The North Coast Courier Orphan Fund was established to raise money for NGOs
that specialise in caring for orphans. This month, the organisation commemorates
21 years since it first launched. We chatted to three people, each of whom has a
special connection to the organisation, about what the project means to them.
TREVOR SCELO,
THE FIRST-EVER BENEFICIARY OF THE ORPHAN FUND
21 years ago, when he was just 17 years old, Trevor took a leap of faith and walked into the North Coast Courier office to ask for help. An orphan with very few options, he was selling avocados to support himself, but was desperate to go to school. “I really loved school,” Trevor reflects. “But when my mother passed away, I wasn’t able to attend anymore.” With the help of Rose Stephenson who was at the office at the time, and support from the Anglican Church in Umhlali, he was enrolled at Sizani School where he thrived. From there, he went to Stanger South Secondary School, and to this day, he is grateful to Rose for giving him a chance. “Rose has been like a mother to me,” he says. “If it wasn’t for her, I would be locked up or dead.” Trevor currently works as a full-time gardener in Ballito, and although his life isn’t without its challenges, he wants to help children in his community feel a sense of purpose and belonging. He has started a soccer club for kids called the Tete Young Chiefs, which he coaches three times a week. “I really want these kids to have something to be proud of,” he says. “It’s more than soccer – it’s about taking responsibility. I make sure they go to school, wash their shirts and have respect.” Trevor inspired the launch of the Orphan Fund, and this is something he’s humbled by. “When I asked for help, I opened a door for other children,” he says. “God is good.”
If you would like to support Trevor’s soccer club, please contact him on 063 757 9970
ROSE STEPHENSON,
CO-FOUNDER AND COMMITTEE MEMBER
Rose distinctly remembers the moment Trevor walked into the North Coast Courier offices. “He was so keen,” she says. “He really wanted to learn.” Getting to know Trevor and learning about his life sparked the idea of officially starting the Orphan Fund. “There were a huge number of orphans at the time because of HIV/AIDS,” Rose explains. Together with several church leaders, Rose formed a committee and started a fundraising drive. With the help of community members, they identified child-led families and homes where grandparents were raising children so that they could provide food to those in need. As the project grew, they found places where children were cared for after school in the form of homework support and a meal, and fundraised specifically for these spaces. The Orphan Fund grew from strength to strength, but it was hard work. “I very naively thought that people would make a commitment year after year, but it doesn’t work like that,” admits Rose. “You have to work really hard at fundraising.” Although there have many challenges over the years, Rose says that it’s been deeply rewarding. “It gave me huge meaning and purpose,” she says. “The bursary scheme we started has been something I particularly enjoyed. I’ve loved interacting with young people and I feel like we’ve really made an impact in their lives.”
CHARMAINE PREMLAL,
FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR
Charmaine has been working with the Orphan Fund for the last two years and absolutely loves the opportunity it gives her to positively affect others’ lives. “Bringing a smile to a child’s face is the most rewarding part of the job,” she says. Although it’s not always easy raising money for the organisation’s beneficiaries, Charmaine says that securing new in-kind and cash donors under very tough economic conditions is always a personal highlight. Looking to the future, she hopes to expand the organisation’s impact. “While we remain committed to our pillars (education; hunger alleviation and sustainability; and upliftment projects), we’re aware there is a need to adapt to the changing needs of our communities,” she says. “We would love to offer skills development opportunities for the youth, ECD training for practitioners and entrepreneurship avenues for our NGO beneficiaries.”
WHAT DOES THE NORTH COAST COURIER ORPHAN FUND DO?
The NCC Orphan Fund is making a difference to the poorest of the poor who have been affected by HIV/AIDS related deaths of breadwinners in their families and most recently by the devastating impact of Covid-19 and natural disasters in KZN.
To date, the NCC Orphan Fund has raised and distributed over R8 million. Funds are distributed to organisations who specialise in social work, to institutions and organisations who take care of small groups of orphans or vulnerable children, to responsible individuals who run school feeding schemes and to groups of orphans taken care of by women, usually grandmothers. Allocations are also made for school transport costs, for students at tertiary institutions, pupils in the foundation phase and projects from NGOs that need funding.
If you would like to partner with the NCC Orphan Fund, call Charmaine on 032 946 0276 or email [email protected]
