Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund USA, Inc. (NMCF USA) provides voice for the South African children here in the United States. NMCF USA supports a multitude of charitable activities designed to improve the social and economic welfare of disadvantaged, disabled and at risk youth in South Africa.
The Fund’s work is very close to Nelson Mandela’s heart:
"Ours is a mission to make our world to be familiar with smiles of children rather than their tears. And if this were to be realized, our families would be stronger, our communities safer, our youth happier, and Governments will be in relative peace with their citizens."
THE WORK IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Well Being of The Child
This program aims to provide a safe nurturing and supportive environment for children and young people who are living in poverty and in over-crowded conditions within transient populations. IMG_0010NMCF Well Being programme partners are tackling the issue of child abuse through the creation of protective environments such as after school clubs, which aim to prevent crime, and provide care for victims through witness support programmes that offer medical help and preparation for court appearances. Unaccompanied child refugees are growing in number within South Africa. NMCF partners are working with government bodies to ensure that these most vulnerable children are given access to health services and schools, and are they are adequately fostered. Children who are living on the street as a result of family illness or breakdown are given shelter, medical attention and places in school while NMCF partners work with their extended families to negotiate a safe return to family life.
OBJECTIVES:
* Ensure safe, healthy, family and community environments for children
* Build and strengthen safer communities to respond to child abuse
* Integrate refugee children into society
* Provide street children with education, opportunities and information
* Endorse models of care for children and young people affected by HIV/AIDS.
ACTIVITIES
* Education and training initiatives
* Integration of child abuse services with neighbourhood victim support programme
* Campaigns, lobbying and developing a national court procedure
* Development of materials to disseminate information, measures and intervention
* Development of innovative models for learning
* Early detection of new street children
* Reunification and reintegration projects and programmes
* Empowering street children of school age with access to education and skills development.
NMCF’s Skills Development Programme supports organizations working with young people who are in conflict with the law, living in the streets and provides youth with skills to create economic opportunities with confidence.
OBJECTIVES
* To support youth entrepreneurship with a strong focus on increasing opportunities in rural areas, low-income urban areas and informal settlement areas
* To strengthen and build the capacity of projects funded by NMCF
* To increase access to information and resources for youth.
ACTIVITIES
* Support and develop programmes focusing on youth skills development
* Monitor and evaluate existing models and methods for developing the skills of youth
* Support and build the capacity of partner organizations and institutions.
EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS FUNDED
Youth Connection helps young people in the township of Kwa-Thema who lack basic social services and face continuous unemployment, early pregnancies, a high rate of HIV infection and lack of basic skills training. Since its inception, Youth Connection has been at the forefront of youth development, providing training programmes in Business, Arts, Fashion Design, AIDS/HIV awareness, Music Training, and Computer Literacy. In addition, Youth Connection runs an after-school activity program where 150 young people participate each year.
Education with Enterprise Trust (EWET) helps create an environment conducive to the development of entrepreneurship talent and abilities amongst young people through the Youth Enterprise Society (YES). The YES program is a pro-active approach towards empowering the youth through enterprise to become masters of their own destinies – prior to leaving school. It addresses a need to increase motivation, self-confidence and leadership skills.
Sparrow Schools Educational Trust targets youth who have dropped out of school and trains them in technical skills and financial management. The training is intended to build a skill base that will develop opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses
Sparrow Skills and Job Creation Initiative provides contracted employment to youth over 17 years of age, who have limited schooling experience or learning difficulties. This initiative has been developed to overcome the persistent and overwhelming unemployment levels within these young adults or to assist them in establishing their own business.
Children and Youth with Disabilities
The Children and Youth with Disabilities programme focuses on integrating disabled young people into their communities and mainstream schools to ensure they have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers. boy behind fence - minimised NMCF Community partners work with families affected by physical and learning disabilities to both support and educate them in how to care for and stimulate their children. They also work in the wider community to ensure a better understanding of the needs of disabled children and to tackle the stigma associated with disability that often lead to children being hidden away and denied their basic rights – to play, to learn and to be loved. Advocacy is a vital part of this programme, and NMCF also works at both Provincial and National government level to contribute to the debate surrounding provision for disabled young people.
OBJECTIVES
* Meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities on a long term basis
* Integrate children with disabilities into society through advocacy and lobbying
* Endorse Capacity Building for associations of care givers.
ACTIVITIES
* Lobbying and advocacy to include children with disabilities into society
* Capacity building for local organizations and care-giving associations
* Supporting innovative programmes and models at local level.
The impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in South Africa is now well known. There are currently 1.8 million children who have lost at least one parent which makes them some of the most vulnerable in the country. They are less likely to go to school and are more at risk of exploitation and abuse…more coming soon!
Leadership and Excellence
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund recognizes the importance of identifying and developing the next generation of leaders within communities, and in the wider country as a whole. The Leadership and Excellence programme seeks to inspire young people from impoverished backgrounds to develop greater confidence, self-esteem and to encourage them to make the most of their talents and abilities through sports, the arts and culture.
NMCF programme partners run projects where young people train to coach other young people in the creative arts and sports. They develop higher self esteem and leadership skills and experience which can also lead to paid employment. At the same time they become role models, and are also mentored so that they can teach life skills to others. With this program, youth will be able to become effective leaders in youth structures that operate efficiently by volunteering their services to communities.
OBJECTIVES
* To support children and youth programmes involved in arts and culture, visual media, sports and recreation, volunteerism and wealth creation in order to prepare them to participate in economic and social development
* To provide youth with positive mentors and role models with which they are able to identify.
ACTIVITIES
* Innovative youth leadership programmes and projects that build a new cadre of leaders.
* Organizational development projects to ensure functionality and sustainability of youth organizations.
* Appropriate youth organization networks
* Encourage organizations to utilize the services of youth volunteers
* Initiatives that promote youth volunteerism.
This program aims to provide a safe nurturing and supportive environment for children and young people who are living in poverty and in over-crowded conditions within transient populations. IMG_0010NMCF Well Being programme partners are tackling the issue of child abuse through the creation of protective environments such as after school clubs, which aim to prevent crime, and provide care for victims through witness support programmes that offer medical help and preparation for court appearances. Unaccompanied child refugees are growing in number within South Africa. NMCF partners are working with government bodies to ensure that these most vulnerable children are given access to health services and schools, and are they are adequately fostered. Children who are living on the street as a result of family illness or breakdown are given shelter, medical attention and places in school while NMCF partners work with their extended families to negotiate a safe return to family life.
The Children and Youth with Disabilities programme focuses on integrating disabled young people into their communities and mainstream schools to ensure they have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers. boy behind fence - minimised NMCF Community partners work with families affected by physical and learning disabilities to both support and educate them in how to care for and stimulate their children. They also work in the wider community to ensure a better understanding of the needs of disabled children and to tackle the stigma associated with disability that often lead to children being hidden away and denied their basic rights – to play, to learn and to be loved. Advocacy is a vital part of this programme, and NMCF also works at both Provincial and National government level to contribute to the debate surrounding provision for disabled young people.