Support for a growing children's home in Cape Town

Grant Information
Categories	Education , Community
Location	International
Cycle Year	2017

Organization Information
Organization Name (provided by applicant)	CHOSA (Children of South Africa)
Organization Name (provided by automatic EIN validation)
Secondary Addressee
EIN
Website	http://www.chosa.org

Contact Information
Contact Name	Elizabeth Hunja
Phone	323-248-1133
E-mail	ellie@chosa.org
Address	220 N Kenter Ave Los Angeles CA 90049

Additional Information
Used for	Grant funds will be used to provide for the ongoing needs of the 33 children (increased from 26 last year) currently housed at Abaphumeleli Home of Safety. The money will fund monthly grants to cover recurring expenses such as school fees and food for the children, and rent and utilities to keep the home running. This continued predictable income will give Abaph the stability needed to reach for even bigger dreams, like purchasing a second plot of land, which would house children transitioning into adulthood and also host a bakery that Abaph hopes to establish as a sustainable source of income for the home.
Benefits	Abaphumeleli serves some of Cape Town’s most vulnerable children: boys and girls of all ages who have suffered abuse, neglect, or the loss of a parent. Many of them came to Abaphumeleli severely malnourished, and several are living with HIV. By providing a loving home and educational opportunities for these children, the money received will create a brighter future for them; then, as they grow up to positively contribute to their society, South Africa and ultimately the world will benefit immensely.
Proposal Description	As you will recall from our application last year, Abaphumeleli Place of Safety was founded in 2004 by Evelyn Makasi, an ordinary community member in the township of Khayelitsha who began opening her home to children in need. CHOSA has been partnering with Abaph since 2011, providing capacity-building services such as financial management trainings for the leadership, and training related to the various stages of child development for caregivers. In addition to those services, Abaph has been receiving monthly grants from CHOSA since 2015 to fund the home’s day-to-day expenses related to providing for the children in their care. As we transition into 2018, we will continue to provide both capacity-building and financial supports to Abaph as the home continue to serve more children with love and dedication. The requested funds will be disbursed as follows, over the course of 2018: Preschool and School Fees: $2,400/year Groceries: $3,600/year Rent: $1,320/year Utilities: $1,440/year School Uniforms & Clothing: $480/year Medicines: $180/year Total: $9,420 We have chosen to request funding for monthly grants, as opposed to specific once-off projects, for two main reasons. First, the day-to-day costs associated with the running of a children’s home are typically the hardest for which to find new funders. Second, CHOSA operates with the understanding that our partners are the true experts in understanding the needs of the children in their care, and thus we allow for flexibility in how grant money is used, so that funds can be allocated toward areas of greatest need at any time. Thus, using funds from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation to cover the most common and essential expenses Abaph will face allows them to remain in complete control of major decisions around their expansion and growth. This allows Abaph to channel their local fundraising efforts toward once-off projects (like start-up costs for the bakery mentioned above) on a timeline consistent with the needs of the home at any given time. Funding this proposal will impact the lives of not only the 33 children at Abaphumeleli, but all the lives they will touch as they grow, learn, and begin making positive contributions to society. Thanks to CHOSA’s monthly grants, made possible because of funders like you, Abaphumeleli is able to provide for the basic needs for the children in their care, and to plan for continued expansion as they grow in best practices for caregiving and general operations of the home. Thank you for your consideration. We are incredibly grateful for your support of CHOSA’s various partner projects over the years, and especially your grant for Abaphumeleli last year. We can attribute a great deal of Abaph’s successes this year, such as their welcoming of 7 new children and the development of a vegetable garden on the grounds, to your support.