General Update

Just a little update of where TransCape is at.

Health:

HIV/AIDS:
We send you a few proposals in the last few months as far as our HIV/AIDS program are concerned.
o Funding Proposal Home Based Care
o Nyandeni Prevention Team
o TransCape HIV/AIDS Program 2009-2011 (short)
o TransCape detailed proposal for HIV/AIDS Program

The first two was project specific and send out before the overall proposal because these projects are in a more critical state of funding need.
The third and fourth proposal both covers our holistic HIV/AIDS strategy for 2010-2011 and incorporates the projects proposed in the first two proposals. The short version is more meant for testing the interest of new donors.

Since Erin, our new HIV/AIDS coordinator and Nancy, our Home Based Care coordinator arrived, we have been working flat out at the new strategy and these proposals. We had meetings with all relevant government departments including Canzibe Hospital management and did participatory workshops with all stakeholders in the area, like the prevention team, the ARV unit staff, Papamani - the support group forum, support groups, Home Based Care groups and clinical staff. The outcomes of these meetings and workshops were incorporated into the new strategy.
It is built on everything we have been doing until now. It adds quality and consolidates what we have been doing but also shows how we can systematically expand the model to the whole Canzibe Hospital feeder area. It is the first time we are in a position to produce a holistic HIV/AIDS strategy. It incorporates all previous HIV/AIDS related projects like Wild Coast Theatre, Siyakhula, the support groups, Papamani and the ARV Unit.

We have grown a tree of which we believe the fruit will represent an HIV/AIDS controlled environment. Now, while this tree is still young, we need to nurture it and at the same time, systematically, start planting more of it through out the area.

Formulating the plan and from the plan the proposals, was also not an easy task. Between continuous power cuts, two laptops that decided they had enough and half of the team working at Canzibe and the other half at Mdumbi, it took me, Erin, Nancy, Caroline and Dominique almost three full weeks to get it done.

Even now if I visit Canzibe and I walk into the new volunteer accommodation, I have to wait to be seen by Erin or Nancy as they are continuously busy work shopping and meeting with all the relevant groups. At the moment we are selecting more members for the prevention team, working on two new performances, revaluating our prevention message, arranging VCT lay councillor trainings for the prevention team and Ward 22 Clinics and Siyakhula, work shopping the content of the community HIV/AIDS survey questionnaire and completing the two new HBC Groups, Philisa and Mdumbi, NPO applications.

So, everything is 100% on schedule with the new plan. We are even a few steps ahead of schedule. Just one little problem, we are quickly running out of HIV/AIDS funds. I would really like to ask your support at this time. Not only is it essential that we consolidate what we started, but there is still more than half of the Canzibe area that had hardly any attention. We are treating just over 1000 people at the moment but estimate at least 8000 more people in the area to be in need of treatment as we speak. This means that about 35 000 people in the Canzibe feeder area still don’t know that they are HIV positive.

Our new strategy is dynamic and can easily be adapted to different time lines, as long as we stick to the systematic line of areas and process of events. This means that we do not need the 5,7 million rand before we can continue, but that any little bit can contribute to the immediate next phases.

We can also break the proposal into smaller bits or separate the different aspect thereof if that would make fundraising easier for you. For instance, if you have contact with a donor that prefers to donate to constructing new buildings, we can easily adapt the proposal to only explain why we need 13 support group rondavels, 2 HBC offices, one new park home and 7 clinic rondavels to be built. Please let us know how we can assist you with any of this.

Other Health projects:

Hospital and Clinic Infrastructure:
o We have completed the renovation of the TB ward phase one. It is really impressive to see what a difference has already been made, especially the bathrooms.
o We are halfway with completion of dividing one of the doctor’s accommodation to create more accommodation for doctors.
o We hope to finish the ARV unit waiting area before the end of this year.
Next year we are planning the following:
o Upgrade the children play ground
o Renovate the nurses accommodation – proposal to be send shortly
o TB Ward phase two

Nokuphila and Children in Need programs are doing well

Education
Kathryn is taking a six month break. We recruited a new Education program coordinator called Dawn. We know Dawn already for 5 years. She has been living in rural Eastern Cape for almost 6 years and been involved with education in the area for the last three. She is extremely passionate about the area and education. Kath is in the prosess of handing over to her and at the same time involving Martelli and Dominique to help keep an eye.

I will ask Kath to send you an update on education before she leafs.

We have also done a lot of work in developing a consolidated approach to the whole of Mankosi education. Education has now five main strands: ECD (early childhood development) After School Enrichment, Youth development,, Adult Education and Scholarships. Please find attached the latest proposal (in case you haven’t received it) As for HIV/AIDS, please note that this overall proposal can be broken down into elements to help target specific donors. May I draw your attention to the fact that the Education Program will also need new funding within the next 6 months.

Microfinance
Going very well. Nancy, our new HBC coordinator, is helping Astrid out with the Mdumbi group which was started by Kerry. For 2010-2011 we plan to implement the microfinance program to all the Adult Support Groups in the new HIV/AIDS strategy focus area. We would need more start up funds for this.

Tourism
We are working hard at the Mdumbi and Lwandile Point projects. These are initiatives we already started in 2004 but takes a long time because of having to work through a lot of Government regulations. Dominique recently send the Lwandile proposal to you.
Both projects will function on the same basis, 50% shares to TransCape and 50% shares to the community which means 100% community benefits. This would also make it possible for some TransCape projects like education to become more sustainable, thus us being less dependant on funds from you.



Operational stuff

We were all so busy lately with project management and fundraising that things like our new web site and database had to wait. At last this week I had time for the database again. The database organises related information according to projects, funds, staff, community groups, geographical area and support. This way we could have all our info together and related. We are in the process of adding the data.
Bert Koning offered to help with the web site so I am very thankful for that. Soon you would be able to visit our website and have access to weekly updates in blogs of all TransCape projects, a TransCape events calendar and all our proposals and reports.
Arhan, a journalist volunteering for us, is busy working on ideas for a TransCape voice.
We are very grateful to all this help. We feel it very important that TransCape should be presented accurately and appropriately.


Other projects and activities would be covered in our new annual report which we hope to get done before end of January 2010.

Thank you very much for your continued support and please let me know if you need any further information.
Greetings and love,
Hyman
0027 (0)83 458 0423
hyman@transcape.org