Apart from supporting the ongoing needs of our established partner projects in South Africa, CHOSA ground team is always on the move, responding to new support requests and reaching out to new and innovative community projects in the communities we already serve. Here are a few examples of our outreach work in recent months:

• CHOSA has been building a relationship with Mrs. Mankayi, who runs the Qaqambane Safety Home in Khayelitsha for some time now, but we have not yet formalized a partnership with the center. In February, Mrs Mankayi was approached by officials from the government’s corporate inspection providers and instructed to comply with a number of complicated bureaucratic requirements within six months, or face closure! CHOSA has been assisting her efforts to comply with these requirements, while also helping her search for donors to finance a renovation that will be needed.
• Many of CHOSA’s long-time supporters will fondly remember, as we do, our involvement in supporting various township sporting projects. CHOSA continues to believe that children need to be supported not just to live, but to develop their many talents. Two exciting projects have recently caught our attention in this regard – SA Beware in Khayelitsha’s TT Informal Settlement and Stars of Today based in Kosovo section, in Philippi township. We are currently building relations with these projects and the communities that run them, and providing assistance where we can when asked:
• SA Beware is a community-run youth dancing and drama group that operates out of a ‘club house’ in TT which is a large shack originally built to be a crèche.  Though they are all Xhosa-speakers, they focus on traditional Setswana dances and plays about social issues such as ‘poverty’, ‘HIV’, etc.  They currently operate without any funding except for the money they raise amongst members of the group and a few limited donations from well-wishers. They are now trying to open up a crèche as well. Most recently SA Beware took part in CHOSA’s most recent youth networking event on September 10^th, entitled “Phakama Nenze! Stand up against abuse!” The talented children showcased their dance skills for community members attending the event, and also participated in a dance competition at the end of last month.
• Stars of Today is also a youth group with a primary focus on dancing and drama, as well as Sunday Debate Sessions where they debate and discuss socio-political issues that affect their communities.  The founder of the group, Thandi (who is now the treasurer), has also set up a soup kitchen for children in the area which gets left-over food from a nearby Spar Supermarket.  She is currently also fostering a number of the children in the group who live in her home. The group involves a large number of youth from the community and a group of active parents who are fostering this ‘youth leadership’. Stars of Today had their official 2011 launch at last month’s networking event, and ran a small workshop on abuse on October 7. We look forward to hearing more from this dynamic group!