$11,515 raised
TARGET $10,000
Please support this cause
$
AUD
As many of you will be aware, the MUA WA branch recently sponsored our mate Chris Reeve in his attempt to complete the Rottnest channel swim solo. We’re really pleased to report that this event was a fantastic success. Chris finished the race in 41st place in a time of 5hrs and 44min. A really remarkable effort when you consider the calibre of the competitors in the race, and the conditions he was swimming in.
He qualified in the top 100 swimmers after coming in 9th in one of the 10km qualifiers, which meant he swam in the first group off the beach. It’s absolute mayhem for the first 1500m with kayakers and boats all trying to find their swimmer and steer them through the kaos! Jp spotted Chris guiding him through to the support boat flying the MUA flag and we were off. Chris set a quick pace in a light south-easterly breeze and a 1 - 2.5m swell and he hit the half way mark in around 2hrs 45min. He managed to keep the pace up over the next 3 hrs and as the pack bottlenecked into Thompson Bay the wind had come round to the south and we knew Chris was in the leading bunch. It was a truly huge effort and we barely took the boat out of gear the whole way across. Chris averaged 3.4 km/hr and had us on the beach celebrating with a cold beer before lunchtime!
Remarkably, thanks to the great generosity of our MUA membership, along with family and friends we have managed to raise over $10,000 for the kids of Ons Plek. This money will go along way to improving the lives of those kids. This is a truly great effort by all the members and we’d like to thank all those who have supported this fundraiser, on behalf of Chris, the WA branch and Tas Bull International Aid.
Ons Plek is a refuge for impoverished kids in the townships of South Africa. All funds raised will be focused on supporting the work of Ons Plek.
http://www.onsplek.org.za/
Learning to produce an income through self empowerment and skills development
Each year almost 100 - 150 girls between 6 and 18 years leave home to fend for themselves on the streets of Cape Town. The girls have left home to escape physical abuse and neglect or have been sent away as their families cannot support them. They report that they eat better on the streets than they do at home. The female street children are the poorest of the poor. The girls are a minority group on the street - an average of 12% of street children are girls. They have the lowest status at home and on the street.
The foundation of our work lies in the shelters. The shelter facility allows the family, child and staff members to work together thoroughly. We make arrangements and solve problems together, knowing that the child is safe, and fully cared for under adult guidance. In addition to weaning children from street life, the two other crucial focus areas of the project are: a) resettling children in community, and b) vocational preparation. All programs are integrated very closely with each other to equip and prepare the children for their future lives.
“A place for us!” was the delighted response of Cape Town’s invisible street
children, the girls, when Ons Plek Shelter opened for them in 1988. Ons Plek is
the only intake shelter for girls in Cape Town. The girls’ basic needs of food,
clothing, shelter, education and love are provided.
Once the children have crossed the threshold into Ons Plek they are not here as
street children, but as children who are looking for a new place in society.
They are not looking for an identity as former street children either, but want
to be seen as ordinary children. For them Ons Plek is not a project for female
street children, but a place, OUR PLACE, where ‘sifunda ukuphila’ — we learn for
our future lives.
Siviwe, meaning ‘God has heard us’, also named by the girls, provides an
environment undisturbed by direct contact with street life. Once the girls have
weaned themselves from street life while at Ons Plek, and adjusted to a more
structured life, they can move to Siviwe in Woodstock.
Ukondla, meaning ‘to nourish’, reaches out to the children of Philippi who are
at risk of dropping out of school or home and roaming the streets. Ukondla
provides support to keep them in school and at home.
He qualified in the top 100 swimmers after coming in 9th in one of the 10km qualifiers, which meant he swam in the first group off the beach. It’s absolute mayhem for the first 1500m with kayakers and boats all trying to find their swimmer and steer them through the kaos! Jp spotted Chris guiding him through to the support boat flying the MUA flag and we were off. Chris set a quick pace in a light south-easterly breeze and a 1 - 2.5m swell and he hit the half way mark in around 2hrs 45min. He managed to keep the pace up over the next 3 hrs and as the pack bottlenecked into Thompson Bay the wind had come round to the south and we knew Chris was in the leading bunch. It was a truly huge effort and we barely took the boat out of gear the whole way across. Chris averaged 3.4 km/hr and had us on the beach celebrating with a cold beer before lunchtime!
Remarkably, thanks to the great generosity of our MUA membership, along with family and friends we have managed to raise over $10,000 for the kids of Ons Plek. This money will go along way to improving the lives of those kids. This is a truly great effort by all the members and we’d like to thank all those who have supported this fundraiser, on behalf of Chris, the WA branch and Tas Bull International Aid.
Ons Plek is a refuge for impoverished kids in the townships of South Africa. All funds raised will be focused on supporting the work of Ons Plek.
http://www.onsplek.org.za/
Learning to produce an income through self empowerment and skills development
Each year almost 100 - 150 girls between 6 and 18 years leave home to fend for themselves on the streets of Cape Town. The girls have left home to escape physical abuse and neglect or have been sent away as their families cannot support them. They report that they eat better on the streets than they do at home. The female street children are the poorest of the poor. The girls are a minority group on the street - an average of 12% of street children are girls. They have the lowest status at home and on the street.
The foundation of our work lies in the shelters. The shelter facility allows the family, child and staff members to work together thoroughly. We make arrangements and solve problems together, knowing that the child is safe, and fully cared for under adult guidance. In addition to weaning children from street life, the two other crucial focus areas of the project are: a) resettling children in community, and b) vocational preparation. All programs are integrated very closely with each other to equip and prepare the children for their future lives.
“A place for us!” was the delighted response of Cape Town’s invisible street
children, the girls, when Ons Plek Shelter opened for them in 1988. Ons Plek is
the only intake shelter for girls in Cape Town. The girls’ basic needs of food,
clothing, shelter, education and love are provided.
Once the children have crossed the threshold into Ons Plek they are not here as
street children, but as children who are looking for a new place in society.
They are not looking for an identity as former street children either, but want
to be seen as ordinary children. For them Ons Plek is not a project for female
street children, but a place, OUR PLACE, where ‘sifunda ukuphila’ — we learn for
our future lives.
Siviwe, meaning ‘God has heard us’, also named by the girls, provides an
environment undisturbed by direct contact with street life. Once the girls have
weaned themselves from street life while at Ons Plek, and adjusted to a more
structured life, they can move to Siviwe in Woodstock.
Ukondla, meaning ‘to nourish’, reaches out to the children of Philippi who are
at risk of dropping out of school or home and roaming the streets. Ukondla
provides support to keep them in school and at home.
Fundraising For
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
Australian unions working globally in partnership for the achievement of dignity at work, social justice, economic equality and the realisation of human rights. We work to achieve this through strong unions and social movements, sustainable programs, global solidarity and support at times of crisis.
Sat, 25 Feb 2012
Anonymous
$ 50
Fri, 24 Feb 2012
Tim Dukes
$ 50
Here's a pineapple, ya filthy animal. Should Mossie live up to the committment he gave to wearing speedos (preferably pink) at the starting point i would love to double the cash. ........ shark .... no just seaweed.
CREATOR Danny Cain
SINCE Jan 2012
33
Donations
MY BADGES
20+ donations
$11,515 raised
TARGET $10,000
Please support this cause
$
AUD
Fundraising For
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
Australian unions working globally in partnership for the achievement of dignity at work, social justice, economic equality and the realisation of human rights. We work to achieve this through strong unions and social movements, sustainable programs, global solidarity and support at times of crisis.CREATOR Danny Cain
SINCE Jan 2012
33
Donations
MY BADGES
20+ donations
Great effortmate, I couldnt swim for 5 minutes let alaone 5 hours. Good onya.