got to enjoy some healthy soup over the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your support!

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STORY OF SUCCESS KIM DE JONGH

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Kim De Jongh’s story is marked with incredible perseverance, and a sheer determination to survive and provide for her kids. As a mother of seven children and a single parent, Kim has faced unimaginable challenges in providing for her children. “I would walk the streets in search of food, determined to find something for my kids to eat so that they don’t go to bed hungry.

I didn’t know where money would come from for the next meal”, Kim recounted.

In 2013, Kim was invited by a friend to participate in Sozo’s Home Gardening course. Excited at the possibility of being able to grow her own food and sell the excess, Kim enrolled in the Sozo Eden vegetable gardening course.

During the course, the home gardeners helped her plant a vegetable garden in her backyard.

Kim never considered herself to be gifted in vegetable gardening, and had only ever planted flowers.

But soon after the course, she was known for having “Green Fingers”.

She loved seeing what she had planted begin to grow. Kim found peace and solace in the Sozo Eden Garden, and volunteered in the garden after completing the Home Gardening course. Seeing her dedication and new-found love for gardening, Sozo was able to employ Kim on a temporary basis to take care of the garden.

“I would have nothing in the house, and Kate would phone me to ask if I could come in for the day to work.

The money that I would make would pay for that night’s meal.” Kim said.

Although a huge relief to have even temporary employment, Kim still struggled to make ends meet. Then in December 2014, Kim was offered a full-time job at The Sozo Foundation as the Sozo Eden Garden Assistant.

“It was a complete surprise, I wasn’t expecting it. I’m 42 years old and this is my first permanent job in my whole life”, said Kim. For Kim, consistent income changed everything. “Before, I would walk the streets in search of food. I didn’t know where money would come from. But now, with a permanent job, there’s less pressure to go make a way for food”, she said.

The Sozo Eden Garden has become a sanctuary for many, including Kim. “It’s hard to mother alone. The garden takes things off my mind. The struggles of my past and daily stress fade away when I’m at the garden. I no longer feel depressed, or like I’m carrying a heavy weight”.

Today, the Sozo Eden Garden is lush, teeming with a wide variety of vegetables, most of which Kim planted since joining Sozo. “Before Sozo, I had never grown vegetables.

But now, I look around the Sozo Eden Garden, and I can be proud of the garden.”

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YOUTH CAFÉ What We See In The Future “To see young adults in Vrygrond in education, employment or training”

The Ins And Outs Of What We Do The Youth Café based at The Sozo Foundation Centre will provide: Physical Space - The Youth Café is an inspirational space that cultivates a shift in mindset from uninspired desengagement to engaged, independent and confident young adults. The concept is developed around a vibrant working coffee shop, tech park, indaba space, dream factory and our brain box.

Workshops - Our workshops take place in our brain box and dream factory spaces. These spaces host two streams of engagement. Our brain box host various Lifeskills workshops and our dream factory hosts a number of skills development opportunities.

Internships - We hope to employ 8 young adults, training and equipping them to run and lead the youth cafe project alongside two café managers (our Youth Café Mum & Dad).

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IT - Our Tech Park provides access to a number of computers and the Internet. The space is used to search for information, research and complete online applications. The area will also be used to run computer and internet training.

Network Partners - Develop a pool of local business, education and NGO partners who offer a variety of opportunities for young adults to engage in employment, education, training or volunteering.

Virtual Currency - The Youth Café operates with a virtual currency accessed by engagement and spent in the coffee shop and to access the various opportunities provided.

This system ensures young people learn the skills of budgeting and decision making. We believe this will encourage the value of investing in your own learning rather than receiving handouts.

Youth Café Team

S O Z O LIFESKILLS What We See In The Future

Achievements This Year

“A community equipped with skills that enable them to love living life”

We launched Sozo Lifeskills in 2014, and ran a number of equipping workshops over the past year, including:

The Ins And Outs Of What We Do

Baby Massage

Sozo Lifeskills facilitates courses that equip people emotionally, spiritually and socially. We believe that teaching people these essential skills enables them to gain a restored identity and self-respect, and reach their full potential. We apply a holistic development approach in order to help people become whole.

Basic Health & Hygiene

The Issues We’re Restoring High levels of crime, substance abuse and unemployment Lack of emotional stability Spiritual break down Relationship breakdown Economic and social deprivation

Relationship Building Course

Inferiority due to lack of self-respect, self-confidence and self-esteem High fire risk caused by overcrowding and limited space

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STORY OF SUCCESS NELISIWE NO M A DWAYI

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Born and raised in a small town in the Eastern Cape, Nelisiwe, or Lolla as we affectionately call her, moved to Cape Town in 2007 with her mother and sisters after tragedy struck her family. Vrygrond soon became Lolla’s new home, and quickly after arriving Lolla began volunteering at the Vrygrond Library in the afternoons after school.

In 2011, The Sozo Foundation was started and began to use the library to provide after-school tutoring to high school learners from the community. Intrigued by the newcomers and the programme that they offered, Lolla volunteered her time and helped out wherever she could.

“Tutoring and extra lessons was something I needed but didn’t have access to when I was in school. I know how much of a difference it can make, so Educentre was something I wanted to be a part of”, said Lolla.

Having noticed Lolla’s passion and enthusiasm for the programme, Founder of Sozo, Anton, asked Lolla what her dream was. Lolla expanded, “At the time, I was pregnant with my second child and lived with my mother. I really wanted my own space, and mentioned to Anton that one day I’d love to live on my own with my kids.”

In 2012, Lolla’s dream came true.

The Sozo Foundation bought Lolla a wendy house in the community as part of the Boutique Project,

which assisted families in need with housing and maintenance. Lolla’s involvement in the Foundation continued to grow. She became an instructor for the Baby Kaboom and Health & Hygiene workshops held by the Lifeskills Project. “So many young mothers in the community have abortions because they are overwhelmed with the fear of caring for a baby. Many parents also don’t know how to bond with or handle their kids. That’s why I love teaching the Baby Kaboom course.”

Similarly, Lolla has a deep passion for equipping community members with the knowledge they need to live healthy lives through the Health & Hygiene course.

“People live in terrible conditions in Vrygrond, and the community is littered with pollution and waste.

Through the Health & Hygiene course we try our best to give people the skills they need to prevent illness in their families.”

Lolla has walked a journey with Sozo from its inception, and we are thrilled that she will be joining the Sozo Tribe on a permanent basis from April 2015. Lolla reflected on her time with Sozo so far, “I look back now and I can see how much I have grown over the past few years since being involved in Sozo, from assisting at the Vrygrond Library to starting my first full-time job as the Sozo receptionist and Lifeskills instructor.”

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OUR STORY S O FA R

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In 2010, husband and wife team, Anton and Elana Cuyler, traded in their jobs in England and moved to Cape Town, South Africa, to volunteer as youth workers. They hit the ground running, volunteering at the youth group of the Bay Community Church in a suburb neighbouring Vrygrond, a community and people that would soon capture their hearts.

Many children from Vrygrond attended the youth group, and it was there that Anton and Elana encountered the crushing need that these young people were in. This need was made even more real as Anton and Elana visited the youth in their homes.

Houses in terrible decay, cycles of abuse and rejection, and living in an area where gangsterism, violence and crime is rampant.

And so, The Sozo Foundation was born, and Anton and Elana got to work. Five years later, The Sozo Foundation has grown in capacity and experienced increasing favour with the community. Sozo now employs 16 people, half of which are from the community itself. Land was generously given to the organisation for the construction of its very own centre, and new projects are added almost every year, deepening Sozo’s impact.

The future of Vrygrond gets brighter with every tutoring session, gardening training, lifeskills workshop and more.

Thank you for partnering with us on this incredible journey of restoring dignity, purpose and hope.

Moved by what they had seen and filled with fresh vision to see a community transformed, Anton and Elana began developing what would become the heartbeat of The Sozo Foundation. Their initial partner, the Bay Community Church, gave Anton and Elana their full backing and support.

The couple consulted with a community development specialist, and devised three initial projects: Boutique, Eden, and Educentre. Each of these projects provided practical solutions to the obvious needs that they saw.

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INCOME 2014-2015 B-BBEE SED R26,000.00 1% Interest R21,928.19 1% Connect Network R11,099.28 0% Social Enterprise R10,173.00 0% MySchool R5,486.19 0% Individuals R1,558 194.57 47%

OVERALL TOTAL R 3,316 105.00

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Overseas Foundations SPZA R50,000.00 2% Fundraising R61,913.55 2% UK Churches R93,528.00 3% SA Church R116,217.22 3% New Building R620,565.00 19% Trusts & Foundations (SA) R741,000.00 22%

EXPENDITURE 2014-2015 Design; R94,011.82 8%

Eden; R199,775.12 17%

Lifeskills; R47,005.91 4%

Educentre; R364,295.80 31%

Youth Café; R35,254.43 3% Boutique; R23,502.96 2%

Central Aministration; R411,301.71 35% Building Project R2,205 341.51 65%

OVERALL TOTAL R 3,387 684.00

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OUR FUNDERS & FRIENDS TAG – Monthly Donors • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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GMS Systems Alanna Reid Andrew Selley Angie Nana Owusu Arlene Bock Bob and Pat Lee Brian Wells Caroline Russell Cecil & Tanya John Charl Cuyler Charles and Becky Bradshaw Dave and Sheila Price Dawn and Tony Cooksey Dean Baker Debbie Niblett Dominique Byrne Esther Leach Fanus and Jeanette Olivier Frans van Dyk GA Cuyler Josh Knight Juan Sedano Katie Bacon-Lees Kim & Job Thomas Kim Nicholas Lois Mackenzie Lorraine Mole Ludovic Rochat Marigold Chakanyuka Dube Natasha Thomas

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Neil + Nicci Blackburn Neilia Dreyer Omar and Gill Ganie Paddy Ellis Pamela White Paul and Leith Olivier Peter & Deborah McBeth Richard & Sade Alasi Rodney and Lee Hopley Rosemary + Jon Arnold-Knights Roy Kempster Sasha-Lee Moolman Sean Beckett & Kathyrn Watt Sophie Olivier Steve and Vanessa Couves Steve Davies Sue Duplock Susan Kerry Suzanne Gray Victoria Morgan

OUR FUNDERS & FRIENDS New Building Project

General

• • • • • • • • •

• •

Bill and Sabra Reichardt Cechen Engineering Eezi Mojapelepe Harcourts Foundation Harry Crossley Foundation Heartstyles Frank Jackson Foundation The Morris Family Various Individuals – Buy-a-brick

• • • • •

Andrew Selley Community Church, Chafford Hundred CRC London Lewis Stores Pty The Willis Family The Bay Community Church MLT Drives

Educentre Donors

Eden Donors

• •

•

• • • •

Connect Network Claude Leon Foundation (distributed by The Leaning Trust) Nedbank Private Wealth Education Foundation Njeni Construction Stichting Projecten Zuid-Afrika (SPZA) SWAGG

Rolf-Stephen Nussbaum Foundation

Thank you for your support 39

GE T IN TOUCH Office: 021 825 5529 Cell: 074 500 6060 Email: admin@thesozofoundation.org.za Address: Vrygrond Avenue, Vrygrond, Muizenberg Cape Town, 7945 Please find and “LIKE” us on Facebook

DONATE Direct Debt/ EFT The Sozo Foundation 072043776 Standard Bank Blue Route Mall 025-609 NPO Number: 036-344 PBO Number: 930013534

For International Donations Swift code: SBZAZAJJ Branch Code: 025-609 Standard Bank Blue Route Shopping Centre C/Vans and Tokai Road Tokai 7945 Cape Town Western Cape, South Africa

www.thesozofoundation.org.za 40