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MYC ANNUAL REPORT2011

www.manziniyouthcare.com

INTRODUCTIONRESIDENTIAL HOMESEDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMESVOCATIONAL TRAINING / MICROFINANCELIFE SKILLS PROGRAMMESINCOME GENERATING PROJECTSVOLUNTEERSEXPENDITUREORGANISATIONAL PROFILEDONOR LISTCONTACT US

CONTENTS

MYC ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Director’s Foreword

Having spent some eighteen months on my poor man’s semi sabbatical, I have had occasion to refl ect on the thirty four years of Manzini Youth Care’s life and times. In those thirty four years Manzini and Swaziland have changed dramatically, the Youth of Manzini and Swaziland have changed equally dramatically and there is urgent need for the Care we are extending to our young people to be changed dramatically.

The 70s saw a marked increase in the number of young people arriving on the streets of Manzini. The economic euphoria of the independence 60s was wearing thin and the many social and educational aspirations of a young population were not being realised. Here lie the seeds of the growing disappointing economic downturns of the 80s, aggravated by the awaiting HIV tsunami which was about to swamp the entire nation in the 90s. This accumulation of misfortunes can be expressed in the single statistic recently released – 64% of the population aged 15 – 24 are unemployed. Our present youthful population is growing up in an increasingly dysfunctional environment. With the basic security of family gone for many, the threat of aids menacing every boy meets girl relationship, the national life expectancy a death sentence at thirty two years, a growing, unexpressed youthful anger is inevitable.

Manzini Youth Care’s core objective must now be the ever growing group of youth most damaged by these social evils. In our urban environment the life skills of the past are no longer adequate to meet the challenges of today. The deeper roots of their Swazi identity need to be strengthened, the traditional culture that nourishes the spirit of their Swazi souls needs new growth. The two major components in our new approach will be a culturally orientated life skills programme and a more developed self employment syllabus in our technical training centres.

Our elders need to face up to the question, “Have we let our youth down?” We often hear the elders say that our youth are the future of our country. Given our present age statistics it would seem that our youth are no longer the future but the present of our country.

We appeal to all those ever so faithful believers in this work of Manzini Youth Care, this year thirty four years old, to continue to support this urgent cause for the future of Swaziland.

Father Larry McDonnell sdb


INTRODUCTION


RESIDENTIAL HOMESThe main objective of the Social Welfare Department is providing quality care and support to children, andworking closely with the children’s families. Within this objective is the idea of preserving family relationships of young people, and, wherever possible, restoring those which have been damaged or lost.

Reunifi cation Exercise With the above objective in mind, 2011 saw the implementation of the reunifi cation programme. The idea was to identify families for the young people if they are still there, and establish a relationship, so that by the end of the year they will be reunited. Three Social Workers were involved in the programme and they ensured that children got the chance to spend a lot more time with their family.

Success stories The programme saw seven young people being successfully reunifi ed with their families. Two were girls and fi ve were boys. Four were reunited with grandparents, one with their biological parents, and two with siblings. The Social Welfare team is in constant contact with the families of the reunifi ed children, and school fees and uniform requirements will be provided for these children up until they fi nish school.

Challenges The biggest challenge to the reunifi cation programme was among other things, the poverty. Some families were surviving on grants from government, and it was diffi cult to take the children back to those conditions. Another challenge was the absence of family, the death of family members most probably related to the HIV/Aids pandemic. In cases where children hadn’t been in contact with family members for a long period of time, adjusting to the family set up was very diffi cult, such cases needed more time.

Target groupChildren suitable for integration in our programmes are street children, and these are found on street night visits conducted every fortnight on Thursdays from 7-9pm. We target children who are below the age of 14. Once they are placed with us a care plan will be made which will be used up until the child exits the organisation. In 2011 twelve children were identifi ed and seven were placed within our homes, fi ve were reunifi ed with family as their cases did not warrant them to be in residential care.

At the beginning of the year there were a total of 98 children in the homes. 24 at Enjabulweni, 21 at Sikhunyana, 11 at Zakhele, 12 at Ngwane Park and 30 at McCorkindales.


RESIDENTIAL HOMES

Six children, mostly from Ngwane Park, fi nished their school or course and left in March 2011. This was done following the Exit Policy which stipulates that when a young person fi nishes a course, they are given three months to prepare before they leave residential care. Of the six, four had graduated from Likusasa, our vocational training facility, and two had fi nished high school and they had been enrolled in one of the universities. As the numbers dropped down, boys from Ngwane Park were combined with those at Sikhunyana, and Ngwane Park was closed. Zakhele also saw some of the boys moved to the other homes, so it was left with fewer boyss.

Taking into consideration six boys who left, seven who were reunifi ed and seven who were placed in care, the numbers ended up at ninety two children by end of the year. Children in the homes were provided with a variety of activities including sports programmes sponsored by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Marimba music coordinated by volunteers, and many other smaller games played in the homes.

Staff in the departmentThe Social Welfare started 2011 with three Social Workers and these were very instrumental in the programmes that were started and implemented in the year. The homes saw the closing of Ngwane Park and partially for Zakhele, which meant the number of houseparents went down to 12 from 18.

2013 ExpectationsThe Government Social Welfare Department has launched Standard Guidelines for residential care operations and we would be grateful if more training will be afforded to our staff so that we are able to meet the requirements. Areas of interest will be care and support, dealing with children with diffi cult behaviours, child development, dealing with drug and alcohol abuse issues, just to name a few.To meet the requirements of Government Guidelines we also need support in the maintenance of our facilities, getting lockers for children and any other infrastructure needing attention.An additional member of staff is also needed in the Social Welfare offi ce with a background in youth work or any other related fi eld.The Social Welfare bakkie needs attentionWe need to provide fi nancial resources for children who would want to go home on holidays so that we are able to keep the family in contact more.

We would like to thank once again volunteers from, Austria, Germany, America, Ireland, Norway, Britain, all the local shops like Pick and Pay and Shoprite, and local people who help us with donations and support that comes to our children.

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EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

ENJABULWENI BRIDGING SCHOOL

SANDRINI CENTRE

PRE-SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE

Education is and has always been recognised by MYC as one of the pillars to raising the children under its care and giving them the best opportunities for building an independent future. The Bridging School gives crucial support to children over the age of ten, living in poverty, unable to pay the cost of school fees in Swaziland with no or little educational background. The seedling nursery and fi sh pond sponsored by the Sunderland School and by the Salesian Mission in Bonn are still in full operation, allowing students from grade four upwards to participate in daily gardening training. In addition, students benefi t from extra fresh vegetables and fi sh.

In 2011 the Bridging school taught 380 students, of which only 340 were able to complete the year due mostly to family illnesses related to HIV/AIDS. However, 33 students did achieve their Swazi Primary Certifi cate and we hope for an even higher number next year. The School has been expanding with children fl ocking to classes, so too have its grounds. The students profi ted from cultural and linguistic exchange with a large number of foreign teaching volunteers who visited the school. During the fi rst semester of the year, a special literacy and numeracy programme was implemented in which all courses focused particularly on interactive learning, mathematics and English.

The Sandrini Centre is an integral part of the MYC educational programme, designed to rehabilitate and prepare children just recently taken into care, to join the Bridging School. Considering the traumatic history of the children, the psychological effects make this process particularly challenging. The Centre receives continual support from social welfare and volunteers to create a caring environment. In addition, the Sandrini Centre also provides remedial support to children with learning diffi culties. From the 20 children admitted last year to the Sandrini classes, only two have remained and the rest have all ‘graduated’ to join the Bridging School.

One of only three Pre-School Teacher Training Centers (PTTC) in Swaziland, the PTTC Centre has been running for eleven years and is a much needed source of improving standards of education. Led by a highly experienced trainer, the project successfully passed all 32 students who attended last year’s classes. The programme is a government approved, one year full-time course with modular examinations and rewarded with a Pre-School Teacher Certifi cate. The Training Center works hand in hand with the pre-school next door, which educated 35 local children last year from underprivileged backgrounds. We had volunteers from Austria whose contribution was invaluable.


EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

Manzini Youth Care has supported children through their education for years. Without these bursaries many of the children simply would not be able to afford to go to school. Students are selected through a careful application process and assessment. If successful, 80% of their educational costs are provided for. The remaining 20% is covered by the children’s guardian, allowing them to maintain responsibility over their child’s education. In 2011 thanks to generous donations from the Solon Foundation, Swazi Legacy and various generous individuals, we were able to offer bursaries to 221 children attending Primary and Secondary/High Schools. We were working with 63 schools around the country, mostly from Manzini region.

In 2009 MYC introduced the Reserve Fund. Whereas before MYC could only offer children a bursary covering 80% of the school fees, now a full bursary could be granted in case of diseased parents, a sick caregiver or other conditions making it impossible to raise the other 20% of the school fees. As a result, there was a higher success rate of students passing their classes compared to previous years.

In 2012, MYC together with Solon Partners will explore the option to fundraise for other needs which enlarge the Reserve Fund as a percentage of the total Solon grant in order to cater for Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

The CEDPA project, funded by the Center for Population and Development Activities (CEDPA) in the U.S.A., has completed its third pilot year and has achieved excellent results. CEDPA again selected girls and boys from six primary schools around the Manzini Region between the ages of 10 – 14, as these were considered most at risk and to be primary victims of abuse. A further 30 facilitators were trained to guide the girls and boys through the ‘Life Skills’ curriculum, which ran four times a week after school. The curriculum consisted of 14 modules adapted to suit the needs of this specifi c group. Topics included puberty and reproductive health, gender-based violence, healthy peer and family relationships, communication skills and the environment.

By the end of the year, 720 girls and boys had successfully completed the programme with dramatic results. It was widely observed that the girls and boys had not only improved in their academic attitude, but also in their social behaviour. The girls and boys had noticeably gained greater confi dence and had become more self-assured. The programme even continued outside the curriculum with drama and singing activities. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, the project closed on the 15th December 2011.

MYC SOLON BURSARY SCHEME

CEDPA


BOSCO SKILLS CENTRE

BOSCO STUDY CENTRE BUSINESS & COMPUTER

This project was originally set up in 1992 to tackle the high unemployment rate in Swaziland. By offering selected tradesmen workshop facilities and allocating each with three to four apprentices, the combination of trainer and trainee is mutually benefi cial; the one party receiving expert knowledge and the other profi ting from labour at relatively low cost. MYC interviewed and chose 11 skilled craftsmen giving them a three year contract with a minimal service charge, which includes a small allowance for the trainees. The workshops include: metal work, carpentry, refrigeration, electrical, sewing, auto electrics, printing, panel beating, motor mechanics, upholstery and small appliance electrical. The trainees receive practical training for two years and may then test for the Trade Test Certifi cate in SCOT (Swaziland College of Technology) and acquire Grade III Certifi cate which enables them to apply for jobs in big companies or become self employed. This group of students concentrates mostly in practicals as 78% of them are illiterate. Over 49 trainees participated in 2011. 28 of them were in their 1st year and 21 of them were in their 2nd year. MYC has introduced a theoretical element into the training, with students taking basic business classes at the Bosco Study and Business Centre making sure that students not only learn the skills but also have the business know-how to launch their own enterprises.

The Bosco Study Centre was originally set up in 1993 offering students the chance to ‘upgrade’ their end of school results, to fulfi l minimum entry requirements for universities and colleges. In 2011 the centre also targeted Form 3 because there was a need to improve their examination grades and acquire credits so as to proceed to the next level of education. The Bosco Study Centre continues to offer low cost ‘upgrading’ courses in Maths, English, Biology, and Physics in Form 5. In Form 3 courses offered are English, Maths, Geography, Siswati, Religious Education, Science and Acc/Business Studies.

In 2011, 355 students attended the Bosco Study Centre for upgrading Forms 3 and 5. The Centre offered IT, Secretarial and Accounting & Finance in Business and Computer Centre recruiting, in six to twelve month courses. All courses are recognised by City & Guilds, the Institute for Commercial Management UK and the London Centre of Marketing or the Association of Accounting Technicians. The Business courses have shown tremendous popularity, even in its third year and raised considerable attention in local newspapers and radio stations.


VOCATIONAL TRAINING / MICROFINANCE

LIKUSASA LIFE SKILLS CENTER

YES / EU SHELTER WORKSHOPS

The vast majority of children in Swaziland are never able to complete their secondary education or even primary education. The Likusasa Life Skills Center, set up in 1993, targets young marginalised people that dropped out of primary or secondary school education. The majority of these youths are left with no form of academic qualifi cation, come from poor backgrounds and are unable to fi nd employment.

The Center offers a wide range of vocational courses: metal work, carpentry, catering, sewing, electrical and plumbing. These are one year full-time courses with a strong emphasis on practical training. In consideration of students’ backgrounds, the course fees are only a quarter of the price usually charged outside the center. At the end of the course, students who have shown exceptional talent are examined for the government approved Trade Test Certifi cate, providing them with commonly acknowledged accreditation and insuring they work for a certain minimum wage.

In 2011, 180 students enrolled in classes. The trainers also attended eight workshops facilitated by the Youth Enterprise Services project, coaching them in class preparation and teaching methodology. Due to Government Financial problems, the Trade Test did not take place in 2011.


VOCATIONAL TRAINING / MICROFINANCE

Funded through grants from the EU and Rotary Club International, the sheltered workshop project provides young would be entrepreneurs with an opportunity to gain business experience in both management and operations by running a business under guidance and training. Each of the 12 workshops is fi tted with basic equipment housing 2-3 future entrepreneurs with the same skill. This 12-month training workshop project also extends small micro-fi nance loans to each workshop for basic tools and materials.

In 2011, the YES project witnessed the graduation of 6 young aspiring entrepreneurs. Three of these were able to set up new formal businesses outside Likusasa Sheltered Workshops. This has made it possible for these young people to be able to fend for themselves, support their immediate families, and also create job opportunities for other young people. The practical entrepreneurship training programme offered by the YES project has instilled a positive self confi dence to their young stars, as they are now proud owners of small businesses.

LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMMES

With the support of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund grant for the Sports for Good Project, MYC was able to hold holiday programmes in the Don Bosco Sports Hall for both MYC and local children during school breaks. In 2011, more than 500 marginalized and poor children participated in life skills programmes, soccer tournaments, basketball and netball leagues and sports training sessions. Finals for the basketball and netball leagues took place in December with great enthusiasm and attendance by both boys and girls. The marginalised and poor youth also had access to the MYC music centre.

NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN’S FUND

Over 1,000 youth are served annually by the Bosco Youth Centre. Staffed mainly by international volunteers, Bosco youth and area youth participate in a wide range of activities including outdoor swimming in the newly renovated pool, soccer, basketball, netball, etc. Classes are also given in various musical instruments, singing, traditional dance, and art. The Centre is open Monday- Friday. During holidays and school vacations, comprehensive programmes in sports and athletics are offered and several tournaments are held. Developing youth leadership, good sportsmanship, team building, healthy living habits, and confl ict resolution are the corner stones of each activity and event. Because the Youth Centre is the largest hall in the area, the weekends often generate funds through rentals for weddings, conferences/workshops, and various local church events.

DON BOSCO YOUTH CENTRE AND SPORTS HALL


MYC CLINIC

PRINCE MAKHOSINI AWARDThe Prince Makhosini Award is a self-development programme for young people between 14 and 25 years of age, who have to undertake community service, skills, physical recreation and the adventurous journey. It is a Programme available to young people in over 135 countries world-wide, equipping them with skills to develop themselves and their communities and to have integrity and a sense of responsibility. They are expected to be actively involved in the 4 sections mentioned above within the set time frames and standards to be eligible for a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. This is in the form of a Badge and a Certifi cate of Achievement. The Award Programme is International and is commonly known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, or the International Award for young people.

Currently, the Award Programme is operating in 57 Schools, 2 homes for disadvantaged children (SOS - Nhlangano and Manzini Youth Care Homes), 2 Community Based groups and also in 3 Correctional service institutions. Over 3000 young people between the ages of 14-25 years are participating in the programme.

Since 2007, 106 young people under MYC have participated in the Award Programme, with some reaching the highest level; the Gold Award. Seven Boys achieved the Gold Level, and eleven children achieved the Bronze level, three girls and eight boys, all were from the McCorkindales House.

In 2011, there were about fi fteen to twenty patients on a daily basis. Most patients were suffering from infectious diseases and HIV opportunistic infection. Every Wednesday, we visited various houses in the community (to visit MYC boys) to inform and educate them about what they can do to avoid infection. There were two boys who were infected by tuberculosis. We monitored and treated the boys over 90 days and cured their illnesses completely. The clinic was able to provide daily injections for them, and today they are healthy and living well. We were happy to have a qualifi ed nurse volunteering with the clinic. She was tremendously helpful, and assisted with patients and organising the clinic. We encourage more volunteer involvement in the future, those qualifi ed in the medical fi eld or even those interested in medicine, to aid our clinic. We are continually giving out medication, yet our resources for are limited. We would love to expand our healthcare service provision, to include a Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center, and increase the treatment, care, and support we provide, but in order to do this, we desperately need more funds, so we can help the local Manzini community.


LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMMES

imbali collectionjacaranda collectionblack & white collection

IMVELO ESWATINI2011 was yet another exciting and fruitful year for Imvelo Eswatini. In keeping with our vision of ‘selling our products internationally, providing work opportunities for an increasing number of women as well as supporting them holistically in their personal development’, Imvelo Eswatini managed to increase its international customers base with 6 more international customers coming on board. At the end of the year we had 17 international customers and 35 South African customers. This increase in the number of customers made it possible for us to recruit more women. Three more women joined us and are very happy to be at Imvelo. Sadly in May, we lost one of our ladies Dudu Ngcampalala who had been ill for sometime.

Financially we had a profi table year and managed again to post a profi t at the end of the year. This is all because of the hard work of the ladies who sometimes worked overtime just to fi nish orders in time, the workshop management team also worked exceptionally hard to ensure that production runs smoothly.On product development, our product development team released a total of three new collections during the course of the year, namely the Jacaranda, the Black and white and the Imbali collection. These collections were well received by the customers and also contributed to an increase in sales. Our shop at Ngwenya Glass continues to do well and in 2011 we managed to give it a fresh new look, thanks to our creative team. We hope that Imvelo Eswatini continues to grow and plays its part in contributing to poverty alleviation and a better future for Swaziland.


INCOME GENERATING PROJECTS

Eswatini Kitchen (ESK) is a fair trade, HACCP certifi ed producer of natural gourmet food established in 1991. The range comprises sauces, chutneys, atchars, jams, marmalades and honey. In 2011 the business sold 207,000 units of products worth ZAR 3.1m, and provided employment to 41 Swazis, most of whom are single mothers from underprivileged communities. ESK supports small scale farmers from different parts of the country. The factory bought fruits and vegetables from 48 farmers in 2011. Over 200 rural women from impoverished communities weave baskets and a group of 8 disabled adults carve spoons for the gift packs that become delightful presentations of Eswatini Kitchen products.

In July 2011, the factory was certifi ed HACCP compliant. HACCP is a food safety management system that ensures we can supply the lucrative South African Market. The whole factory underwent an extensive (and expensive) factory makeover that was funded by MYC and the New Zealand Rotary Club. A male ablution block was constructed from scratch, old wooden doors were replaced with new aluminium doors and elbow operated taps were installed in strategic entry points as part of the HACCP implementation plan.To improve product consistency and working conditions in the cooking area, new burners were bought and an extracting unit installed. The safety of staff was improved with the rerouting of a gas pipe and a ‘kill switch’ installed to cut off gas supply in the event of a gas leak.

ESWATINI KITCHEN HONEY



Established in 2007, Eswatini Kitchen Honey (ESKH) was set up to provide a livelihood for many poor young men and women in rural communities through beekeeping and trade in honey. Eswatini Kitchen Honey is marketing to all major outlets in Swaziland, producing 17 tonnes of honey in 2011.

2011 was a challenging year for ESKH due to lack of funding and an increase in foreign competitors. Unfortunately we were unable to provide any training, but have 300 aspiring beekeepers registered with us for when we can get our training programme funded, and up and running again.

We are happy to report a success story from one of our 2007 trainees, Mbuso Fakudze. When Mbuso was picked for training he had no other source of income, after training in ‘Introduction to Beekeeping and Hive management,’ he is now extension offi cer for ESKH and trainee Trainer, and has his own Apiary of 35 hives.

ESWATINI KITCHEN


Each year, volunteers from all over the world arrive at Manzini Youth Care. Volunteers come for 2 weeksto a whole year. During the past year, volunteers came from Austria, Germany, the United States, England, Ireland, Norway, Finland and the Czech Republic.

Volunteers taught in our pre-school, Sandrini Centre, Bridging School, and Enjabulweni Primary School.. Others worked as social welfare advocates with the residential boys and the orphans at McCorkindale, or tutored the residential boys two evenings per week. Some volunteers lent their hands in repairing furniture, house painting and decorating, indoor painting, planting fl ower and vegetable gardens. A few taught handicrafts and musical instruments.

But best of all, the volunteers were there for the youth, enlivening them with caring and love...eager to assist and be a big brother and sister to their Swazi brothers and sisters. The children and youth will always remember the kindness and willingness to help them as they face the challenges before them.

We thank the volunteers for their dedication, love, and caring. Without their presence, MYC would not be the instrument of hope for these, the least of our children.

VOLUNTEERS

Auditor’s Renumeration 28 000,00 Bosco Hall Expenses 29 751,00 Bosco Music Centre 11 625,00 Bank Charges 71 218,00 Enjabulweni Bridging Expenses 33 271,00 Bursary Community 351 246,00 Cleaning Expenses 4 436,00 Computer Expenses 6 232,00 Depreciation 143 349,00 Donations 2 000,00 Employee costs 1 211 143,00 Insurance 30 970,00 Legal Fees 1 500,00 MYC Home and Orphanage expense 343 849,00 Medical expenses 53 003,00 Motor Vehicle expenses 94 833,00 Offi ce supplies 14 265,00 Printing and Stationery 12 032,00 Repairs and Maintanance 142 901,00 Security 10 605,00 Staff Training 11 740,00 Telephone, Fax and postage 52 910,00 Utilities 4 864,00

TOTAL 2 665 743,00

EXPENDITURE

Rental Income 225 506,00 Donation Income 1 619 564,00 Interest Received 2 814,00

TOTAL 1 847 884,00

INCOME


MYC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2011

MYC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MANAGING DIRECTOR

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

FINANCE MANAGER


EDUCATION

PRODUCTION MANAGER

BUSINESS ENTERPRISETRAINING

HEAD TEACHER

IMVELO ESWATINI

ESWATINIHONEY

ESWATINIKITCHEN

BOSCO BUSINESS

CENTRE MANAGER

EU YESENTERPRISELIKUSASA

BOSCO SKILLS


ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

DONOR LIST GRANT LISTDiakonia UniversityBonn MissionSalesian CommunitySwaki InvestmentChris EllisFather Larry McDonnellTelluride Aids Benefi tsImvelo EswatiniAllison DeluiseFather John ThompsonThemba KhumaloIrish AccountEnglish AccountMathias MehlwitzAnna PortzMore FSH AdventureMadelyne NewmanHolly ChildhoodSwazi LegacySt Anthony’s Girls

Solon FoundationBreadline AfricaCEDPAGerman BonnRector MajorNew ZealandBoost Charitable

Manzini Youth Care (MYC) is grateful to the following for their generous help and support throughout the past year

For more information about MYC, and MYC Projects, or if you would like to donate or become a volunteer, please contact the Development Manager at [email protected] or visit our website: www.manziniyouthcare.com


DONORS

MANZINI YOUTH CARE (MYC)Southern Distributor RoadP.O. Box 3700Manzini, SwazilandTel: +268 2505 6963Web: www.manziniyouthcare.com

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