Drive Hope | Liberty
Photo Cred: Signature of Hope

Signature of Hope Trust is responsible for initiating projects that will empower young minds. They work to create effective and impactful results.

 

How does a woman with less than R400 in her pocket decide to start a soup kitchen to feed kids on her street? How does a big wave surfer decide he can cross 7500 km of the ocean on a stand up paddle for charity – alone? How can a pair of gumboots light up a room? And how on earth do ordinary people think we can make a difference – when so much needs to be done?

The answer is ‘hope’. We’re not talking the kind of hollow hope that one day things will get better – this is hope backed by conviction.

“If you put enough energy behind a spark – you’ll create a flame that has a life-long impact,” says Natalie Philander the GM of Cape Town based, Signature of Hope (SOH) Trust, which has been out there in disadvantaged communities making a difference to vulnerable children over the last three years.

SOH has given more than hope in 2017

The Trust has been able to fund one woman’s feeding scheme for a year. Noluntu’s Community Soup Kitchen, fondly known as Ria’s kitchen in Kayelitsha feeds about 60 children. And Ria, being the woman she is, provides “her kids” with a little basic education and armfuls of love while she fills their tummies. SOH also donated books, toys and clothing for her to use in her community centre.

Fighting fires

In June, the now infamous Kynsna fires raged on and firefighters battled around the clock to salvage as much as they could. Knysna High School lost its hostel in the blaze. This was a heavy blow for learners and teachers right in the middle of their exams. Like so many in the area they lost their homes and possessions. SOH extended a hand to provide them with much-needed financial support from funds it had raised.

X-treme fundraising

Through a partnership with adventurer and philanthropist – Chris Bertish, SOH was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of his epic SUP Crossing and has been actively working to raise funds for Operation Smile SA and the Lunchbox Fund this year.

Catching bubbles in the wind

In October the SOH team delivered gumboots to the children at the Pebbles Project’s – Hemel en Aarde education facility in support of the wineland farming community. They spent a few hours with the 3-5 year olds from the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre playing and blowing bubbles in the wind. The gumboots went on, and even the older aftercare children refused to take them off, they were so pleased – humbling moments.

For the love of reading…

During the Trust’s visit they were impressed with the set up of a reading room and the need for children’s storybooks. Books were immediately allocated to the Pebbles centre from SOHs September Book drive along with a book distribution to non-profit organisation, True North who is doing pioneering ECD work in marginalised communities like Vrygrond near Muizenberg in the Western Cape. Every year, illiteracy costs South Africa R450 billion. With little education, no skills and limited access to opportunities, more than half of our country’s youth are unemployed. Signature of Hope is focused on fighting illiteracy and will be doing a lot more work in this area in 2018.

“Our Trust is raising funds through personal and corporate donations and dispersing them through a series of grants to organisations that are making real and sustainable differences in people’s lives,” says Natalie.

“Supporting children at the early development stage of their young lives is an essential part of what we do. It is the groundwork for developing healthy, engaged and civic-minded adults in years to come.”

To do this, Signature of Hope is putting its energy into empowering people, building communities and changing lives.


Sources: Signature of Hope Supplied
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About the Author

Tyler Leigh Vivier is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Her passion is to spread good news across South Africa with a big focus on environmental issues, animal welfare and social upliftment. Outside of Good Things Guy, she is an avid reader and lover of tea.

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