The Lathitha Development Centre in East London is a beacon of hope, shining a spotlight on individuals, families and the community in Mzamomhle Informal Settlement in Gonubie.
Now Lathitha, which means light, is launching a Thundafund crowd funding campaign on Monday (April, 13) to raise funds for the upgrading and expansion of their facility.
Craft facilitator and strategic partner Audette Jooste who has been working with the organisation for over a year, said Lathitha had made a powerful impact in the Mzamomhle community since it started in January 2012. It runs programmes such as computer and English literacy classes, life skills training, work readiness workshops, craft workshops, youth support groups, math tutoring, after school activities (choir, art, dance, and homework club) and is establishing an educare creche .
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Beacon of hope
“We are a beacon of hope in Mzamomhle township, an agent of transformation in the community we serve. Lathitha is a safe haven filled with love, hope and family. We seek to help people reach their full potential, enabling them to be self sustained, contributing members of their community,” Jooste said.
Through various skills training, spiritual, life skill programs and support groups they encouraged the personal development of learners, youth, women, children and the unemployed.
“We believe in the principle of not giving people fish, but teaching them to fish for themselves. We have a dream to expand this impact to reach a wider section of the community, and offer more diverse skills training. So we need a new facility to accommodate more learners, educare children, crafters, trainees, youth and staff,” she said.
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“We would also like to create recreational facilities for school learners and youth. To do this we need to upgrade/expand our facility and create a safer more productive environment, conducive to individual and community growth. The current facility is limited in its capacity to provide this,” she said.
Lathitha Development Centre is a Non Profit Organisation which was born as a practical response to the social ills rampant in Mzamomhle such as rape, crime, high unemployment, poverty, alcoholism, substance abuse, AIDS and teenage pregnancy. Mzamomhle has a population of 40 000, of which only an estimated 20% of residents are employed.
“We are very excited to already be in the process of building the second building, and have received various donations such as funds for the shell, roof, windows and doors. We need your help to complete this building, install a kitchen, and secure, repair and upgrade the old building and playgrounds,” she said.
The Thundafund campaign will run for 45 days. More information can be found on the Lathitha Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Lathithadevelopment.
Thundafund is a South African crowd funding cafe for creative and innovative projects.More information on Thundafund can be found at https://www.thundafund.com/
