1. THE BUILDING OF THE NEW HOME
The next phases of the building project include the completion of the fifth and final cluster and the building of a communal area and welding workshop. Costs for the various phases are outlined below:
- Completing the fifth cluster: R365,378
- Building of the welding workshop: R150,000
- Building of the communal area: R767,000
- Boundary walls: R78,613
- Kitchen and bedroom cupboards: R50,000
- Furnishings and equipment: R50,000
2. RUNNING COSTS
Running costs have been budgeted at close on R40,000 a month. Major running costs include:
- Carer salaries: four housemothers, four housemother assistants, a driver and a tutor to assist with homework
- Food and other consumables
- Household utilities
- Transport costs
- Insurance costs
A contribution of R1,000 a month would cover running costs for one child. Every R100 makes a difference however and monthly debit orders of any size would be very welcome. Monthly contributions will be allocated to a specific running cost and reported on regularly to the donor.
3. FINANCIAL AUDIT
The Friends of Bathandwa trust and the home need to be audited – a SARS and donor prerequisite. Having audited financial statements empowers the trust and the home to unlock more formal funding.
External auditor fees for both the home itself and the trust are estimated to cost R20,000 per annum.
4. EDUCATION
20 children at Bathandwa attend school and two attend a local crèche. There are a number of education related expenses that need to be covered each year:
- School fees amount to on average R9,000 per year
- School uniforms and stationery cost on average R10,000 per year
- One of the children attends a special school – his school fees are R100 per month
- The salary of the homework tutor is R1,500 per month
5. CARER TRAINING (for disabled children)
The carers that work with the disabled children require specialized training. This training is provided by the organizations below and costs approximately R4,000.
- Western Cape Forum for Intellectual Disabilities (Maitland)
- Cape Mental Health Society (Observatory)
6. DISABLED CHILDREN’S NEEDS
The 6 physically disabled children at Bathandwa require specialized equipment, in order to maximize the benefit of therapy:
- Bath chairs: R896 each (2 are required)
- Electric wheelchairs: R 21,000 each (2 are required)
- Clicker software programme (for computer use): R2, 000
- Switches (a computer mouse that lights up): R2,000
- Switch toys (for use during therapy sessions): R200
7. E-MAIL ACCESS
Having online access would be a great help with office work, communication and capacity building. The older children’s homework requires the Internet and Google’s great search facility. At the moment there is no ADSL capability in Khayelitsha, so Internet connection can only take place via dial-up. The Telkom dial-up monthly rental is R79 per month. The telephone bill charges are 65c for the first minute, thereafter 39c per minute during the day and 18c per minute during the evening (for local calls). A contribution towards Internet connection of R79 per month and the phone bill would therefore be very much appreciated.
8. DOCTOR’S FEES
Doctors' fees are an ongoing expense, and any contribution towards a fund for doctors' fees would be most welcome.
9. DECEMBER HOLIDAY CAMPS
Doctors' fees are an ongoing expense, and any contribution towards a fund for doctors' fees would be most welcome. All the children and carers at Bathandwa normally go on a camp in December for a week with the Rotary organisation. The camp is a great opportunity for the children and carers to relax together and bond.
The camp costs R4,500.
Six of the children, 3 girls and 3 boys are old enough to attend the Educo Africa (educo.org.za) December holiday camp. The focus of the camp is to develop life skills, inner qualities and resources. Last year – thanks to kind donations – three of the children attended the camp. This was their feedback:
" I am writing this letter to explain why I would like to go to Educo camp… In Educo I learn more about skills and how to work as a group … I never thought it would be that nice and enjoyable. It was not something I was expecting. I also met a lot of friends. Now I want to go to Educo because I want to learn more skills, how to work as a group, meet other people and to have some fun again instead of getting bored here in the township … by staying here in the township you will just smoke drugs and do bad things."
- 15-year-old boy
"I am glad to write you this letter to explain why I want to go to Educo camp again. On my last visit to Educo I learnt to cook and to swim. I enjoyed swimming a lot so I would like to go back to Educo to have that experience. I also enjoyed mountain climbing and grass cutting. It was such a good experience and if given the chance I would like to go back to Educo Camp. I enjoyed sleeping outside and all the outdoor activities. Thank you for the opportunity you made possible to go to Educo."
-13-year-old boy
"To be at Educo is very nice and we learn everything about nature and I did know how to work as a group. And I would like to go again to Educo and to have other friends and to be there again will be very nice and I will be happy to be there again and the thing that I learn there makes me very strong and grow. I did learn a lot that I did not know and I met a lot of people that I did not know … they were good friends that I did never see in my life. Educo is to learn not only about camp(ing) only is to learn. To be at Educo is very nice."
-15-year-old boy
R3,000 per child x 6 children = R18,000