Visit the Habits Website for further information and to purchase your own beautiful camisole.

 To see how fashion can make a difference visit Jacquie Myburgh’s column in The Times.

The Impumelelo Sustainability Awards were held in May 2010 and Noah is honoured to have been the recipient of a Gold Award from South Africa’s prestigious Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust.

Impumelelo’s awards recognise innovative work in the fields of poverty reduction and community development and acknowledge the contribution organisations such as Noah have made to public life in South Africa. The awards further celebrate our individual and collective imagination as we confront challenges in our communities with new ideas, sustainable responses and ongoing commitment we as a country have to finding best practices in various fields.

Video

The video featuring Noah can be accessed by clicking on this link.

List of Winners: Impumelelo Sustainability Awards 2010

A full list of winners can be accessed here.

To this end we have refined the vision of Noah to reflect our commitment to communities as primary caregivers to OVC.

Noah Vision:

To empower communities to care for their vulnerable children.

Noah Mission:

To empower communities with the knowledge, skills, strategies and self confidence to form and successfully run their own community based organisations supporting the well-being of vulnerable children.

Noah Values:

In order to implement this mission the Noah team has committed ourselves to the following core values that will guide how we go about our work. These values will be built into everything that we do from headoffice to Arks and will be our moral compass.

• Empowerment
• Integrity
• Passion
• Resourcefulness
• Ubuntu

Passion is something we take seriously at Noah and we believe that passion drives us to make a difference and implement change. We have therefore taken PASSION as our team commitment:

Noah Team Commitments (PASSION):

• Plan before acting
• Avoid blame
• Set stretch targets
• Set one another up for success
• Insane to repeat what does not work
• Ownership by communities, driven by us
• Nurture self and others

Phumzile Nyembe is Soul Magazine’s Woman of the Year. Phumzile is an Ark Development Officer for Noah in the Newcastle region. Look out for the May issue of Soul Magazine for the article that highlights Phumzile’s journey!

Phumzile was nominated for her amazing dedication and commitment to children in South Africa. Phumzile we salute you and your dedication and congratulate you on your achievement.

Phumzile works for Noah as an Ark Development Officer. In this role she provides mentoring and support to existing Arks, investigates the possibility of new Arks and mobilises communities to better care for their orphaned and vulnerable children. Phumzile has created networks of care for children at risk through empowering community committees, launching feeding programmes and supporting educational and health programmes at Noah Arks. She is a treasure to her community and has become a beacon of light for children. Despite reaching retirement age, and being able to take a well deserved break, Phumzile continues to work with communities and fight for a better life for each child.

Phumzile has dedicated her life to improving the well being of children in her community. This she has done in both her professional capacity at Noah and her personal capacity through initiating a school for children with special needs in Ladysmith, starting “Phumzile’s Project” a project dedicated to providing school leavers with appropriate skills, and raising funds for a residential hostel for boarders at her special needs projects.

Phumzile believes that all children deserve a chance in life and has worked tirelessly to find ways to achieve this. Through her work at Noah as well as in her community she has illustrated that each of us can make a difference. Her dedication and passion for volunteerism is evident in everything that she does. Phumzile is a treasured member of the Noah team and we are incredibly proud of her achievements. Congratulations Mam Nyembe from all of us at Noah.

• The April issue of Soul Magazine features an article on Noah and the Soul Woman of the Year: Phumzile Nyembe (April 2010)
• 25 March Radio Today 1485 AM hosted a radiothon to end hunger in South Africa through their Freedom From Hunger campaign
• Runners World placed an article highlighting the partnership of the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and Noah (February 2010)
• Noah featured in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Runners Magazine (February 2010)
• Launch of Income Generating Project Shakashead:  (February 2010)
• Living & Loving Article (January 2010)
• ABB article (October 2009)
• ABI Noah article (February 2009)
• Barloworld internal magazine (2009)
• Ithubalethu rural newspaper (2009)
• South African Institute of Chartered Accountants media release (October 2009)
• Living & loving article (2009)
• Noah advertisement
• Rotaract Aids hikers (2007)
• SASA article (2008)
• Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon network of care (May 2009)

Noah Radio ads

Self-Sustainable Projects: Aids Pandemic

Noah Video

To all the runners, organisers and partners at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, Noah would like to extend a huge thank you! Noah was able to raise R253, 927 through direct pledges by runners on entering the race as well as the Herculean efforts of the Old Mutual team who organized golf days, online auctions and an amazing expo stand. A special thank you to the foot massage team from Beyond Wellness who doubled their fund raising initiative from 2009, raising over R8000 through the many feet that they nursed and cared for! Green Salads also donated R1 to Noah for every sandwich, wrap and delicious smoothy they sold.

An additional R31,812 was raised through runner pledges and fundraising initiatives at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Expo. These funds will be used to contribute to our ongoing support services in communities caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.

Noah Runners

The following runners used their own initiatives to raise funds for Noah and bring attention to the plight of orphaned and vulnerable children. We would like to send a special thank you to them for their hard work and fantastic running efforts!

Susanna Wiegank raced in the 56km ultra marathon. Susanna, a German national, made a decision to use her passion for running to better the lives of children in South Africa. In celebration of her 50th birthday, Susanna asked each of her friends to donate funds for Noah instead of giving her a gift. This selfless gesture raised an amazing amount of €1,200 – almost R12,000!

Klaus Schultz, also a German national, similarly raised €600 for Noah through friends donating in lieu of birthday gifts for his 60th birthday. Klaus and Susanna are a true inspiration and show how through a small effort a great change can be accomplished.

German runners travelling South Africa with Susanna and Klaus were so inspired by their efforts that they too reached deep in their pockets and donated R1,400 to Noah at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Expo.

Stuart Izatt has raised R6,720 so far and still has pledges rolling in! Well done Stuart on your amazing race! This will help Noah with the running costs of an entire Ark catering to over 120 orphaned and vulnerbale children for one month.

Gary Teichman, former Springbok and Sharks rugby captain, also ran for Noah. His contribution brings attention to the 2.5M children orphaned and made vulnerable in South Africa.

Craig and Linda Wood, of Wierda Park, also took to the streets in support of Noah, raising R500. To put this in perspective this donation can be used to purchase seeds and fertilizer for a community vegetable garden at a Noah site for almost an entire year. This garden would support 150 OVC visiting the Ark daily, contributing to their nutritional well being and teaching them principles of food security.

Dieter Nuernberg, also from Germany, sponsored his sister’s race with a donation of €100.

Gavin Darby of Vodafone in the United Kingdom raised funds through the Back-A-Buddy website as he pledged his race efforts to Noah.

Johan Bosman ran the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon for Noah.

Ebrahim Hassim took time out from his busy life where he coordinates grants for Vodacom (including a recent grant to Noah for safety equipment and training) to also run for Noah in his personal capacity.

Dr Greg Ash, founding Director of Noah, dusted off his running shoes and took to the roads for the first time in many years to raise awareness and funds for Noah. His efforts clearly paid off as he finished the 21km race in only 2h23m.

Noah CEO, Karen Krakowitzer, also decided to use the race as a platform to get fit and generate interest and funds for Noah. Despite her many responsibilities at Noah and her very recent wedding Karen was able to complete her training regimen and finished the race in 2h20m.

Noah Resource Development Manager, Katie Andrews, who coordinated the running efforts of all of the above runners for Noah also participated in the world’s most beautiful race.

Thank you to all our runners and their supporters who are a part of our network of care. They say it takes a village to raise a child: Welcome to our global village!

SMS

Our sms line remains open until the end of May 2010 so you can continue to donate using this tool. SMS Noah to 38502 and you will donate R10.00 to Noah. These funds enable us to empower communities to care for their own orphaned and vulnerable children. It brings hope and support to families who have been affected by the HIV pandemic.

Most of all it provides children with an opportunity to dream.

In our sector we are looking forward to the expansion of the social welfare grants programme to include children up to the age of 18 years, increased media coverage of the successes in combatting HIV/AIDS and the impact of this disease on those most vulnerable, namely orphaned children, and the changing nature of the fight against this disease as the South African Government confronts the real scope of HIV/AIDS.

It is an amazing privilege working in the NGO sector in South Africa as we are able to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of children and communities impacted by HIV and AIDS. In order to make a more lasting difference in the lives of children we are appealing to our supporters to dig deep this year. We can change the way children are treated in South Africa by working together. You have the opportunity to make a difference by donating to Noah, volunteering your time or making an in kind donation of equipment.

 This year Noah is looking for some specal assistance. In order to do our work better we need the following equipment:

• A GPS per office – for those visiting Arks (to find them and record their exact locations)
• A teleconferencing unit per office – perhaps a Polycomm-type device to facilitate better calls with our international donors, for our Manco meetings where managers are distributed and for other calls with multiple parties
• Book vouchers – to grow our internal reference material on the sector
• 2 laminating machines
• 1 binder

If you can help please call Katie on 011 234 2270

Give a child a lift today!

Siphiwe Mya, the ark manager at Sithokozise, has been building partnerships to ensure that Noah is able to get coverage linked to the Soccer World Cup in order to get people talking about the plight of orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa. It is so important that the world hears that not only do we have a crisis in South Africa with almost 3.7 million orphaned children, but there are communities and community based organisations that are prepared to do something about this crisis.

Noah staff do the diski dance

Fun & Games on board the Peoples Bus

Singing the national anthem

Siphiwe Mya says “through this visit we hope to generate publicity around what we do on the ground here at Sithokozise Noah. The children will be made to feel important, that they are part of the global showpiece that is the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This will boost their morale, their confidence in life and give them the opportunity to dream.”

The bus will be travelling to over 60 communities throughout South Africa between February and June 2010 taking visitors on a thrilling, interactive journey. This campaign is designed to encourage South Africans to welcome the 2010 FIFA World Cup by flying the flag, singing the national anthem and learning the diski dance.

Children were able to climb on board, learning team facts and World Cup Trivia, play foosball football fun and watch a movie on the mini cinema that showed unforgettable moments from previous tournaments. It was an absolute treat for the children at Sithokozise Noah Ark

All aboard

Fly the flag SA!

Singing the Anthem

On a different level Siphiwe believes that “it is so important to bring the concept of Noah into the minds of the local people. This is a community programme, it is community driven and community based. We need to mobilise our communities around the Noah model and make them passionate about OVC.”

Thanks to Indigo Marketing, on behalf of Brand South Africa, and MS&L for including Sithokozise in their campaign to share the 2010 FIFA World Cup Spirit with the children and community at Sithokozise Noah Ark!

Coca Cola Flag Crew

In addition to being on the People’s Bus tour Sithokozise Noah has been nominated by our partners at ABI to be a part of the Flag Crew Team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Nigeria and Korea on the 22nd of June 2010. This will provide 11 children with the opportunity to assume responsibilities learning the values of patience, persistence, concentration and hard work. In addition the children will be less than 500m away from some of the world’s most famous footballers.

Today we join millions of people across the globe to mark World Aids Day.

We join multitudes who have determined that this epidemic cannot be overcome without a concerted and coordinated effort.

We join millions who understand that the epidemic is not merely a health challenge. It is a challenge with profound social, cultural and economic consequences.

It is an epidemic that affects entire nations. Yet it touches on matters that are intensely personal and private.

Unlike many others, HIV and AIDS cannot be overcome simply by improving the quality of drinking water, or eradicating mosquitoes, or mass immunisation.

It can only be overcome by individuals taking responsibility for their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Fellow South Africans,

As a country, we have done much to tackle HIV and AIDS.

In every sector of society, there are individuals and groups who have worked tirelessly to educate, advocate, care, treat, prevent and to break the stigma that still surrounds the epidemic.

Today, we wish to acknowledge their dedicated efforts.

As government we are ready to play our role of leadership, building on the foundation that has been laid over the past 15 years.

Under the leadership of Presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, the democratic government has put in place various strategies to comprehensively deal with HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections.

Working with other sectors through the South African National Aids Council, we have managed to harness unity in confronting this scourge.

The amount of resources dedicated to prevention, treatment and care has increased with each successive year.

But it is not enough. Much more needs to be done.

We need extraordinary measures to reverse the trends we are seeing in the health profile of our people.

We know that the situation is serious. We have seen the statistics.

We know that the average life expectancy of South Africans has been falling, and that South Africans are dying at a young age.

We have seen the child-headed and granny-headed households, and have witnessed the pain and displacement of orphans and vulnerable children.

These facts are undeniable. We should not be tempted to downplay the statistics and impact or to deny the reality that we face.

At the same time, the epidemic is not about statistics. It is about people, about families, and communities.

It is about our loved ones.

For many families, it is a burden that they have to bear alone, fearful of discrimination and stigma.

Dear Compatriots,

Now is not the time to lament. It is the time to act decisively, and to act together.

Our message is simple. We have to stop the spread of HIV. We must reduce the rate of new infections. Prevention is our most powerful weapon against the epidemic.

All South Africans should take steps to ensure that they do not become infected, that they do not infect others and that they know their status.

Each individual must take responsibility for protection against HIV. To the youth, the future belongs to you.

Be responsible and do not expose yourself to risks.

Parents and heads of households, let us be open with our children and educate them about HIV and how to prevent it.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are still marking the 16 days of activism against violence on women and children. During this period, it is important that we also remember to uphold the rights of women and children, including their right to protection from infection with HIV.

Many women are unable to negotiate for protection due to unequal power relations in relationships.

As we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Thursday, the 3rd of December, let us remember the impact of HIV on persons with disability.

We have to tailor government programmes and messages to also speak to the needs of this sector.

Fellow South Africans,

To take our response a step forward, we are launching a massive campaign to mobilise all South Africans to get tested for HIV.

Every South African should know his or her HIV status. To prepare for a continuous voluntary testing campaign, we would like to announce a few new measures, to expand our response.

All children under one year of age will get treatment if they test positive. Initiating treatment will therefore not be determined by the level of CD cells.

This decision will contribute significantly towards the reduction of infant mortality over time.

All patients with both TB and HIV will get treatment with anti-retrovirals if their CD4 count is 350 or less. At present treatment is available when the CD4 count is less than 200. TB and HIV/Aids will now be treated under one roof.

This policy change will address early reported deaths arising from undetected TB infection among those who are infected with HIV.

We have taken this step, particularly on learning that approximately 1% of our population has TB and that the co-infection between TB and HIV is 73%.

All pregnant HIV positive women with a CD4 count of 350 or with symptoms regardless of CD4 count will have access to treatment. At present HIV positive pregnant women are eligible for treatment if their CD4 count is less than 200.

All other pregnant women not falling into this category, but who are HIV positive, will be put on treatment at fourteen weeks of pregnancy to protect the baby. In the past this was only started during the last term of pregnancy.

In order to meet the need for testing and treatment, we will work to ensure that all the health institutions in the country are ready to receive and assist patients and not just a few accredited ARV centres. Any citizen should be able to move into any health centre and ask for counselling, testing and even treatment if needed.

The implementation of all these announcements is effective from April 2010. Institutions are hard at work to ensure that systems are in place by the 31st of March.

What does this all mean? It means that we will be treating significantly larger numbers of HIV positive patients. It means that people will live longer and more fulfilling lives.

What does it NOT mean? It does not mean that we should be irresponsible in our sexual practices.

It does not mean that people do not have to practice safer sex. It does not mean that people should not use condoms consistently and correctly during every sexual encounter.

We can eliminate the scourge of HIV if all South Africans take responsibility for their actions.

I need to re-emphasise at this point that we must intensify our prevention efforts if we are to turn off the tap of new HIV and TB infections. Prevention is our most powerful and effective weapon.

We have to overcome HIV the same way that it spreads – one individual at a time. We have to really show that all of us are responsible.

The HIV tests are voluntary and they are confidential. We know that it is not easy. It is a difficult decision to take.

But it is a decision that must be taken by people from all walks of life, of all races, all social classes, all positions in society. HIV does not discriminate.

I am making arrangements for my own test. I have taken HIV tests before, and I know my status. I will do another test soon as part of this new campaign. I urge you to start planning for your own tests.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are also mindful of the social impact of the epidemic, and continue to provide psycho-social support and home based care, through the Home Community Based Care and child care programmes of government.

Let me use this opportunity to salute all our caregivers including those neighbours who assist and support families in distress.

We also thank our international partners, who continue to provide material support to our campaign against AIDS.

On this day, our hearts go out to all South Africans who are in distress as a result of this epidemic. To families looking after sick relatives, we wish you strength. We understand what you are going through.

To those who have lost their loved ones to the epidemic we share your pain, and extend our deepest condolences.

Fellow South Africans,

At another moment in our history, in another context, the liberation movement observed that the time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices: submit or fight.

That time has now come in our struggle to overcome AIDS.

Let us declare now, as we declared then, that we shall not submit.

We have no choice but to deploy every effort, mobilise every resource, and utilise every skill that our nation possesses, to ensure that we prevail in this struggle for the health and prosperity of our nation.

History has demonstrated the strength of a nation united and determined. We are a capable, innovative and motivated people.

Together we fought and defeated a system so corrupt and reviled that it was described as a crime against humanity.

Together we can overcome this challenge.

Let today be the dawn of a new era.

Let there be no more shame, no more blame, no more discrimination and no more stigma.

Let the politicisation and endless debates about HIV and AIDS stop.

Let this be the start of an era of openness, of taking personal responsibility, and of working together in unity to prevent HIV infections and to deal with its impact.

Working together, we can achieve these goals!

I thank you.

Johannesburg – While South Africa’s HIV infection rate may have stabilised, experts warn that the country’s slow Aids response has triggered a time bomb that may leave one in three children orphaned.

“Estimates show that by 2015, some 5 700 000 or 32% of all children in South Africa would have lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS,” said Gail Eddy, a researcher at the Institute of Race Relations, told AFP.

In 2008 there were 1.5m Aids orphans, according to the country’s health department.

She said as the epidemic continues to shorten the lives of parents, more children were going to be orphaned and the number of child-headed households would also increase.

Support

The government currently provides support to about 238 000 Aids orphans and to more than 20 000 homes where older children care for younger siblings after their parents died from the virus.

Eddy said orphans needed additional support that was not necessarily monetary in nature, as these children had also lost their primary caregiver.

“What exacerbates the lack of support for these children, is that South Africa has a shortage of social workers who are responsible for identifying vulnerable children and providing them with the necessary support,” she said.

Nearly 495 000 Aids orphans are in foster care, but the government is encouraging more adoptions so that orphans can have permanent families.

However, only a tiny fraction of the Aids orphans, about 1 900, were adopted by South Africans last year, a drop of nearly 13% from the previous year.

“If the status quo is maintained, South Africa will be faced with a major crisis in the future, due to the social and economic consequences of increasing numbers of orphans and child-headed households,” said Eddy.

5.7m living with HIV

A recent study by Harvard School of Public Health study said the failure to provide anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to Aids patients in South Africa led to the premature deaths of 365 000 people between 2000-2005.

UNAids estimates indicate that 5.7m out of nearly 48m South Africans are living with HIV, up from 5.5m in 2005.

That puts South Africa in first place for the number infected, but only about a million people are getting the cocktail of ARVs that prevent people with HIV from developing full-blown Aids and extends their lifetimes.

Activists and the current government lay the blame for the rapid spread of the disease squarely on former president Thabo Mbeki’s policies as he delayed the roll out ARVs, questioning the link between HIV and Aids.

His infamous health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, promoted the use of lemon juice, garlic and beetroot above ARVs, which she said were toxic.

Gail Johnson, founder of Nkosi’s Haven, a shelter for 100 HIV-infected mothers and their 183 children, said South Africa lost valuable time due to the delays by Mbeki’s government to roll out the much needed ARVs.

“We became arrogant and recommended beetroot and garlic, people died,” said Johnson.

Genocide call

The leader of the young Communist Party last week made headlines when he called for Mbeki to be charged with genocide for their denial about the existence of the virus.

In stark contrast to his predecessor, Zuma will be taking in public a HIV test on World Aids Day on Tuesday, although his results won’t be disclosed.

Dr William Mapham, Wits University Reproductive Health and HIV Research unit spokesperson says there has been a policy shift in government’s response towards the epidemic: “There is no denialism anymore, Zuma came in and changed a few things and it’s definitely going to have a positive effect on South Africa,” he said.