“The Kilimanjaro Dream Project”:
In 2008, we run a campaign whereby all our children wrote their dream on a piece of paper. The dreams were then physically carried all the way to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. On the back of this campaign, we are now busy making 12 dreams come true. These dreams will take place between September and December 2009 and will include: visits to Ushaka Marine World in Durban, attending an international cricket game, a guided tour of Bloemfontein, meeting a Generations actress, a visit to Robben Island, a ride in a captive hot air balloon. Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about these dreams coming true in an exceptional manner!
Children of the Dawn - Our Activities
Mathabatha 
Bushbuckridge 
Qwaqwa/Phuthaditjhaba
Mangweni 
Mpumaze 
Ermelo 
Kgautswane 
Lenyenye
At present, Children of the Dawn cares for 703 children aged 4 to 22 in seven rural communities: Mathabatha and Lenyenye located in the Limpopo Province, Bushbuckridge, Mangweni and Ermelo situated in Mpumalanga, Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State Province, and Mpumaze in Kwazulu-Natal. The sponsorship programme is run on the ground by seven dedicated teams. 79% of the sponsored children are orphans or living with a HIV- positive parent.
Children of the Dawn strives to take a holistic approach in supporting orphans and vulnerable children within their own communities. In effect, Children of the Dawn looks at fulfilling the whole spectrum of children’s needs: education, nutrition, health, safety, moral and psychological issues, life skills, maintaining of family units, community integration, integration in the wider community… and having fun. Children of the Dawn encourages communities to take initiative and responsibility for answering children’s needs.
At the heart of Children of the Dawn’s model lie the aftercare centres or drop-in centres. Through its partners in the seven communities, Children of the Dawn presently operates twenty-two of these semi-formal day centres, which welcome the sponsored children several times a week. When at the centre, children are fed, helped in their homework, educated in life skills, hygiene and health issues, and given moral and emotional support.
Aside from the aftercare centres, network support teams have been created around each child. These informal support entities comprise of extended families, neighbours, teachers, social workers, small businesses and are meant to integrate and keep the orphans or vulnerable children within their community.
At Children of the Dawn, we believe in community responses to the challenge of orphaned and vulnerable children. We, South African rural communities, believe we have the will, the power and the love to raise a generation of saved children!
