“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”. – Mother Teresa
Tamlin Klein (Occupational Therapist)
Chairperson
Renee Smith
Director
Welcome to Children A’louds 2024 Annual Report, where we review the growth of our operations, programs and communications to our community members and stakeholders.
South Africa faces critical social and economic challenges especially related to unemployment, poverty, drug/ alcohol abuse and gangsterism and these contribute greatly to the distress of the community in which Children A’loud works. This highlights the necessity to ensure our children and youth are educated and encouraged to engage in positive groups and occupations.
Children A’loud was formed with the aim to develop the life skills tool kit and create a space where the children and youth of Ocean View can be children, young and free, build a sense of belonging and value in order to build resilience in the harsh world of survival.
Introducing different means of recreation, provide opportunities, enlighten the youth on life’s possibilities and promote and develop their self-esteem, sense of agency and resilience building.
However, nothing that is worth pursuing ever comes without some degree of sacrifice and I compliment the management team and volunteers of Children A’loud that made and continue making unprecedented sacrifices to ensure that they continue with their selfless work in making a difference in the lives our children and youth.
We were able to successfully run various programs and work closely with various groups and role players in the community, our hard work has been greatly evident in the amazing change and growth of not only our participants but within their families and their community as well.
Whilst we celebrate these achievements and growth, we need to acknowledge that we are faced with many challenges that hindered our ability to spread our services to many more children and youth of Ocean View. These challenges include finance, resources and community challenges such as gang violence. Despite these challenges we focused on working closely with existing organisations and offering practical programs to further spread our name and cause within the community, while engaging not only the children and youth but their family units as well.
We are therefore very pleased to record the partnerships that continue to support Children A’loud and assists us in providing successful programs that directly affect our participants in our various programs.
This report is thus an attempt to share our experiences in order to spread and create awareness about Children Aloud and the various programs we currently offer. In order to empower our children and youth allowing them the opportunity to develop their self-esteem and expose them to further opportunities and life skills.
Yours sincerely,
Renee Smith (Director) and Tamlin Klein (Chairlady)
