In May 2008, Open Box contributed towards Women for Peace, a community upliftment organisation based in Mfuleni whose mission is to empower women, youth and children to take charge of their lives and destinies. This was accomplished by providing skills training in domains such as education, recreation, and employment. The organisation has operated since 1986 and is South Africa’s first multicultural, non-governmental women's organisation.
Women for Peace provides a variety of after school programs for Mfuleni’s youth such as ballroom dancing, soccer, choir, drama, life skills, homework supervision, arts and crafts, vegetable gardening, and many more. In order to ensure that children stay off the streets and out of gangs, Open Box sponsored the construction of the ballroom as well as a soccer programme in 2008. This gives children the opportunity to be involved in positive, well-supervised pursuits with an impact that goes well beyond recreation. Young people gain important skills and become engaged with adult mentors who can help them make the most of their lives and give back to their community.
The ballroom dancing team has competed in five local competitions since the program began, and has garnered a total of 58 trophies, 56 medals and more than 130 diplomas. In addition to the competitions, four of the senior dancing couples attend weekend training to eventually qualify as certified dance trainers.
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The four Kicking for Peace soccer teams practice four times a week and recently entered the quarterly Kicking for Peace soccer tournament.In the boys division, the team from Guguletu took first place and brought hom the trophy. A fundraising tournament hosted in Mfuleni on the 1st October 2008 was a huge success. Its aim was to recruit more children to join the Women for Peace afternoon program, as well as educate the children’s parents to better understand, and therefore support, the afternoon programs.
The youth development program also supports the organisation’s outreach to adults in Mfuleni. When children become involved in after-school activities, their mothers, grandmothers, or foster parents also become involved with Women for Peace. In this way we strengthen families and communities.
Masakhane Educare Centre in Masiphumelele is an NGO with a support structure of sponsors, volunteers and fundraisers. Originally operating out of a dilapidated bungalow and discarded shipping containers, this organisation was started as a care centre in 1992 by the local inhabitants. As a gift to Nelson Mandela on his 85th birthday, the Rotary Club of Good Hope lent assistance to this grassroots initiative by acquiring land and building a new centre with proper facilities for children.
The school provides a stable base for children living in difficult circumstances. Each child receives a daily school meal (often the only meal for some of the children) and a structured routine in an otherwise insecure world. The centre aims to prepare the children for the modern world school system, so that they can start their school career on an equal footing with children from more privileged families.
In addition to looking after 120 children, the school runs an outreach program in the local community. This initiative reaches children that are not able to attend school by going into homes and teaching parenting and safety skills. In 2008, Open Box funded the entire annual budget for this outreach program. http://www.masakhane.net/
In 2008, Open Box made a contribution towards another worthy cause, the Green Curtain Preschool situated in the Atlantic Heights area of Ocean View. The school accommodates around 80 children who are cared for by 5 staff members. Recently, the school moved out of the containers and shacks (that it had been housed in for 12 years) into a beautiful building which had been built by the Cape Of Good Hope Rotary Club.