Newsletter: April 2013

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Director's Message:

Well done to our two scholarship girls who finished 2nd and 3rd at the Lourensford trail run: even the organisers were surprised by these unknown athletes who came in well before other well known athletes... There’s a surprise package in all of us when we go looking for it! On that note, well done to the surprise cyclists lurking in our well known winemakers... the Winemaker's MTB illustrated that these men and women are good at more than just drinking wine. Keeping with sports: a monumental shout out to our brave Three Oaks who set out to travel up mountains and through rivers in the name of raising funds for the Anna Foundation. To all of you: You inspire us!
 
This month we got stuck into our reading programme on the farms, with the very comforting feedback that the children LOVED the new books. Reading is still alive and we are pleased to be able to offer the world of stories to our children.

Anna 

3 R's: Reading, Running, Right-ing News

HOLIDAYS:  During the two week holiday facilitators are free to plan fun craft and sports activities that will best suit their group of children. In addition, learners have an opportunity to play with educational puzzles and games (the ‘memory game’ is always a winner!) and the bicycles are taken out for a spin.  

READING: The second term looks at important topics:  Leaders and heroes and the different qualities they possess.  The children discuss whether a hero automatically makes for a good leader.  Sadly, the ‘heroes’ which the children often choose are in fact villains, for example gangsters as seen on a certain TV advertisement.  These are the people many of the children look up to as they appear ‘cool’, care free and idolised or even feared by others.  Other topics that are explored this month are making difficult decisions, my priorities and time management.

The Big Bug Books series is once again incorporated into the afternoon’s activities with each age group having two books from which the facilitator will work.  Each story highlights a life skills lesson and various fun activities help to improve vocabulary, spelling, listening and talking skills, not to mention reading and writing.  Since starting with the drama games last year we can see that the children (especially the younger learners) understand role play to a greater degree, finding it easier to let their imaginations run free.  The time spent on the Big Bug Books is thoroughly enjoyed and the children grow and develop in so many aspects without even knowing it.

RUNNING: This term the focus is on soccer – a firm favourite!  We start off with the basic skills: dribbling, foot techniques, passing the ball etc.  Each lesson starts with a warm-up ball game, an agility exercise and drills, finally including a team game where the technique is practiced.  In a few months the children will need to put all these skills into action for our upcoming soccer tournament in which each and every child will have a chance to play.

RIGHT-ING: The Grade R – 3 children are working towards learning how to empathise.  We introduce a simple story about a lion that has a thorn in his foot.  A mouse helps him to take it out but the lion is then teased by the monkey for being friends with a mere mouse.  The month is spent exploring the different character’s feelings and how they react: Were they scared? Where do they feel safe?  Near the end of the month the children make puppets to represent the 3 characters, rein acting the story. This will lead into identifying with different feelings in the upcoming lessons.

The Right-ing topic for the Grade 4 – 12's is all about walking in someone else’s shoes”.  This is tackled by examining their feet– how they feel, how they look, how they move.  At first the children are shy and even ashamed about examining their feet (which is ironic because most children walk around barefoot!).  Our feet are often the body part of which we are most ashamed.   The children learn through various fun games that a person first has to appreciate and validate oneself before you can appreciate and validate someone else.  By learning to appreciate your own feet, a  child can learn to be accepting and non-judgemental of others.

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School Scholarship Programme: A New Addition

We welcome Randy Diamane, age 8, to our School Scholarship Programme. Randy lives on Simonsig Wine Estate and has been attending our after school project on this farm since 2010. Randy was identified for this programme due to her outstanding academic performance and her very eager and keen desire to learn. She is a very driven little girl for her age and desperately wants to succeed in everything she does. She was not afraid to go to a new school and enthusiastically awaited her first day. Although Randy is above average regarding languages, she has significant barriers with respect to numeracy. We have employed a facilitator for Randy who works every day at the school for two hours with Randy during her maths lessons. Randy is a very fast learner and grasps the concepts easily once explained to her. We watch with excitement as this little girl grabs this opportunity with open arms.

Our hope is that the children graduating through our School Scholarship Programme will become empowered and educated farm children who are in turn able to help change the dynamics of their whole community through their future jobs and place in society.

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Farewell to Truida

We bid a fond farewell to our long-standing volunteer, Truida Murray who has given of her time and helped the children at Neethlingshof with their reading each week since September 2011. Truida also played a major role in helping us to win R20 000 in the Cape Talk Volunteer's Competition last year as the Anna Foundation's 'ambassador'. Thank you, Truida for all the time and energy you have given to the children at Neethlingshof. You have made a tremendous difference!  Wishing you all the best with your future endeavours, from all of us at the Anna Foundation.
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Winemaker's MTB Challenge

For a bit of ‘post-harvest’ fun we invited winemakers throughout the Boland and further afield to compete against one another in the Anna Foundation Winemaker’s MTB Challenge. This 20km cycling event was run in conjunction with the Delta Trap held at Solms-Delta. All winemakers were welcome to enter irrespective of riding ability and it wasn’t long before the word was out.   On 21 April, thirteen Wine Estates (including Buffet Olives) were represented by winemakers, their assistants and farm owners in this enjoyable mountain biking event.

The Anna Foundation pampered riders from the time of their arrival, providing bananas for energy and ex-Springbok cyclist Pierre-Henri Olivier from the Anna Foundation, assisting with the prepping of bicycles. Cyclists were encouraged to challenge one another with riders such as Marcus Milner (De Meye) and De Wet Viljoen (Neethlingshof) being the firm favourites to beat.

Lorraine Geldenhuys (winemaker and lecturer at Elsenburg) blew us away by crossing the finish line first, much to our surprise and delight.  She was followed not far behind by Marcus Milner (De Meye Wines). Raphael Dornier (Dornier Wines) took 3rd place while Mark Le Roux from Waterford Estate, who had apparently done very minimal training, cruised through in 4th position.  

A separate prize giving was held for all those who had taken part in the Winemaker’s MTB Challenge.  Award winners were:

•   Winemaker’s MTB Award (1st finisher) - Lorraine Geldenhuys (Elsenburg)
•   Good Cheer Award: best spirit throughout the event, despite being teased from the time of entering and crossing the finish line last (“bike trouble”) - Guy Webber  (Hill & Dale)
•   Fastest Team Award: first two finishers from one farm to cross the finish line - Hagen Viljoen and Joan Heatlie (Solms-Delta)
•   Plonk Award: finishing despite all the challenges including bicycle sabotage - De Wet Viljoen (Neethlingshof)

The Anna Foundation Winemaker’s MTB Challenge was the first of such events and we expect the 2014 affair to be even bigger and better with some seriously tough competition!

Due to a very late unofficial entry into the event (ie. 2 minutes before the start) we felt could not credit Francois Malherbe (Eikenhof) as overall winner, despite his finishing first. We would like to congratulate him on an extremely impressive race and hope to see him again next year.

Thank You to Geddan Ruddock (Franschhoek Cycles), Solms-Delta (prizes) and to Lovane, De Meye and Darling Cellars (wine contributions)

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Winelands Charity Walk: Tulbagh to Stellenbosch

In 2010, Struan Buchanan, Mark Westcott and Peter Hofmeyr walked from Muizenburg to Hermanus to raise funds for charity. This year these three school mates decided to do it again but this time, walk through the Winelands and raise funds for three different charities with the Anna Foundation, being one of them.  The Winelands Charity Walk was planned for 22 April and Struan, Mark and Pete would walk from Tulbagh, stopping overnight in Romansrivier, Rawsonville, Paarl, Franschhoek and finally ending in Stellenbosch on 26 April – averaging 30km per day and covering + 180km in all!

The afternoon prior to their departure we met with the ‘Three Oaks’ (as they are fondly known) at Steinthal Children’s Home in Tulbagh.  These 150 children joined the Anna Foundation at the start of the year and implement our “3 R’s Reading, Running, Right-ing” programme each weekday after school.  After a quick ‘photo shoot’ everyone made their way to the large playing field where the children were handed five brand new soccer balls brought along by the three gents. The children were enthralled with Struan, Mark and Pete and spent the afternoon showing them their fancy soccer moves and cartwheel back flips. It was a most enjoyable afternoon with the children clearly appreciating the visit and the attention for which they are so hungry.

THE WALK: During the course of their Winelands Walk the men were blessed with five days of glorious weather (if not a little on the warm side), updating their supporters via Facebook at regular intervals.  From their reports Struan, Mark and Pete were treated like kings, receiving top notch hospitality from various hosts who provided them with accommodation along the way.   

EPILOGUE: For the final leg of their Great Trek, on Saturday 27 April family and friend joined Struan, Mark and Pete in Cape Town as they walked from Steenberg to Groot Constantia. The Anna Foundation children from Stellenzicht were there as well and they finished the 7km walk with great ease.  Upon arriving at Simon's Restaurant at Groot Constantia, the children were surprised with a delicious lunch, kindly prepared by Struan’s (caterer!) wife, Annalize. 

Over R60 000 has been raised a result of the Winelands Charity Walk!

THANK YOU first and foremost to Struan, Mark and Pete for giving of your time and energy and for choosing to support the Anna Foundation in the way that you have. What a wonderful way to give back! We really appreciate your efforts.  Thank you also to each and every person who backed the Three Oaks by donating to the Anna Foundation.  To Puma (soccer balls), to all who provided accommodation and to Annalize for the catering and generosity - Thank you all!

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Thank You

  • All who donated towards the Winelands Charity Walk!
  • Franschhoek Christmas Market: Donation
  • All 1%Club members: Your on-going contributions each month
  • Lilla Howe Trust: Financial donation and on-going monthly support
  • Croft Trust: Financial donation and on-going monthly support
  • Dr Brom: Financial donation and on-going monthly support
  • de Villiers Family: Financial donation and on-going monthly support
  • Marius and Martinette van der Merwe : On-going monthly contribution towards school tuition
  • Holmelea Self Catering Accommodation, Barrydale: Thank you for supporting us through each 'lodger'
  • Media Support: Bolander, Eikestadnuus, Constantiaberg Bulletin
  • wine.co.za: Media support
  • Natural Medicine Magazine: Charity feature (March)
  • Showme Stellenbosch: Newsletter mention
  • MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet and all our 'card swipers': For all monies raised
MySchool www.1percentclub.yolasite.com WWH

 

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES:

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STAR OF THE MONTH
  Linamandla Saki (Gr. 2) lives at Graham Beck Wines in Robertson. Upon starting school 2 years ago, he only spoke Xhosa and battled to learn in Afrikaans
– the subject in which he was taught at school. This affected his school work and he fell very behind.  Over the past few months and after much hard work, Linamandla's academics have improved considerably, now reading (in Afrikaans!) any book he can lay his hands on.  His maths is also getting much better and he is gaining the self-confidence that he previously lacked.  Way to go, Linamandla!

 

 

 

Fun craft projects for the holidays. The children at Villiera show off their flash new eyewear

 
 

Team games to practice soccer skills: crab soccer is a huge hit!

 
 

Maida, Luvandre and Dominique from Stellenzicht show us the monkey, lion and mouse puppets made from toilet rolls used for their drama lessons

 
 

THINGS KIDS SAY:
Talking about heroes...
TEACHER What did Neil Armstrong leave behind on the moon?
CHILD:  Rocks and space

 

 

 

Randy Diamane in her new Stellenbosch Primary School uniform

 

 

Thank you for giving of your time, Truida Murray!

 

De Wet Viljoen (Neethlingshof) with Gail & Philip Gous (Lovane Boutique Winery) and overall winner, Lorraine Geldenhuys (Elsenberg) on the right

 

Team Hill & Dale: Heidi Heins (wine sales), Nataleé Botha (winemaking assistant) and winemaker, Guy Webber

 

Buffet Olives in full force: Richard Allan rode in the MTB challenge as a representative for the farm.  Here he is with Jacquin Williams (1st Anna Foundation rider home) and Curtley Hendriks

 

Flickr More photos from the MTB Challenge here

 

 

Mark Westcott, Peter Hofmeyr and Struan Buchanan pose with the Anna Foundation children at Steinthal children's home in Tulbagh

 

Struan organises a game of soccer with Peter's help (the Steinthal children were so excited it was difficult to get them to stand still)

 

The Stellenzicht children join the Three Oaks, together with friends and family on their final 7km stretch (Peter in Anna Foundation peak cap)

 

DELTA DRAF
On 13 April most of our Boland farms took part in the Delta Draf at Solms-Delta.  The children ran extremely well and each child received a well-deserved medal upon finishing. We were most impressed with their good behaviour throughout the event
Thank you to our support runners and to Dwars River Valley Athletics and Solms-Delta for the race entries.
PHOTO: Kyle Richard Solms

 

GOOD LUCK to Chantelle van Tonder and Sylcke Lubeck for the Safari Half Marathon on 1 May! These two ladies only started running at the end of last year and will be doing their furthest run yet, all to raise funds for us.  You can support their run here

 

 

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