Update.

Time flies, its been a while since i was here but the good news is i recently forwarded the sum of US$465.85 which when added to the US$165 already being held in account for Colour my World will go a long way toward providing the school kits desperately needed by these kids.

Here is an excerpt from an email i got from Ellen at CHOSA:

"We (myself, partner Dianna and Hazel - as well as Mama and the children) are VERY excited about this! Hazel and I decided that since this year is over, it would be best to keep the bags for use starting in January when the new school session begins. The children cannot wait to walk proud on the first day, for the first time carrying their own school bags!
Lots of Love,
Ellen and the Emasi family!"

and this one:

"These are exactly the kids that will get the school bags - even the younger ones will get bags to take with them to preschool!
I can't wait. I've already started pricing stuff and it looks like we may be able to get them each 2 notebooks and pencils as well! They will be so proud."

I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to help me with this project. A special mention to my dear friend Linda. Thanks!

Take a moment to view the video of Ellen and the kids from Baphumelele and Emasithandane which highlights the impact of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. It includes some delightful shots of the kids. In contrast there are also a few heartbreaking moments.





Further donations are still welcome. Just scroll to the bottom of this page for details.

Almost there!

Garage sale wasnt a huge success but only have A$300 to go to reach my target. Looking forward to posting that cheque!

Step by Step

Thanks to a whole lot of people I am nearly halfway to my target. Stay tuned, fingers crossed by next week I'm hoping to be able to post my cheque to CHOSA :-)

U2 to Africa

Colour My World is a fundraising project I am running to help a Non-Profit organisation called CHOSA provide school kits for children at two Homes in Cape Town South Africa, Baphumelele and Emasithandane. The kits will consist of a backpack, pencils, ruler, coloured pencils etc. Maybe even a few "extras" like stickers, brightly coloured paper, paints - things to "colour" their world. What child doesn't love to draw and colour-in especially when they are not feeling well? Bear in mind, some of these children are suffering from AIDS-related illnesses.

I want to mention that the inspiration to do this has come from someone you may have heard of - Bono, the lead singer of U2. It has been through his work in Africa and his tireless efforts to bring the plight of Africa to the world's attention that has brought me here. Then there are the songs of U2 - you hear the constant reminders in the lyrics where you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die /and today the millions cry we eat and drink while tomorrow they die/would you deny for others what you demand for yourself /but i'm waiting for the crumbs from your table and my all-time favourite we're ONE but we're not the same we get to carry each other ,all delivered with the power and passion synonymous with U2, and how can you not be moved to do something, ANYTHING? It was a slow process for me, in fact 3 years of watching, listening and absorbing but I wont bore you with all the details. Needless to say the wheels had been set in motion. The sounding bell was this comment made by Bono during the Vertigo tour in Chicago:

"....it's not OK to have a child die for the lack of a 20c immunisation.
It's not ok to have a child die for lack of food in its belly in the 21st century.
That's not OK anymore.

AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT."

Yes I did know that, my nana used to tell me all the time when I was a little girl how I should not waste food."What about all the starving kids in Africa" she would say. I had forgotten or had chosen to forget but now I'm wide awake, I'm not sleeping.

By now you are probably wondering why my efforts are not being directed towards providing food or medicines, obviously more important than pencils and paper and this is something I did wrestle with at one stage. But the lovely lady at CHOSA, Ellen was very reassuring. There is a real need for these school kits too. Besides, for me this is just the beginning! I just want to say I am doing something that has come from my heart, an idea that flowed on after following the blog of Bono and Ali on their recent trip to Africa. I was struck by the cheerfulness of these people in spite of everything they are going through, the warmth coming from them and the wide smiling faces of the children. For that week, the people of Africa had coloured my world too!



Well, thank you for coming this far with me. Would you like to help too? To make an online donation click here. Scroll down the page to B) and click on "Make a Donation". You will be taken to a pay - pal site. Where it says "payment for" type in Colour my World. The amount required to supply these kits is not a hugh sum - about US$700(A$1000). If you can contribute anything at all, that would be greatly appreciated. Remember a pack of coloured pencils is only a couple of dollars.


Thanks for dropping by. I will update as the fundraising progresses.

African proverb "If you think you are too small to make a difference try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito".