For this event, Ubuntu Africa Child Healthcare welcomed young professionals from the Cape Town area, including representatives from the international NGOs Grassroot Soccer and Mothers2Mothers.

More than 200 raffle rickets were sold thanks to the following generous sponsors:

• Dodge City Diner
• Dear Me
• Addis in Cape
• Casa Labia
• &Union

The amount raised during this evening will go towards the newly established Child Material Aid Fund. This fund will ensure that all of our children will go back to school with the adequate shoes, uniforms, and school supplies in January 2012.

Thank you to all of those who attended this event and for your continued support! We look forward to many more events in Cape Town to further expand the reach of our organization in support of the HIV-positive children of Khayelitsha.

Buy your tickets here.

When I arrived in Cape Town, I distinctly remember driving over the highway for the first time and seeing the sea of shanty homes engulfing the horizons beside me. My initial reaction was shock and horror. From my American, suburban perspective, this way of living was incomprehensible, and I felt an immediate sense of sadness.

Thinking about the way I felt that first day, a short three months later, seems very distant. My feelings and views on life in townships have changed quickly and dramatically, and much of that is due to my direct involvement and work with Ubuntu Africa in Khayelitsha.

Part of what drew me to study abroad in Cape Town was the opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community that would be my home for the semester. I knew, even before I knew anything else about South Africa, that I wanted to feel like I would be studying and living here for a reason other than a simple travel and study experience. Ubuntu Africa is helping me do that in a way that I could have never imagined.

Although I only come to the office two days a week, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of the smiling faces I see here and the positive direction that their lives are headed. Though I am fully aware of the kids’ home lives and positive HIV status, in no way does this define their identity for me. Instead, I look forward to Wednesday afternoons because I get to hear the laughter and see the joy of a large group of genuinely happy and extremely lucky children.

The work at Ubuntu Africa is inspiring, to say the least. The staff is fully engaged in maintaining and improving the lives of each of their children. Each person working in the office is always available to lend a hand, and take on someone else’s role in order to help and run a smooth operation. Some mothers of the children have even come in to cook for the children when the regular cook could not make it.

Now when I think of Khayelitsha, I think of a strong community of individuals. The kids I have met and interact with on a weekly basis are full of smiles and fun. They are beautiful, grateful, and engaging children who have bright futures ahead of them. Thanks to Ubuntu Africa, these kids will have the education and care that they need to live the lives they are destined to live, without letting any obstacles get in their way.

Take a moment to read her fascinating blog here!

Anything Is Better Than Doing Nothing At All

By Martha Handler

Every week I write an inspirational quote on our kitchen blackboard, hop- ing my kids will ponder the wise words of famous individuals, because they mostly ignore my own sage advice. Recently, the quote was: “Imagine what you can do, if you don’t know you can’t.” A few days later, my 16-year-old son asked, “What does that mean?” As I thought about how to answer him, the face of Whitney Johnson floated before my eyes.

Our paths first crossed in 2006, when Whitney was 22. My friend, Doni Belau, had heard Whitney speak at St. Matthew’s Church in Bedford for an event titled “Teen AIDS Awareness Day.” She phoned me later to say, “There’s an extraordinary girl that you have to meet.” Soon Whitney was in my home, keeping me spellbound with her tale. She was (and is) gorgeous, with long blond tresses and luminous green eyes. She is also poised and fiercely impassioned – a heady combination for a 22-year-old.

While she was a psychology student at Colorado College, the Bedford resident spent a year abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. During that time, she volunteered in an orphanage in Khayelitsha – a severely impoverished township out- side of Cape Town that is home to around 1.5 million people living in shacks made of tin, wood and cardboard. The children, most of whom were HIV-infected, pulled her heartstrings, and when she left, she vowed that she’d return to help them.

After graduation, Whitney moved back to WestchesterCounty and began to spread the word about the children in Khayelitsha. Her dream was to start a nonprofit organization called Ubuntu Af- rica, whose mission would be to care for these children.

Whitney explained: “The combination of HIV and poverty has had a devastating impact on the children of South Africa. There are around 330,000 HIV-positive children living in South Africa and many live in extreme poverty, are malnourished, unable to access treatment, have been orphaned and have little social support. While issues surrounding HIV treatment and access to ARVs (HIV treatment) have come to the forefront of global-health policies, the very real challenges faced by HIV-positive children have been overlooked and many children are not receiving the care they need to survive.”

I asked her what the word “Ubuntu” meant and exactly what services she envisioned providing.

“Nelson Mandela explains that Ubuntu is ‘the profound African sense that we are human only through the humanity of other human beings,’” she said. “After witnessing the deaths of so many young people due to AIDS, I am not able to walk away and ignore the situation. For me, the Ubuntu is a call to compassionate action – an act of acknowledging that we are all connected.

Whitney Johnson with some of her young charges at Ubuntu Africa.

“Ubuntu Africa’s mission is to help HIV-positive children live long, healthy and happy lives. Children require more than sim- ply access to ARVs. They require comprehensive support and early interventions to improve their clinical situation and reduce risk factors associated with HIV infection. Ubuntu Africa will provide HIV-positive children and teenagers with health and support services and much needed love.”

When asked if she felt over-whelmed by their dire circumstances and multitude of needs, she shook her head.

“I understand that I can’t solve the entire HIV/AIDS crisis,” said Whitney, who had been a Red Cross volunteer and a medic for the nonprofit Nature’s Classroom. “But I do know that I can bring more love and caring into a very desperate situation and make an immediate difference in the lives of HIV-positive children. Anything is better than doing nothing at all.”

I wanted to argue with her, ex- plain how the odds were stacked against her, especially given her lack of experience and funds. But the confidence and determination she exuded made me feel certain that if anyone could make her dreams come true, it was Whitney.

Flash forward five years. Ubuntu Africa is running a successful HIV Care Program for children in Khayelitsha and has a staff of 12, including a new development director, a nurse and a social worker. The organization serves 186 children and their families and is poised to double in size over the next year.

Ubuntu Africa also plans to build a large facility in Khayelitsha to accommodate more children and meet the large and growing demand for its services. The organization has come a long way from its humble beginnings when it operated out of a tiny one-room container with no bathroom and 10 kids in its care.

Whitney, who lives in Cape Town, has fully embodied the word Ubuntu. Through her humanity of other human beings – and loads of determination and perseverance – she’s been able to achieve her dreams, enabling the

HIV-positive children Ubuntu Africa serves to attain health and happiness. It’s truly amazing what you can do when you don’t know you can’t.

Download a PDF of this article

Photograph by Rod Spicer

Whitney Johnson will be back in Westchester May 14 for Ubuntu Africa’s annual spring fundraising event. The fundraiser, which will take place at the Harvey School Arts Center in Katonah, honors singer-actress Vanessa Williams, a Chappaqua resident and supporter of Ubuntu Africa, who has visited its HIV Care Program.

For more details about the event or to purchase tickets, contact bgolde@ginnel.com. For more information on Ubuntu Africa, visit ubafrica.org.

Read the article here.

Read the article

During the Winter holiday, we took a break from our usual programming at UBA and organized several fun activities and excursions for the children. Despite living so near to the beautiful resources Cape Town offers, many of the children have not experienced life outside of Khayelitsha. We are excited to offer these opportunities through the generous donations of organizations around the Cape Town area. See some of the highlights below!

Hout Bay Cruise: We went to Hout Bay on a sunny day in June for a Drumbeat Seal Cruise. For many of the children it was their first time on a boat and they were extremely excited to be out on the ocean. We sailed out to the seal colony and around the bay and the children were amazed by the huge number of seals and their relaxed attitude!

World Cup Games: We were incredibly lucky to be given 35 tickets to 2 FIFA World Cup games at Cape Town stadium. We sat in a VIP suite with food, drinks and a perfect view over the field. The excitement was contagious as the children cheered and celebrated their favorite team. It was truly an inspiring day for us all.

Intaka Island: We were taken on a guided tour around Intaka Island, a bird sanctuary located just outside of Cape Town. The children were taught about taking care of the environment, using plants as medicine and how to preserve the ecologically important wetlands. We then went bird-watching and sailing on a canal, where all the children had a chance to steer the boat. Learning about the environment through first hand interaction was inspiring for the children, and we hope to return again.

Iziko museum: One day we visited the Bo-Kaap museum and the muslim community center in Cape Town. We believe it is important for the children to learn about the world’s different religions and cultures and Cape Town’s diverse neighborhoods and communities offer many opportunities right here.

Cape Town Planetarium: We visited the Cape Town Planetarium, where the children learned about our solar system. The tickets included a movie, in the children’s own Xhosa language, where “Jimmy the Dragon” explained about the planets.

Maritime museum: We visited the Maritime Museum at the V&A waterfront, were we learned about different kinds of ships, including some that were used in battle!

The world cup has also brought several visitors to the center. Every opportunity to share the Ubuntu Africa experience is good for the organization. No one could help but be moved by the children, their circumstances and the impact the organization is making. Often visits end up in some form of involvement with UBA – as mine did.

On the other hand, winter brings rain and cold weather. So the living conditions of the children are even more challenging than usual – the shacks that they and their families live in flood and are cold and damp. The need for a new Ubuntu facility also becomes increasingly evident at this time of year. The offices and area for the children are cold and drafty and the roof over the toilet leaks and drips on the kids’ heads. And as more children are referred to Ubuntu, capacity is challenging when the kids can’t spill outdoors due to rain and cold.

Sometimes when I am creating a power point organizational chart or combing through the annual revenue figures, it is easy to become absorbed in that one task and forget the bigger picture. I try to step back now and then and refocus on what UBA is trying to accomplish and how I am helping the organization move towards that goal. How can I help the organization become more efficient, so it may more quickly and sustainably reach its goals of a new center, broader programs, more children? While each individual task I do might not seem important, I believe an effective organizational structure can do a lot to further UBA’s mission. It is exciting to realize than an MBA can prepare one for a huge range of jobs, including supporting the great mission of a non-profit organization that supports HIV positive children in Africa.

This Week at Ubuntu Africa

So working at Ubuntu Africa is a little different than working at Lehman Brothers. We are working out of two makeshift offices, shared by about 10 of us, within an old church. It is winter here, so quite cold, and there is no heating (well, there is really no heating anywhere in Cape Town!). I wear big rubber boots with wool socks and several layers of fleece to the office. My heels and suit wouldn’t stand a chance here! But while typing away on this entry, a little boy, Qatelo, wandered in to say hello. He looked at us and giggled and asked to sit on Whitney’s lap for a while. His little smile and beautiful eyes are amazing and honestly lit up the cold, rainy day.

This week has really been about learning about Ubuntu Africa and meeting the amazing staff at the center. What has struck me about this organization is the incredible complexity of running even a small organization like UBA. Everyone on the team goes above and beyond to do everything from develop programming for the kids, plan and create nutritious meals, raise funds here and abroad, network with potential partner organizations, collaborate with the government, and manage the day to day operations at the center. The entire staff knows each of the 75 children in the program and makes great efforts to fully understand the condition that each child lives in – the type of home, who is caring for them, is there enough food, are they attending the program regularly. Right now the kids are on their winter break from school for the next month or so, but they will still come to the center and the staff have planned some great excursions for the kids around Cape Town. The trips include surfing and visits to a nearby theme park, bird sanctuary, planetarium, and various museums in the area.

Outside of work, of course it is all about World Cup! The city is overrun with vuvuzelas, flags, scarves, hats, and Bafana Bafana shirts. The excitement and energy here is truly remarkable and absolutely contagious. And with the excitement of the World Cup, the world is more focused on the general state of South Africa than ever. Recent reports from publications such as the Economist highlight the incredible challenges the country faces: poverty, healthcare, education, violence. According to the Economist, the blame for the high level of violence in South Africa “is variously put on the brutal legacy of apartheid, widespread poverty, appalling levels of unemployment, the absence of a father in two out of three black homes, high alcohol and drug abuse, and extremes of inequality”. To me, reading about these challenges emphasized the importance of UBA’s services. Particularly in a region like Khayelitsha, where poverty and violence are the norm, vulnerable children may not have another opportunity outside of UBA to experience consistent love, build self esteem and learn ways to express themselves beyond the violence and hardship they witness in their community. What an amazing thing to be a part of.

Introduction

I arrived in Cape Town just about a week ago, after recently completing my first year at Yale School of Management. I entered Yale SOM this past August after nearly 6 years working in the financial sector in New York. I was looking for a change, but wasn’t sure what my next step would be.

I first met Whitney and the UBA staff in March 2010. I was in Cape Town with some friends and we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the center. After meeting the kids in the program, it is impossible to not respond to their energy and to not want to be involved in some way. After several conversations with Whitney, I realized there was actually an immediate and tangible way for me to be involved with the organization and maybe this was the next step I was looking for.

UBA is at a major transition point as an organization. Through Whitney and her team’s incredible dedication and focus over the past few years, UBA has become a reality, with a center and staff that provides desperately needed services to 75 kids in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Through impressive relationship building and fundraising efforts, UBA is at a point where it can increase its Khayelitsha offerings, and begin to expand its services into other South African communities. Land has been provided by the government for a brand new facility and generous donations have provided the capital required to build. I hope this summer I can provide some insight both from my background in the financial sector and my first year of business school to UBA as it establishes systems to support its next phase of growth.