Fundraising in Limerick

Ballyneety Foroige (Youth Club) are one of the many groups whose fundraising has helped people affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Here John of Soweto Connection receives a cheque from the group.

Working with Community-Based Organisations in South Africa

Soweto Connection currently funds six community-based groups in South Africa. We help them to deliver services and support to people affected by HIV/AIDS, and we were able to set up regular monthly payments to two of them for the care and education of orphans.

One of the groups, the Inkanyezi HIV/AIDS Programme, operates in Orange Farm, which is an informal settlement outside Johannesburg. Many parts of Orange Farm have no infrastructure, no place where young people can get a decent job. Many 20 year olds have spent the last 4 or 5 years caring for AIDS patients for just a stipend. Some have been chosen for further training in Inkanyezi, where the patients get medical help, but most of them need further assistance if they are one day to support their own families.

: Tshidiso Mokoena with his father

Thanks to regular standing orders to Soweto Connection, several families in Thulumtwana are now getting regular support. One such family is that of Tshidiso Mokoena. His parents only discovered that they were all HIV positive when he was born in 2001. They struggled for a few years and then came to Inkanyezi for help in 2005. Inkanyezi have supported them since then and now Tshidiso is going to school thanks to Soweto Connection.

Mr. Mokoena has also been able to start a small garden in which he grows radish, spinach, carrots, onions and other vegetables. He is now able to put some food on the table for his family.

: Day Care Centre in Tshepisong, funded by Soweto Connection

The Power of Women and Children (PWC), which is another South African partner of Soweto Connection, completed the building of its new day care centre for orphans recently. Soweto Connection secured a grant from Irish Aid to begin the project, and continued to fund the work up to its completion.

The Day Care Centre is used to deliver pre-school education and other essential services to HIV/AIDS orphans, to provide essential services to HIV/AIDS patients, and to make skills training and counselling available to women in the community.