INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM: SOUTH AFRICA

A powerful message of hope

Our international programs began in South Africa as a response to the devastation of the AIDS pandemic. At the time, our commitment was to provide food and technical assistance to people who were living with HIV/AIDS in Guguletu, a township located outside of Cape Town.

Since then, our partnerships have continued to grow -- thanks to the tremendous generosity and dedication of our volunteers and donors -- and now include the following organizations and projects:

J.L. Zwane Community Centre

The J.L. Zwane Community Centre is located in Guguletu. The Community Centre provides a range of services for the local community, focusing in particular on HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support programs, nutrition, hospice, music and drama, as well as an after-school study program for young learners.

Open Arms sponsors a daily hot meal for members of the center’s HIV/AIDS support group and their families and caregivers. It also provides a meal for students participating in the Rainbow After School Program. Through private donations, Open Arms covers food and transportation costs, as well as a portion of the cook’s salary.

Twice a year, Open Arms distributes food parcels to members of the HIV/AIDS support group, orphans and vulnerable children, senior citizens, and members of the J.L. Zwane community in Guguletu. Each $50 food parcel feeds a family for one month, providing such staples as rice, beans, grains and tea. Purchase a food parcel today>>

Ikamva Labantu

Ikamva Labantu (IL) has over 1,000 projects serving children, families and seniors with emergency food relief. IL employs 30 paid and volunteer caregivers in three townships, and its home-based care program serves hundreds of homebound patients living with TB and HIV/AIDS. In addition, Ikamva Labantu’s Food Garden Project helps provide community training in gardening, as well as fresh vegetables and good nutrition for hundreds of township residents.

Open Arms supports the community garden project through technical assistance and funding support, which Ikamva Labantu uses to employ six gardeners. Gardeners oversee 43 food gardens throughout the townships, producing fresh vegetables for senior centers, daycare centers and foster families. In addition to using the food for participants, gardeners are able to sell any surplus produce to help support their own households.

Social Justice Coalition

The Social Justice Coalition is located in Khayelitsha, a township outside Cape Town with a population of more than 700,000 people. It was founded in 2010 to bring awareness to and foster change around issues of safety and sanitation in the townships surrounding Cape Town. One of those issues is access to clean drinking water, which is essential to good health, especially for those living with HIV/AIDS.

Open Arms contributions help fund a staff position at the Social Justice Coalition.

Monkeybiz

Monkeybiz is a non-profit bead project that focuses on empowering women in the most economically under-resourced areas of South Africa through sustainable employment and health services. This inspirational project provides more than 450 disadvantaged people with materials, which they then use to create bead art and generate income.

All Monkeybiz profits are reinvested back into community services. Open Arms purchases the hand-beaded artwork and sells the pieces in the United States; 100% of the profits are invested in our international programs.