“The World Cup Project”:
Children of the Dawn has been allocated 187 tickets for 4 Soccer World Cup Games in June! In recognition of our work, FIFA’s 2010 World Cup Football for Hope Ticket Fund run by official sponsor Sony has donated these tickets for Children of the Dawn beneficiaries. Now we have to transport the lucky 146 children and their caregivers to the games… so we need your financial support! When you make a donation towards this World Cup Project, you will be entered in a lucky draw that will see two generous donors be given two tickets for the Ghana vs Germany Game – Soccer City – 20h30, 23rd of June, to accompany our children in their fantastic adventure. Please make your donation under the ref your name by following this link. We probably need some R40’000 to transport all the lucky children. A donation of R200 would take care of the transport needs of 1 child, chosen through a lucky drawn amongst 10 years and older. We rely on your generosity to make sure this very very exciting adventure become true!”
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!
