Empower South African Women Fighting Child Poverty

The holiday season has arrived, and here in Cape Town, we are also celebrating the end of a phenomenal school year! The children at the preschools and children's homes with whom we partner are the reason we exist, and we are excited to be marking this special time of year with graduation ceremonies, outings, and other celebrations. Here's a snippet of what we've been up to and what we're thankful for during this season of love, family, and gratitude.

• All three of our preschools are currently celebrating their "graduates" as they prepare to move on to Grade R (Kindergarten)! Ubuhle Babantwana just held a graduation ceremony 2 weeks ago for their 10 students who are moving ahead. Blessings Educare is preparing to celebrate their 37 graduates on December 1st. QQ Section preschool took a special year-end field trip to Cape Town's famed V&A Waterfront to congratulate their littles ones on a job well done. All three of these projects look forward to welcoming precious new students in the new year, thanks to the support of our donors.
• This month also marks the end of a successful first year for Molo Mhlaba, the STEM-focused elementary school founded by our partners, Thope Foundation. We are proud to lend our support to this one-of-a-kind all-girls school in Khayelitsha, which educated 38 pre-K girls in its first year.
• The children's homes with whom we partner continue to thrive as well. Two of the older girls at Bathandwa began serving as assistant teachers in the township this year, after graduating high school. Through this opportunity, they have received funding for college and have registered for the 2019 school year! 

We are grateful for your support in making all of this happen, and we'd like to share with you a few other things that our staff, our partners, and the children we serve are thankful for during this holiday season.

• I am thankful for Molo Mhlaba, it’s a school for little girls. I am thankful for Rethabile, the founder, for opening the girls school. We are very very thankful. — Nasiwe, teacher at Molo Mhlaba
• My senses at work, my eyes I use to look and see all the pretty things that surround me. My ears to catch each tiny sound we make and the sound that is all around. My tongue can talk, can taste, can sing about each wonderful new thing. My finger can point, my hand can touch, my nose can smell.” — Pre-K student at Blessings Educare
• I’m thankful for being alive. And I’m thankful to my team for supporting me. And I’m thankful to the projects for allowing us to work with them and I’m thankful for CHOSA to give me this opportunity. Last but not least, I’m thankful to my father for being a mother and father to me, to raise this wonderful person, me!” — Zukie, CHOSA staff
• I am thankful for being a teacher of Kindergarten kids because they are very nice, they are humble kids and I love them because there is more potential I can get from them. They are very friendly and they are good listeners actually. I love them too much.” — Nonkosazana, teacher at Blessings Educare 

Check out our Thankfulness video to hear more voices from Cape Town! All the best to you and yours during this festive season.

Links:

• CHOSA's Thankfulness video