“Today they live in our world. Tomorrow we live in theirs.”

Inside this issue

• Letter from the general manager: Riaan Swanepoel
• General Noah news
• Donor corner: Noah’s pillar of strength
• Graduation ceremonies: Primary School here we come!
• Christmas festivities: Bringing the festivities to Arks around Gauteng and KZN
• Muldersdrift Ark extreme makeover: Hay House celebrating the life of Louise Hay, a living legend
• Two Oceans Marathon 2009
• Stories from the ground

Letter from the general manager

Noah’s focus in 2009 is on strengthening our community committees and the role of the volunteers. Without the dedication of the committees and volunteers Noah Arks would not be able to assist communities in caring for the more than 30,000 children made vulnerable by the AIDS pandemic.

In 2008 Noah expanded our services and reached more children with better quality interventions. Our communities have been provided with the support and safety net they have required as economic pressures became more difficult and as the scale of the orphan crisis increased.

I have been a part of the Noah Network of Care for only a short time but already I have learned much about how Noah cooperates with corporate, government and individual partners to bring relief to children at risk. My first day at Noah 3 months ago seems like only yesterday. The amount of energy and the drive of the Noah network of Arks, employees, volunteers, donors and most importantly children is extremely inspiring. As the new General Manager of this incredible organization I am humbled by the work that is done every day.

Today we are still in a position to make a choice if we want to be part of a network that can address the challenges of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. I challenge you to become part of our Noah network and make a difference today. Remember – today they live in our world – tomorrow we will live in theirs.

Always with best of regards,

RIAAN SWANEPOEL

Noah General Manager

General Noah news

Noah continues to provide services to over 30,000 children across Gauteng and KZN. With the support of our donors and partners, we continue the essential training, support and programmes we have seen benefit our Arks since our inception. In recent months Noah has welcomed new Members to our Board of Directors and we wish them a long and inspiring tenure. Noah has also undergone restructuring at management level with the introduction of an Executive Committee made up of Directors working closely with the General Manager to guide Noah through the year ahead.

We welcome the following members to the Noah Board:

• Mr Alan Knott-Craig
• Dr Dudu Kunene
• Dr Naledi Moyo-Ndwandwe
• Mr Geoff Rothschild

In January 2009 Noah was very pleased to welcome Riaan Swanepoel as our new General Manager.

Donor corner: Noah’s Pillar of Strength

Noah would not be able to function without the support and dedication of our donors. We would like to highlight the following for their new contributions and/or their continued support of Noah.

• Building on their initial support, the MAC AIDS Fund contributed an additional amount for health, nutrition and educational needs of Arks within Noah. This will go a long way to ensure that Arks can provide the necessary services to the children they serve.
• Deutsche Bank continues to be at the forefront of our support network, they are a reliable donor even in the toughest of times for the financial sector. We thank Deutsche Bank for their continued support and reliability.
• Hay House has once again confirmed their support – it could not have come at a better time! In addition to the monetary contribution, staff and authors have transformed some of our needy Arks with a lick of paint and a lot of love – keep reading for the full story.
• We are pleased to announce that the National Lotteries Distribution Fund is now a Noah donor. They will be supporting the operational costs at 25 of the newest arks in KZN
• The Rotary Clubs in KZN in collaboration with US and Canadian Clubs have raised enough funds to fully support the nutrition and training programs at 3 Arks in KZN. Monies raised will provide the support necessary to run these essential programmes at the arks thanks to this global network of care.
• We would like to thank the &Beyond Foundation for their donation of a new resource centre at Nkomo Ark near Phinda. With the hard work and dedication the &Beyond foundation has assisted in making Nkomo a more welcoming and resourceful place for the children it serves.

On behalf of our children, we would love to individually thank every donor who made a difference in the lives of children in South Africa through their support of Noah. Unfortunately we cannot name each of you in the space allowed here, but know that your contribution has made a difference. Be your donation one of money, time, clothing or parties it has brought a smile and a sense of community to our children. The Noah model would not be a success if it were not for you and your generosity. We look forward to working with you over the next year.

Christmas festivities: Bringing the festivities to Arks around Gauteng and KZN

During the 2008 holiday season we received a record number of donors approaching us in a bid to host Christmas parties for the children at the Arks. The parties were a day to remember with jumping castles, party packs, refreshments, and Christmas meals! Children received Christmas gifts of new clothes or shoes. We wish to extend our heartfelt appreciation for your support and for making children’s Christmas Wishes come true.

One particularly notable Christmas party was hosted by Deputy President Baleka Mbete at her residence in Pretoria. The theme of the party was “Lets Play” and children from Noah along with children from other institutions were treated to a day of fun and games.

Muldersdrift Ark extreme makeover: Hay House celebrates the life of Louise Hay, a living legend

Take one very run down house, a group of deserving children, several enthusiastic volunteers and what do you get? The Muldersdrift Ark Extreme Makeover. The Hay House team – along with their families, friends and colleagues – took a day to bring a well deserving facelift to the Muldersdrift Ark in celebration of Louise Hay’s 83rd birthday. As one of the first to work with people living with AIDS in the USA over 20 years ago, Louise Hay has been at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS solution. Starting with just a handful of people, the Hay Ride grew to reach over 1,000 infected with the disease. Louise Hay is an accomplished author with her bestseller titled “You Can Heal Your Life”, selling over 40 million copies worldwide. Louise published this book herself as in those days no publisher would touch a “self help” book. This was the beginning of an international publishing house, namely Hay House. Louise’s life work, we feel, has come full circle with her involvement with Noah. We truly admire the dedication, passion and wisdom that she possesses. To show their appreciation, the children and the staff of Muldersdrift Noah made a card with the most inspirational and heart warming messages from South Africa. Thank you Hay House for the love and support you give to us at Noah. Janice from Hay House captures Noah’s essence with the following words: “We really believe that all of you who are involved with Noah are the heroes of this country. All the carers and volunteers who do the work on the ground day after day in difficult circumstances.”

Two Oceans marathon 2009

The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon will be held on the 11th of April. This year Noah is taking their involvement in the world’s most beautiful marathon to an all new level.

Old Mutual is hosting 2 golf days to raise funds for Noah in association with the Two Oceans Marathon. Noah will be represented with a stand at the Expo where you can pledge your support by purchasing bracelets and “Sweat your Support” Puma socks. 20 children from Mzimhlophe Ark in Soweto will be making their way to Cape Town to run in the Fun Run Challenges on the 10 April. They have trained hard for the 5km race and would appreciate your support! We invite anyone who is taking part or cheering for someone from the sidelines to visit our booth. Good luck to all the runners – we look forward to seeing you all there!

Stories from the ground

My name is Mpho Medupe. I am a young boy age of 17 years old. I live with my Aunt, my younger sisters and my cousins. I am in grade 11 at Thuto-Lehakwe high school where our Ark is operating. Mrs. Esther Bok is one of the Ark staff members and she is the one who registered us as Noah OVC for after care programme activities. Since my mother passed away, my aunt is not working. It is very hard for her to look after us together with her children. As she is our neighbour she knows all the life we lived. I thought there was no life after my mother passed away, I was very wrong. Since Mohlakeng Noah came to my life and everything changed. The nutrition we have, activities we do helped my life to improve. The programmes we are doing are very interesting, I even enjoyed them. Noah has taught me to communicate with people who are at the same situation I was and I have found I can help other children understand hope.