Nancy of the Thandukuphila Project is held up by two gunmen.

I have received word from Nancy, Project Manager of the Thandukuphila Centre. A few days ago on leaving the bank she was stopped by two men brandishing guns.

Nancy was absolutely terrified and thought she would lose her life. The gunmen thought she had withdrawn thousands of pounds from the bank. There is not thousands of pounds in the bank to be withdrawn and she had taken approx £60 which the gunmen took. Nancy said she screamed for help and for someone to phone the police at which point the gunmen ran off.

Because they had guns no-one came forward to help Nancy which I feel may have saved her life. If someone had try to tackle the men maybe in their panic they would have used the guns.

Nancy is now badly traumatised and still in shock but grateful that she still has her life.

Nancy is just getting on her feet after being so ill last year and this incident has now set her back again.

Support no longer available for Hope Project

Sadly I am no longer able to support Hope Project. This is due to lack of communication, receipts and feed back.

Without this vital information I feel unable to continue funding this project.

All funding now goes solely to the Thandukuphila Project with whom I am in regular contact and from whom I received receipts, photos, letters and all the feed back required to run the charity correctly.

Money sent to South Africa

On November 5th £13,685 was sent out to South Africa. This amount is comprised of all the school/uniform fees, college fees and the sponsored walk money.

The two children's centres/crèches are in desperate need of hot water urns also nappies and formula are needed for the babies. I am still waiting to hear what Nancy, Project manager of Thandukuphila Centre, has chosen, out of the many needs, to spend any remaining money on.

La Rochelle Marathon

The Marathon in La Rochelle France to be run by David Williams and his friend, both from Wales, is to be held on Nov 30th.

In the past David has run several marathons including the London one and he is busy training for this one at the moment.

More news of this event will be posted at a later date.

James's Dreadllocks

James's Dreadlocks
Here is a photo of James's dreadlocks before being cut off on November 18th in aid of One Life Charity.

A follow up photo of James minus his dreadlocks will be posted on this site after the event.

One Life Sponsored Walk

The money from the sponsored walk is still trickling in so I have not got the exact amount raised as yet. The response the walkers received was very good and I know the final total will come to almost £2000 which is amazing as there was only 10 walkers this year. The final total willbe posted on the website shortly.

Fund Riase (Cut the Dreadlocks)

I received an unexpected phone call yesterday evening from Marilyn Overton to say that her son James aged 23 is very interested in supporting One Life and to do so he has made the massive decision to have his waist length dreadlocks cut off.

James's dreads will be cut off on November 18th.

I was very moved and impressed with this young man and his interest in supporting
the orphans in South Africa.

If you wish to sponsor James please contact me at elena@onelife-online.org.uk

Unexpected donation of £700

We have received an unexpected donation of £700
Sakhile one of our young men orphaned by Aids in S Africa will be going into his third year at College/Uni in January. Because of his excellent school grades and his hard work he has been receiving a part grant for his education and food/board, the remainder of his fees have been paid by a sponsor here in England.

Due to his continuing hard work, perseverence and good results he has now been granted a full scholarship which is wonderful. What more reward could any sponsor have than to see the young person they have sponsored and given a chance in life work hard and achieve so much that they will in the future be able to support themselves and their siblings and give back to the community which they come from.

The sponsor who wishes to remain anonymous had already given the charity the £700 due for Sakhile's next year's fees but he has declined my offer to refund him by cheque and has requested that One Life keep the money and use it towards the many needs which the orphans have.

This is a wonderful gesture and I suggested to the sponsor that a part of the money go to help Sakhile's siblings in whatever way they need our help right now.

We are indeed blessed with all the loving support and help we receive, some like this, quite unexpectedly.

One Life Sponsored Walk

Last Saturday 11th October One Life held their annual sponsored walk. It was a glorious day, warm and sunny, perfect for the walk. We walked in St James Park and the trees and shrubs surrounding the lake were magnificent in their autumn colours. Squirrels were bounding around, very tame, sitting at peoples feet and asking for food. The Pelicans and other bird life was wonderful to see and it was a magical day, enjoyed by all who took part in the walk.

Sadly this year our numbers were down due to holidays, anniversaries and sickness but support has been wonderful and for my taking part I have already been sponsored for just over £600.

Whatever we raise will do so much good in Africa to alleviate the poverty and suffering. The total amount raised will be published on this site at a later date.

Marathon Walk in France

This morning Oct 6th I received an email from a sponsor, Tracey Williams, telling me that her husband and friend are planning to run the marathon in La Rochelle, France in aid of One Life in November.

This was such welcome news as many people people for various reasons have dropped out of the One Life sponsored walk to be held next Sat Oct 11th.

My grateful thanks go to Tracey and her husband and friend.

Money sent to S Africa

On 30th September £900 was sent out to the Thandukuphila Centre, Nseleni, South Africa.
Very recently the electricity cables had been dug up and stolen and Nseleni was left for days without electricity. Apart from it being very cold there right now all the food kept in the freezers for the crèche and school children was ruined and they survived on apples, oranges and Peanut Butter sandwiches. The money sent is to refill the freezers as the electricity is now back on and for any other goods needed.

Money Raised

On Sunday 28th September £130 was raised from the sale of Handmade Greeting cards, African bracelets and Bric a Brac. This sale was held after the morning service at St Anne's Parish Church, Highams Park.

Grateful thanks go to everyone who supported One Life and to the vicar Jude for allowing us to sell the goods in the church hall.

Sponsored Walk

A Sponsored Walk in aid of the Kwazulu Aids Orphans is to be held on October 11th. We are meeting at 11am at Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square and will be walking down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace then turning left into St James Park where we will do four laps of the park with a break in the middle for a packed lunch.

There are usually vans in the park selling hot and cold drinks and there are also toilet facilities.

We need more people to walk with us and also to sponsor myself so if you want to join us or sponsor me please contact Elena at elena@onelife-online.org.uk

St Anne's Fund raise Event

Yesterday evening July 19th Penny and David Rolfe of St Anne's Parish church, Chingford held a fund raising event in the church hall.. They invited Candanto, a singing group to entertain everyone and also offered a summer supper/light refreshments.

It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by everyone. The singers sang in harmony and were very talented and professional.

£700 profits were raised and Penny and David are donating £350 of that to One Life and the other £350 to the church.

My grateful thanks to Penny and David and Jude,the vicar of St Anne's, for once again supporting One Life in such a big way. Thanks also go to the people who came forward to help prepare everything before the event for all their hard work.

Another unexpected donation

Today the 11th July I received a cheque for £100 which came in response to the latest newspaper article re my return from South Africa. This came as a lovely surprise and was gratefully received.

Photos for the South Africa trip 2008

You can now find the latest photos from my trip to South in April in Galleries (see right hand side) under South Africa trip 2008.

June 2008 Newsletter now available

The new One Life newsletter for June 2008 can now be downloaded.

Funding sent out to South Africa

During the months of May and June the sum of £2,200 was sent out to the Thandukuphila Centre to help with shack repair, blankets, electricity and goods needed to make life more comfortable for the orphans and their carers during the winter months they are experiencing right now.

A welcome donation

On June 26th the wonderful donation of £200 was sent to One Life by Margaret Halford of Chingford. This money will be put to good use in Kwazulu, South Africa.

Grateful thanks to you Margaret on behalf of the orphans we support.

Thames Wharf Charity again

Yesterday 6th June I received another unexpected cheque from Thames Wharf Charity for the same amount as last month, £518. This came as a wonderful surprise and is received with grateful thanks.

Unexpected donation

On my return from South Africa I received an unexpected cheque for £518 from Thames Wharf Charity. This came as a wonderful surprise and will add to the monies to be sent out to S. Africa shortly.
We need to provide the basic essentials for better living conditions.Electricity is essential for the African shacks as so many children are burnt due to candles being knocked over. Many children become sick due to inhaling paraffin fumes, this is used for cooking so gas cylinders are a much better option. Also many people need mattresses and blankets to prepare for the coming winter.

All donated money no matter how small will be gratefully received.

Back from Africa

Our trip to S Africa sadly came to it's end last Tuesday and Gwen Cass who came with me and myself arrived back in England on Wednesday 30th April. Since arriving back I have been very tired, probably the flight and the totally different climate and life style.

The trip was a wonderful one and quite varied as between working with the projects and giving help where ever we could we had time for a trip to a game reserve and we were also able to spend two nights in Durban overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean.

The trip was a mixture of joy and sadness. S Africa and it's people are beautiful but the poverty and sickness and the acceptance of life humbles one and makes one extremely grateful for the way most of us are able to live here in the west.

I will eventually put the next newsletter together and also open a new photo gallery for this year's trip but that will take a little while as I have 600 photos to work through to find the most appropriate ones.

My sincere thanks to all of you who so generously donated towards this trip. Your money was well used and relieved much suffering. We were able to purchase blankets, mattresses, tracksuits, school bags, electricity and the basic items for survival. We both felt blessed and privileged to be in South Africa and to be made so very welcome by the Africans.

It really was a very worthwhile trip and served to keep fresh in my mind how much help and support the people need from charities like mine and the wonderful people connected to them.

Trip to Africa

I leave for South Africa next Thursday, April 3rd. I have a friend, Gwen Cass, a good supporter of One Life, coming with me which is wonderfully supportive for me. It will be her first trip to Africa and we are both feeling very excited now as the date of our departure draws near.

I would at this stage like to thank all of you who so kindly and generously sent in donations for me to take to Africa with me. These donations will be used for the children and families in need of our help who we come across whilst visiting the two projects One Life support.

The next entry on this website will be on our return at the end of April.

Grants for the carers of the children we sponsor/school leavers and new children for sponsoring.

I have just received notification from the Thankdukuphila Centre that some of the carers of the children we sponsor out in South Africa have just received a grant for the care of the children. This grant will also be used for school fees/uniform so these children will no longer need our educational support though many will still attend the centre for food twice a day.

Because of the grants and the four children leaving school at the end of this year we are able to support 51 new children in need of our help. This is wonderful news.

I leave for Africa in three weeks time on Apri 3rd and will be able to bring back with me photos and background information of these children for their sponsors.

Donation from the Guides of St Anne's Parish Church

Last Thursday evening 6th March the guides of St Anne's Parish Church held a fashion show on behalf of One Life. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the enthusiasm of the girls who later presented me with £50 for the charity.

There is talk of these guides joining up with the guides of St Edmund's Parish Church to do another fund raise for the charity at a future date and I look forward to this event very much.

My grateful thanks go to the guides and the effort and time they put into the evening.

Donation from Rowe Sports

A wonderful donation of eight football strips was received from Rowe Sports, South Chingford on Tuesday 19th February. Twenty pairs of football socks were also donated.

These goods will be taken with me to S Africa in April. This is a very generous donation and will bring joy to many of our older orphans.

Our grateful thanks to David (Owner) for his generosity. He has also promised to donate again when I make my next trip.

Funding sent out to South Africa

On February 12th £3,600 was sent out to South Africa. Of that £2,000 went to the Thandukuphila Centre for the repair of shacks, for blankets and goods needed for the two creches and for the six new babies cared for at the centre.

£1,600 was sent out to Hope Project for the repair of shacks and the purchase of blankets for the children.

Winter will start for South Africa around May time so the shacks need to be repaired as soon as possible and the blankets need to be purchased before the winter sets in as conditions for the children can become unbearable.

Result of Fund Raise on February 2nd

The Ploughman's Supper/Fund Raise Event held in St Anne's Church Hall yesterday evening, February 2nd, raised a magnificent £1,520. Of this £1,270 will go to the Shack Repair fund and the remaining £250 will go into the Higher Education Fund.

Our grateful thanks to The Rev Jude, Vicar of St Anne's for his support and to Penny and David Rolfe and also Barbara and Paul Carter for their hardwork in organising this event and making it into a most enjoyable and successful evening.

Requests to local football clubs.

Today 30th January I am posting letters to Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham United Football Clubs to try and get some support for my charity, possibly T Shirts for two of our youngsters who are showing much promise with their football skills and need to be encouraged to continue with this.

I also appealed to the clubs for some financial help to go into our fund for higher education. Any results from the clubs will be placed on the website at a future time.

Thank you Tottenham Hotspur Football Club

I wrote to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club a short while ago to tell them about the fund raise event to be held this Saturday Feb 2nd in St Anne's Church Hall, Highams Park. I asked if they could possibly let us have something signed which we could raffle at the fund raise and I was delighted to recive a letter from them stating they are sending us a signed pennant.

So along with our grateful thanks come our very best wishes to them for their future matches.

Visit to South Africa

On April 3rd I leave UK for my next trip to Kwazulu South Africa in order to visit the projects which One Life support ie The Thandukuphila Centre from where we sponsor the education of 200 children, and Hope Project who we also support.

My friend and future trustee Gwen Cass will accompany me on this trip. She has never visited Africa before and is very much looking forward to the trip as I am.

As usual after the trip photos taken whilst in S. Africa will be placed on the website.

Shack repair fund.

With the addition of £500 received to day from Coedcae School, Llanelli, Wales our shack repair fund total has now stands at £1,349 68.

Donation from Coedcae School

Today, 17th January I received two cheques from Coecae School, Llanelli, Wales. Each of the cheques was for £500 and had been raised and donated by the pupils of the school and with the help and support of the headmaster Mr W H Jones and other members of the staff. Our grateful thanks go to them all.

Five hundred pounds of the money will go to boost our higher education fund and the other five hundred pounds will go into the shack repair fund.

Shack repair fund

I have received £58 from ALBA, the Amaravati Lay Buddhist Association. This very welcome amount will go towards the shack repair fund.

A £60 donation from Debbie Pipe has been put towards towards the shack repair fund.

The shack repair fund has now reached a total of £849.68

Shack Repair Fund

Today 27th December I have just received a cheque for £30 from Rosalind Purcell and £10 from Eileen Gabworthy. This brings the present total for the shack repair fund to £731.68.

Donation from Coedcae school. Wales

Today, Boxing Day I received an email from Mr Harvey Jones, headmaster of Coedcae school, S. Wales

Early in the New Year the school will be sending One Life £500 raised from charity events held at the end of the Christmas term.

This is a wonderful and unexpected donation and I am now waiting for Mr Jones to let me know if he wishes the money to go towards the shack appeal fund or to go into the higher education fund which we are trying to add to little by little.

Our grateful thanks go to Mr Jones and the staff and pupils of Coedcae school.

Ploughman's Supper/Charity FundRaise.

On Saturday 2nd February Penny and David Rolfe with helpers are holding a Supper/ Charity Auction on behalf of One Life. It is to be held in the Church Hall of St Anne's Parish Church, Higham's Park to start at 7-30pm. Tickets are £8 per head and everyone is invited to bring some unwanted item to be auctioned on behalf of the charity.

Last yearthe Supper/ Auction raised just over £1000 and it would be wonderful if this year the same amount could be raised.

Shack Repair Fund Appeal result.

Money is trickling in slowly for the shack repair fund and next week, Christmas week, our local Guardian Newspaper is issuing an appeal on behalf of One Life.

I have just received £10 from Mary Smith, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.
£15 from Linda Tomlinmson, Kings Heath, Birmingham.
£25 from Jaccqueline Bentham, Chingford, East London.
£30 from Barbara Carter.Chingford E. London.
£100 from Eluned and Mark Rees, South Wales.
£100 from Associazone Italiani (Willesden & Brent)
£26.68p Chase Lane Primary School

Added on to previous donations this makes a total so far of £691.68

My grateful thanks to everyone for their support.

Africa Appeal

5th December 2007
I have been in contact with both projects in Africa during the last two days and both projects have told me about the devastating effect of the wind and heavy rain and the unexpected hailstones on the shacks where the children live.

Money is desperately needed to help to repair the remaining shacks which are broken down and to rebuild the shacks which have been flattened to the ground. The children are becoming ill due to the circumstances they live in.

Funding is also need for food for the children who attend our New Satellite Feeding Centre.

Money is also needed for the shipment of a donated transit van which is urgently needed by the Thandukuphila Centre.

If you can help at all, even a few pounds would really help, please do support what I am trying to do for the children of Africa.

I am a small charity and do not receive help from "Children in Need" or any other big nationwide fund raising events but rely on small fundraising events and the support of our local Anglican Church and the parishioners and other friends of the charity.

Please think of our children, at a time when we are celebrating Christmas, and remember those who have nothing to celebrate with.

It is now easy to donate money, see our Pay pal scheme which is now in action.

Thank you.

Pictures of tracksuits and blankets recieved through One Life

Below is a link to some pictures of the crèche children wearing their tracksuit tops and other children receiving blankets. These were purchased with money raised though fund raising.

Pictures of children with blankets and tracksuits

November 07 newsletter available to download

The Newsletter for November 07 is now available to download from the site.

Shack Repair Fund Appeal

In our latest Newsletter Nov' O7, to be placed on the website shortly, an appeal was made for donations to help towards the repair of shacks where some of our most vulnerable children live. These shacks are falling down and mostly in a terrible state of repair. Blankets for winter are also needed again this year for the coming African winter and food is needed for the Satellite Feeding Centre.

Since the newsletter went out we have received very welcome donations as follows. £100 from Anna Barnard, £50 from Sharon Hammond, £60 from Jeanette James, £100 from Jenny Fitzgerald, £25 from Joan Pinder and a £50 pledge from a Turkish Cafe owner. Our grateful thanks go out to everyone for their generosity, caring and kindness. Any other donations will be gratefully received.

Penny Rolfe and her husband David are planning to hold another Ploughman's Supper/ Charity Auction for One Life in February next year and this money too will go towards repairing the shacks and the purchase of blankets and food.

Money to South Africa

On November 8th £10,252 was sent out to South Africa where Nancy will use it to pay the children's school fees and buy whatever uniform is needed for the coming school year which starts in January.

Also on November the 8th £1,200 was sent to Hope Project to support Africans in need but mainly to bring a little taste of Christmas to the !,200 children out in the rural areas who Hope Project provide food for on a daily basis.

I would like to thank everyone for continuing this year to sponsor one or more of the children connected to the Thandukuphila Centre for their educational needs. Also many thanks to everyone who came and supported One Life at the Fund Raise event held last Saturday November 3rd in the Methodist Church Hall, Chingford Mount.

Great News

Since the onset of the charity One Life has raised £55,358 which has been sent out to South Africa for school fees/uniform, repair of shacks, medication, blankets etc.
This a great amount for a small charity and I would like to give my grateful thanks to all who have helped us raise this magnificent amount. Thank you so much.
We need to really understand what a small of amount of money can do to enhance the lives of these children in Africa, some without even the basics in life, orphaned and hungry.
The difference we have made to these children is immeasurable. Please continue to help us. You can now make a donation from this website, see link on right hand side, which is a quick and easy way to put donations into the One Life Account.

Result of the Fund Raise Event held in the Methodist Church Hall, South Chingford

Yesterday Nov 3rd we held our Fund Raise event in the Methodist Church Hall, New Road. We enjoyed a very successful day and raised over £700. This morning we took some of the goods which we had not sold down to St Annes' Church Hall where, with the help of Penny and David Rolfe we made over another £90 in a very short time when the parishioners were enjoying coffee after the morning service. All in all £819.68 was raised for the children of Africa. Next week this amount plus all the school/uniform fees which have to be paid this time of year will be sent out to S. Africa.

I am delighted with the amount we raised and wish to thank all the people who gave up their Saturday to help at the fund raise and support the charity and the children.

Everyone enjoyed whatever therapeutic treatment they received and the Belly Dancing troupe were amazing and were enjoyed by everyone. The stalls were varied and interesting, the tea, coffee and cakes, excellent and a good time was had by all.

The photographer from the local Guardian turned up in time to photograph the Belly Dancers so watch out for the write up in next weeks Guardiian, usually out on a Thursday.

All in all it was a wonderful day and worth all the hard work that everyone put into it.

Results of the F/Raise event held at St Ann'es Parish Church

This morning September 16th a mini tabletop sale including the sale off my handmade greetings cards was held in St Anne's Church hall after the Harvest Service which was held in brilliant sunshine in the vicarage garden.

In a very short space of time we raised £115.40, received £55 in donations and also received a cheque for £700 for Gugu Sithole aged 18 who the Reverend Jude is sponsoring throughout her three year college course.

It was a blessed morning enjoyed by all and it was followed by a ploughman's lunch and delicious looking afters.

My sincere thanks go to The Reverend Jude, Penny and David Rolfe and Barbara Smith for their continued support of One Life and also to all the parishioners who came and supported us today.

Also this morning three more parishioners came forward, interested in supporting one of our children in Kwazulu. My grateful thanks to them for their caring and interest.

Kitchen Table Charity grant for Hope Project

One Life is in the process of applying for a £5000 grant for a group of African Women connected to Hope Project. They urgently require a small building with about four rooms in order to set up a place for Aids Counselling for women and children affected by the Aids Virus. Some of the children are badly traumatised by the death of their parents due to Aids or associated illnesses.

The local Zulu chief has donated a plot of land for this project so now funding is needed for building materials. Hopefully local community will assist in the erection of this building.

Papers and details of materials needed and the total amount needed are being sent to me by post and should arrive shortly then I can put in a formal application to Kitchen Table Charities and hope that the application will be agreed.

The outcome of the application will be posted on this site.

Funding to Africa

On August 21st £650 will be sent to the Thandukuphila Project Bank Account as at the moment the holding account there for One Life funding has been totally depleted due to the urgent needs of the children for blankets, tracksuits, food etc during the extremely severe winter which they experienced this year.

Fund Raising

Penny Rolfe of St Anne's Church phoned on August 19th to say that on Sunday September 16th after the Harvest Service she will be holding a small Table Top Sale in the church hall in aid if One Life.

I have been invited along to sell my Handmade greeting cards and African bracelets etc.

I am very grateful to Penny and the church for the continued support One Life receives.

Nancy of the Thandukuphila Centre

I have received news from South Africa (August) that Nancy (Project Manager) of the Thandukuphila Centre is slowly recovering her health.

I phoned on the 8th of August and for the first time in months I was able to speak to Nancy herself. She returned to work last Monday and does a couple of hours a day. The doctor has told Nancy that it will take quite a while for her complete recovery.

On behalf of Nancy, her family and myself at One Life I would like to thank you all for your prayers and thoughts and best wishes for Nancy's recovery.

Money to Africa

Tomorrow the 12th of June £650 will be sent to Hope Project for the purchase of jumpers for some of the orphans and bricks to help in the building of a new place to sleep for the family I visited in February whose shack was full of holes. This has now blown down due to heavy winds and this family of two adults and their nine children ncluding a new baby are cramped together in a minute building.

Another £650 will be sent to Sr Emmanuel for the Thandukuphila Emergency Fund as lately much of our emergency money has been used to feed children and combat the cold as it is now winter time in KwaZulu with cold mornings, evenings and night times.

Nancy of the Thandukuphila Centre

I phoned Nancy in Kwazulu, Natal yesterday evening (30thMay). Her daughter Khanya answered the phone and told me that her mum, Nancy, is really quite ill at the moment. Since the worries around the keeping of the Thandukuphila Centre she has lost about three stones in weight which has affected her Diabetes quite badly. She is also in severe pain from arthritis which pain killers are not helping at all.

Her daughter Khanya is having to take time off from University to look after Nancy and the family and help at the centre.

Please keep Nancy in your thoughts and prayers. The Thandukuphila centre cannot function well for too long without her.

Money to Thandukuphila Centre

Tomorrow the 24th May £1000 will be sent to Nancy of the Thandukuphila Centre for the purchase of track suits for the 75 under school age orphans looked after on a daily basis in our two crèches. Nancy told me that it is freezing cold now in Kwazulu particularly so in the rural areas and that the crèche children are very cold.

The money sent is part of the money raised from this years sponsored walk

Nancy also told me that she and her family have not got enough blankets or food and she needs money for food for the children who come twice a day to the two centres we now run so part of the £1000 will go for the purchase of food and blankets..

I am very grateful to everyone who took part or supported financially the sponsored walk enabling us to respond immediately to the urgent needs of Nancy and the children.

Larkswood School sponsor a Kwazulu orphan's education

I was invited to an assembly at Larkswood Primary School, South Chingford earlier this month (May). Whilst there I was presented with a cheque to pay for the schooling and uniform for the coming year for 5 year old Sibongile Thango, a little girl I met at the Thandukuphila Centre on my trip to South Africa earlier this year.

Sibongile ThangoSibongile's parents died when she was two years old and she now lives with her grandmother and her four older siblings. Her grandmother has no way of paying for the education of these children and is extremely grateful for the support she is receiving.

In January Sibongile will attend the same school as Qiniso Msweli, the eight year old girl sponsored by Chase Lane School, South Chingford, this means when I return to South Africa, hopefully next April, I will be able to visit both children at the same time in their school.

I think there are great benefits to be had in fostering communication links between the school in Africa and the schools here in South Chingford who are sponsoring these two children. The children can write letters or draw pictures which I will take out to S. Africa with me and hopefully bring some back in return.

The children at Larkswood Primary school who I spoke to were very interested to hear about the children in Kwazulu and their lives and they asked some very interesting and appropriate questions, especially so as they were only six and seven years old.

The Sponsored Walk

On Saturday May 12th One Life held it's annual sponsored walk. Despite the weather forecast the rain held off until,mid afternoon and even became warm and sunny for a short period in the morning.

We all managed to have our packed lunches out of doors and this was very enjoyable due to the many multicoloured flower displays and the wonderful bird life always present in St James's Park.

As we walked down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace on our first stretch of the walk we saw the soldiers and horses on their way back to Wellington Barracks. This was certainly an added bonus to our day.

The turn out for the walk was good and we were joined by Sue and her son from The Midlands, Rosemary from Cambridge, Joan from Epsom Surrey and Rosie from Cranwell near Guildford and a good number of more local people.

The total amount raised will be posted on this site at a later date.

May 12th 2007 Sponsored Walk group.:

Funding to South Africa

£1000 has just been sent out to The Thandukuphila Centre, Nseleni. This will be used for basic shack repairs eg a new doors, flooring, window repairs etc
It will also be used for the purchase of blankets, foam mattresses and sheets to cover them so as to make life more bearable when the South African winter sets in. This season begins in May and can be very cold in the night time and early mornings.

£1000 has just been sent out to Hope Project also for the purchase of blankets, foam mattresses and sheets. The money will also be used for shack repairs and for the support of an aged grandmother coping with eight orphans and for the immediate needs of Gogo the 104 year old blind African lady who One Life helps to feed and support.

Saints and Sinners Charity Fund Riase

On Saturday evening 14th April Saints and Sinners Organisation raised £500 for the educational needs for the next ten years of five year old Gcina Khuzwayo. Gcina is attached to The Thandukuphila Centre, Nseleni managed by Nancy Khuzwayo.

St Anne's Ploughman's Supper / Charity Auction Fund Raise

On Friday evening the 13th April Penny and David Rolfe and Barbara and Paul Carter and their helpers organised and held The Ploughman's Supper / Auction in aid of One Life.

The full amount raised including donations came to a magnificent £1,120. My grateful thanks to everyone concerned and the money raised is now winging it's way to South Africa for blankets, foam mattresses and to repair some of the worst shacks before winter arrives for the children.

St Anne's Parish Church/Mini Table Top Sale

On Easter Sunday 8th April a Mini Table Top Sale was held after the morning Easter Service in the hall of St Anne's Parish Church, Chingford. All proceeds to come to One Life.

£137.60 was raised from this event from the sale of marmalade and various other donated items and also from the sale of handmade greeting cards,
African beaded bracelets, necklaces and various other African craft works.

Our grateful thanks go to Penny and David Rolfe who organised this event.

Newsletter No 6 for April 2007

The latest newsletter since my trip to South Africa this year can be downloaded via the following link:

One Life Newsletter 7 - April 2007

Donation from Chase Lane Primary Scchool.

Chase Lane Primary School / Nursery Unit have just raised and donated £202.26 to One Life. For details of how this was done go to Friends of One Life and just click on.

New image gallery for my latest trip to South Africa.

Photos from my latest trip to South Africa are available in the South Africa Trip 2007 gallery.

This can be found in the galleries section or by using the link above.

Fund raising money received for January 2007

£100 - Associazione Italiani - Willesden and Brent. - Johny Elcino.

£300 - Birthday Party proceeds - Anna Barnard

£103.82 - Mini Table Top Sale - St Anne's Parish Church

£170 - Prince of Wales Public House - Debbie Smith

£416.24 - Chingford Assembly Hall proposed by Debbie Pipe (trustee)

Our grateful thanks to all involved in these events.

Result of Small Grant Application

Unfortunately a negative result was had from the Small Application Grant applied for to Kitchen Tables Charity. What I weas unaware of on application was that grants are for Primary Education not Higher Education so my application did not fit the criteria.

Let's hope we have more success in the future. In the meantime a small percentage of funds raised will go into a Higher Education Fund.

Donation from Chase Lane School

In December Chase Lane School, South Chingford raised £356.92 for One Life at their Christmas Nativity Play. The money was donated by parents, carers and staff members.

This is a wonderful amount and will be used for education, medication and food. Our grateful thanks go to all involved.

Chase Lane School also sponsor the education of one of the children affected by the AIDS virus.

Unexpected donation to Higher Education Fund

Today 21st December I received a bank statement. I was surprised and elated to see a direct credit for £700 for higher education on it.

This is so encouraging for the charity as it is a project so close to my heart and is so important for the future of the children we are trying to help.

I have contacted Africa and hope to receive soon the name of a child who we will put into college this coming year. We have many children who have finished school but are unable to get work and support themselves due to lack of qualifications bacause college and higher education was never a possibility for them.

I hope and pray that we hear from John Humphreys re a grant for higher education and also that our fund grows throughout this coming year. There are many young people needing this kind of help. At least now we have made a start.

Our sincere thanks go to this anonymous doner, what a difference this donation will make to the life of another of our young people.

Ploughman's Supper/Auction Fund Raising Event.

On Monday the 11th of December I was invited to the house of Barbara and Paul Carter two parishioners from St Anne's Parish Church who each sponsor one of our orphans. Also invited was Penny Rolfe, another parishioner who also sponsors one of our children. I had not met Barbara and Paul before and a delightful afternoon was spent getting to know each other.

Barbara and Penny are arranging a Ploughman's Supper/Auction Fund Raise on April 13th 2007 on behalf of the charity. Further information about this will be posted at a later date.

It is support like this which is so meaningful, to know that people care and support what One Life is trying to do. So my grateful thanks to Barbara and Penny and all the other people who may be involved in this fund raise.

Letters from Sponsored Children

I just wanted to share some letters we received from our sponsored children who wished to contact their sponsors. They each tell their own story. You can click on the letters to show the larger versions that you can read. The photos can also be enlarged by clicking on them.

This is Nondumoso Khoza. She is 13 years old, one of thirteen orphans looked after by her grandmother, Nondumoso has full blown AIDS but is responding well to the anti-retroviral drugs she is now receiving.

This is Purity Mlondo, she is 16 years of age and is the sole carer of her 4 siblings. They live in a one room broken down shack in a squatters village. She is extremely grateful for the opportunity to go back to school and hopes to continue with her education so that she can support her siblings in the future.

This is Gugu Sithole, she is 18 years of age. She and her sister live with their aunt who is terminally ill. She is very excited to be able to attend college starting in January. She is our first sponsored young person to do so.

Small Grant Application

Today December 11th I am applying to John Humphreys of Kitchen Table Charity Grants for a grant to start a fund for higher education for our young school leavers who cannot get jobs without at least college qualifications. I just pray that we are successful as the only way through the poverty is through education leading to independence and a means of being self supporting.

November 06 Newsletter

One LIfe Newsletter 5 - November 06 is available in the resources section

Funding to Hope Project

On November 16th £1000 will be sent out to Hope Project to brighten up Christmas for the children and for any other immediate needs.

Trip to South Africa Jan 2007

There has been quite a bit of interest from the supporters of One Life re a return visit to Kwazulu, South Africa this coming year and on November 10th I booked a return trip leaving Heathrow on Jan 30th 2007 and return February 28th 2007.

The charity is small and all money raised goes out for the relief of suffering of the Aids orphans and any remaining sick adults in need. If anyoneone would like to contribute a small amount of money to be used while I am out there for the children and adults in great need who I come across when travelling in the more rural areas where poverty is rife this would be gratefully received.

Cheques should be made out to One Life and sent as soon as possible prior to my leaving England on January 30th.

Chingford Assembly Hall proposed New Year function donation

Debbie Pipe one of One Life's trustees has put forward to Chingford Assembly Hall that their New Year's function be held in the name of One Life where after costs all proceeds would come to the charity.

We are now hoping that this proposal will be successful so thank you Debbie.

Greeting Cards Party and celebrations.

Yesterday evening Wednesday 8th November the advertised Handmade Greetings Card Party was held at 43 Alpha Road, Chingford. At the same time we were also celebrating our third completed year of raising money for the charity.

The evening went very well and £142 was raised for One Life. To top off the evening Dee Astill one of the guests presented me with a cheque from Chingford Golf Club where she is a member.This was for £300 and is a wonderful amount. Our sincere thanks go to the club for their efforts and support.

School fees to Africa

Today November the 9th £7,600 has been sent out to Kwazulu. This money is for school fees, uniform and books. Sadly once again not everyone has sent their money in on time so money from donated funds has had to be used instead of being used for medecines etc.

Our grateful thanks go out to all of you who did manage to get your money in on time.

Sale of cards and charity celebration event

We are holding a charity celebration including sale of handmade greeting cards.

For details follow the above link.

Donation by St Ann's parish church, Chingford.

A short while ago the charity received £180 from the parishioners of St Ann';s church situated here in Chingford. This was a Lenten appeal on behalf of One Life and was gratefully received.

A big thank you to the Rev. Jude and his parishioners.

Proceeds from Car Boot Sale re Rosie Faupel

A cheque for £100 was received a short while ago from Rosie Faupel. This money was raised by goods sold at a car boot sale. Rosie is already collecting items for another car boot sale to be held early next year, the proceeds to come to One Life.

The charity is very grateful to Rosie for her ongoing support and the effort she puts in to helping us.

Sale of cards and bracelets at St Ann's Church

This morning October 15th I went down to St Ann's Church to give a short talk on One Life after the morning service held by the Rev. Jude Bullock. I was also invited to sell handmade cards and African bracelets/wristbands in aid of the charity.

This went very well and £100 - 20p was raised in a very short space of time.

Our thanks go to The Rev Jude and his parishioners for their continued support of One Life.

At the same time we were blessed to get another of our children sponsored and another lady has made a commitment to send a donation of £50 to the charity within this coming week.

Good News from South Africa

I have received the great news that a vehicle has been donated to Nancy for the Thandukuphila Centre, also donated is the regular salary for a driver for the vehicle.

This vehicle is needed for the transportation of food up to our new feeding centre in rural Nseleni and also to transport the sick to hospital or clinic and for transportation of some children to school. These are the children who live far away in the most rural areas and it is becoming unsafe for them to walk the long distance to school. 75% of all rapes in Kwazulu are on young African girls.

Latest news on Sanjay Patel

Yesterday evening Sanjay Patel (Paediatrician) and his fiance came for dinner. This was their last evening in the UK as they fly out this evening (28th September) to Durban, Kwazulu, Natal then onto Pietermaritzburg where they will both work in local hospitals.

Sanjay brought with him the amazing amount of £640 raised from his farewell party held on September 17th. This is such a wonderful donation for the charity to receive and I am very grateful to him and his fiance for their efforts on our behalf.

Sanjay will contact the projects we support out in Kwazulu and will feed back news through the email system.Thank goodness for technology.

One Life would like to wish them a good flight out to Africa and a great year working there and we look forward to seeing them again on their return.

Funding to South Africa

The £1,000 sent out to Hope Project on 30th June never arrived and eventually it was discovered that it never left Enland, a bank error. This sum of money has now been resent and hopefully will arrive shortly.

£800 has also been sent out to Hope Project for medecines and this too should arrive any day now.

£1,000 has also been sent out to Nancy of the Thandukuphila Centre for the many needs of the children and partly for the last college term for Khanya, Nancy's daughter who will then be in a position to help her mother with all the work at the two centres alongside taking up part-time employment at the local hospital.

Rosie Faupel and a Car Boot Sale

Rosie Faupel who joined us from Suffolk on June 10th for the sponsored walk and who raised approx £200 for One Life phoned a couple of evenings ago to say that this weekend , weather permitting, she will be holding a car boot sale the proceeds to come to One Life.

This gesture is much appreciated as the account in England is at the monent sadly depleted due to emergency calls for funding for medecines and food urgently needed in Africa.

A visit from Sanjay Patel

Yesterday morning 21st August Mr Sanjay Patel a paediatrician at Whipps Cross Hospital came to visit to find out more about One Life and the African Projects we are involved in. Sanjay and his fiance an anaethetist at Whipps Cross Hospital are leaving at the end of September to take up a years work in Pietermaritzburg Hospital in Kwazulu, Natal. They are very interested in becoming involved in Hope Project, Nancy and our Thandukuphila Centre and in making contact with Sr Emmanuel.

This is wonderful news for the projects and we are all very excited about having a qualified paediatrician on hand for the children out there.

Sanjay is turning their farewell party into a fundraising event for the charity, which is a wonderful gesture.

We wish both him and his fiance a wonderful year in Kwazulu and look forward to receiving news from them soon after they arrive.

Final Sponsored Walk amount.

The final amount received for the Sponsored Walk on June the 10th is £2,674.

This is an amazing amount and has been the encouragement needed to seriously consider another sponsored walk for next year 2007.

Donation from Coecae School.

This morning (July 22nd) I received a letter and two cheques amounting to £450 from Coedcae School, South Wales. This is a wonderful amount and I am very grateful to staff and students involved in the fund raising.

This money will be used for the education of 10 of our orphans connected to our new feeding centre out in rural Kwazulu.

Funds sent out to S. Africa

£4,300 has been sent out to S. Africa within the last two weeks. Of this £1,000 went to Hope Project for the purchase of blankets, one per child for the cold winter evenings.

Another £1,000 also went to Hope Project for the immediate purchase of Oxycell an immune boosting drug for AIDS/HIV sufferers.

A further £1,000 went out to Sr Emmanuel for our emergency fund used for replacement housing, food, education etc and for any other emergencies which occur frequently.

£1,300 went out to The Thandukuphila Centre (Nancy) for the completion of the new feeding centre, also for medecines, food, jerseys and shoes. Most of these are needed for children attending the new feeding centre who live out in the remote rural areas. They are very poor and feeling the cold now that winter has arrived in S. Africa.

Latest total of amount raised through sponsored walk.

We have now just exceeded an amazing £2,500 from the sponsored walk. Final amount will be published shortly.

Funds sent reach £25,500

I am really pleased to announce that since February 2004, £25,500 has been sent out by One Life to Kwazulu South Africa to help feed, educate, supply medecines, clothing and blankets for the children affected by the AIDS/HIV virus.

We also played a major part in the opening of a new feeding centre in the more rural area of N'seleni where The Thandukuphila Centre is based.

Sponsored Walk photos uploaded

Some photos from the sponsored walk have now been uploaded into the Sponsored Walk Gallery

Fund raising event

I have been unable to hire an affordable hall from any of our local churches for our next fundraising event to be held in September. This is now cancelled for this current year. Luckily the sponsored walk is raising far more money than envisaged so will make up some what for the loss of funds from the sponsored event which is now cancelled.

I would like to thank everyone who took part in the sponsored walk raising much needed funding for the charity.

Funds to South Africa

I have just recieved news from Frans Ballack of Hope Project in Kwazulu. He said the winter there for the orphans living in the rural remote ares is very bad this year and there is another urgent need for blankets. We also supplied blankets last year but sadly there was not enough for all the children. On Friday last (30th June) I sent out £1,000 to Hope Project for the purchase of these items.

Yesterday I received the quarterly report from Nancy at the Thandukuphila Centre where she stated that the new satellite feeding centre is still incomplete due to lack of funding and that the new children now connected to this centre are very poor and in need of jerseys and shoes, uniform and food so on Monday next I am sending £1,300 out to Nancy to help provide these items for the children.

Also on Monday I am sending £1,000 to Sr Emmanuel for our emergency fund which is used for food, clothing, housing and education of children not attached to the Thandukuphila Centre or Hope Project.

The money being raised from the sponsored walk has been very useful in all these areas of need.

Sponsored walk

At the moment we have received just over £1,800 from the sponsored walk. There is still quite an amount of money still to come in which I am hoping will arrive shortly as there are many urgent needs for funding in Kwazulu right now.

Sponsored Walk

On Saturday June 10th twenty-two adults and four children walked from Richmond Station to Kew (the sponsored walk). It was a gloriously sunny day a beautiful walk and very enjoyable. Some of the walkers have already shown an interest in participating in a sponsored walk next year.

It will take a little while for all the sponsored money to be collected in but from what various people have told me there is a good chance that we will far exceed the calculated amount of £1,000 and possibly reach £2,000. The final amount will be put on the website as soon as it is known.

Photos were taken on the walk. A couple of these will appear on the website shortly.

I would like to thank everyone who participated in this walk and for them to know what a difference this amount of money will make to the children of Kwazulu who we continue to help.

Sponsored walk

The arrangements for the sponsored walk are going well and we have had an ethusiastic response from people wishing to join us on the walk. So far we have raised over £700 and hope to raise £1000 in total.

Donations

We have been given an unexpected donation of £1,000 by a Mrs Tania Collins of Walthemastow, East London. Mrs Collins stated that she would like this money to go towards the purchase of the people carrier so badly needed by Frans Ballack of Hope Project. We have also just received a donation of £200 from a Mr Nicholas Carroll, this money will also go towards the purchase of the people carrier and a fund has now been set up solely for this.

I thought for a time that we would never get this project off the ground as the amount of money needed is about £11,000 for a good second hand vehicle but now with these two donations I feel hopeful that we will continue to be able to put money aside for this. Our grateful thanks go to Tania and Nicholas.

Pictures from the 2006 South Africa trip

I have added a gallery of pictures from my South Africa trip 2006

Africa News

On Monday the 3rd of April our new feeding centre attached to the Thandukuphila Cenre officially opened for the feeding of the Kwazulu AIDS orphans and needy African children living in the more rural areas of Nseleni, Kwazulu.

The centre is not yet completed but hopefully with funds raised from the proposed Sponsored walk on June 10th the project will be finished.

This is wonderful news and will, for some children mean the difference between a more healthy life and severe malnutrition.

Thank you to all who last year and this year supported One Life.

Sponsored walk update

The Sponsored walk will definately take place on Saturday June 10th 2006. We leave from Richmond Underground at 11am to follow a mapped route to Kew. Part of this walk is along the riverside and this makes for a beautiful walk.

If you wish to join us and get yourself sponsored a sponsor form can be obtained, or any other information you may need, by contacting Elena Tel. No. 020 8926 2431 or Jean Tel. No. 01592 512669.

Fundraising event

I am sorry to announce that the charity fundraise provisionally booked for Sept 2nd has now been put on hold until further notice. Any further devolopements will be posted on the website as soon as they are known