Congratulations are in order for Thusalushaka Area Programme (AP) in South Africa! After 12 years of development programmes, Thusalushaka AP has reached self-sustainability, which means they are equipped and capable of continuing any development work on their own, as well as caring for their children.
When World Vision first started working with Thusalushaka AP in 2010, the community was struggling to survive and had few opportunities to better their lives. Among their problems were:
Lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities
The high prevalence of HIV infections and its discrimination
A high number of school dropouts
A lack of employment opportunities
Children being subjected to abuse
Thusalushaka AP has come a long way since then! Your support over the years has helped the children and communities in far-reaching ways, creating a better Thusalushaka for many more years to come.
Boreholes were drilled, giving communities access to clean water
An increased understanding of the causes and effects of HIV and AIDS
An improvement in children’s reading skills and educators’ teaching techniques
Women and youth groups are involved in income-generating enterprises
Communities and children were educated on child protection
Dineo showing off the vegetables from her garden.
16 years old Dineo, who lives with her mother and siblings, had a challenging life. Her mother does not work and they were relying heavily on government social grants. “Sometimes, we went to bed on empty stomachs because the social grants were not enough to support our daily needs.”
With the intervention of World Vision, youths in the community were given training in Agriculture and Management, including Dineo. “I saw this as an opportunity to upskill myself, generate income and assist my mother in taking care of the family. The training provided us with practical lessons on ploughing and planting vegetables that I later applied at home.”
Now, Dineo’s land is productive and vegetable production has been a means to generate income for her family. “We no longer go to bed hungry. This has changed our life for good. Thank you, World Vision!”
If you'd like to see the many changes in Thusalushaka for yourself, click below to watch this special Farewell Video!
Thank you to all the child sponsors and supporters for transforming the lives of children and communities in need like Thusalushaka. You can help transform more communities with us – by sponsoring a child today!
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