The man behind the ASAP plan, Noah Fischel. “It feels amazing to be back in South Africa!”

Noah: [laughs] Oh, it feels amazing to be back in South Africa! It’s been a number of years since I’ve been here. And just to see the growth of ASAP and the new offices, and the staff, and how well they’re performing. So many new drop-in centres, so many new children being served, so many new women being uplifted. It’s very exciting to see the growth. You know, ASAP started off out of a suitcase, and then an office in America, and now went from there to Priscilla’s home in South Africa, and now a real office in Cape Town. And so to see the development has been very rewarding.

Noah shares a laugh with the Mamahau Youth Group girls after a fun session with Xola Yoyo, ASAP’s Youth Development Officer.

You first volunteered for ASAP back in 2004. What attracted you to the cause?

Noah: I met Priscilla through a mutual friend, and I was so inspired by the concept of a listening organisation, an organisation that goes in and asks more questions than it answers. And I think it was this quality that first inspired me to start volunteering for ASAP. I had been aware of so many funding organisations that had come up with a sort of magic formula, or a five step programme, or whatever you want to call it, for success. And I suppose it was more our adaptive qualities, our ability to shape our programmes around what was already happening on the ground. Rather than just shape what was happening on the ground around our programmes. And I think that that, for me, was the main reason why I got so passionate and started working full time right away.

The organisation certainly started off very tiny, and so it felt like there was a lot of opportunity to be a part of the growth of something, rather than just sort of a functionary in something that was already fully grown. So that was really exciting to me to be a part of the growth and the development of ASAP as an organisation.

Standing in front of the orchard at the
Mamahau Drop-in Center garden

And I suppose it’s that empathy with their situation that allowed me to appreciate the fact that these women were already doing things to help these children. And that they didn’t need to be told the five steps to success to how to help children. They were already helping children. It was us who had to learn from them, and then build a model around that learning. And so to me, helping ASAP maintain its integrity by continuing to listen, and continuing to adapt around what was already happening was a very powerful opportunity.

In the Early Childhood Development center with the little ones of Itikeng

Describe your relationship with Priscilla in the early days. She has described herself as ‘this crazy woman’ back then, ‘driving around and around the Eastern Cape’ connecting with communities. How would you describe her then?

Noah: [laughs] I would also describe her as a crazy woman driving around and around the Eastern Cape. But I would also describe her as a woman who initially went to Africa to document the good work that women were doing with children, originally in the slums of Nairobi, and I would describe her as somebody who was not satisfied simply to report on the good works of other people, somebody who was overcome with a need to support that good work rather than just document it. And that didn’t mean that she had any experience, or any more right to start a foundation than anyone else, but she had the guts to do it, and she took the time to do that, and she was willing to make that commitment. She may describe herself as crazy. I would describe her as very brave, not just in the fact that she was driving around the Eastern Cape on her own trying to find groups of women, but also brave in that she was willing to tackle a problem that she didn’t have a lot of expertise in, and that she was willing to take on the challenge of learning herself, and willing to take that risk. And so, I wouldn’t describe her as crazy, I would describe her as brave.

You created this six year community-based intervention model for orphans and vulnerable children, how does it feel to finally see it working?

“I was so inspired by the concept of a listening organisation, an organisation that goes in and asks more questions than it answers.” Noah with the Mamohau management team.

Noah: I am very humbled by the work that is being done on the ground by these women who are working with the model that we have developed, using the insight and experience of course of women who have come before them. But, you know, it’s one thing to take theory and put pen to paper and develop a model, that’s all well and good. It’s an entirely other thing to actually be doing the work that it takes to help these children. And so I would say that I take no credit for the success of this model. I am extremely in awe of the work that these women do. I know how hard it is to come together and be activists in my own community, just to get things done in my own town, with my own set of legislators, and my own community members with their various conflicts. So I am in admiration of their ability to work co-operatively and sustainably together as a group. I think that’s very very challenging, and so I really admire that.

ASAP is ten years old this year. How does this landmark feel to you?

High Ten! Noah with the Cape Town office team. (From L-R Noah, Bulelwa, Priscilla, Linet & Admore)

Noah: The landmark for ASAP celebrating its ten year anniversary is unreal to me. The world of NGO’s and Not For Profits.. There are fickle funders out there, it is filled with challenges, and many do not survive the challenges and obstacles that are placed before them. And so for ASAP to have survived, grown and developed to this point over a ten year period, really speaks to the good work that we are doing, and really speaks to the cohesiveness of this team that has come together to do this good work here in cape Town and in England and the United States. We’ve had an incredibly committed board in the UK, South Africa, and the United States, as well as incredibly committed volunteers and staff members, and to me this ten year anniversary speaks to the commitment and dedication of everybody working on behalf of this organisation.

What have been some of the highlights of the past ten years?

Noah: Some of the highlights for me was when a group would show signs of independence from ASAP, and seek external funding, either from government or from other community organisations or from funders that we sort of nurtured a relationship with on their behalf. Whenever I see a group reaching for independence from ASAP it gives me hope that what we’re doing is helping create groups that are going to be able to continue to do this work in the future without us. And I have seen that several times throughout the years, and every time it just thrills me.

Catching up with the latest news with Xola Yoyo, ASAP’s Youth Development Officer.

Another highlight happened today actually. We met a funder called the deVere Africa Foundation, who has committed to ASAP for a three-year large grant to support a new drop-in centre called Reahasetjhaba (“building the nation”) in the Eastern Cape. And when we asked this funder how they found us, they said, “We found you on the internet.” Which means that our visibility has grown to the point that a large funder like that can find us simply by typing in the words ‘orphans and vulnerable children in Africa’ and come up with ASAP’s name. And that our website was able to speak for itself enough to attract that kind of support.

Taking a stroll through the play area at the Itekeng Batswadi drop-in centre

And the team that created the content for the website, the volunteers who collected the stories, and the photographs, you know, all the work that’s gone into creating that presence, that is a team of people. It’s not just one person. It’s the guy who helped us use our Google grant to its maximum capacity, and use our Google ad-words to the best of their abilities, so that when that person typed in that name they were able to find ASAP. And it’s that collaborative team effort that has brought the visibility of ASAP up to a point where a funder can find us online and be attracted to our organisation enough to come to the ground and see the good work we are doing for themselves, and choose to fund the organisation. It didn’t take me or Priscilla going to conference or a meeting or having to lure them in, they found us. And that to me is a real paradigm shift in funding for ASAP.

And dare I ask – what have been some of the lowlights of the past ten years?

Noah: [laughs] Oh, the low lights! Well I have to say that without the lowlights you wouldn’t know when you were experiencing a highlight would you?

Hooking up with US Board members and Brooklyn residents Alex Richards, Andy O’Neill, and their two year old daughter Trixie.

So, you know, frankly the path to this point has been littered with pitfalls and obstacles and points of hopelessness and fear. One of the lowlights I remember was once early on, Priscilla and I looked in the bank account and we had less than ten thousand dollars, and yet we had committed to these groups to help them with their children for years. And it was a certain faith in abundance, and faith in the good work that was being done on the ground that carried us through that difficult time. But I certainly wouldn’t call having less than ten thousand dollars in your bank account a highlight. It was a real low point and certainly something to which we can compare ourselves and our bank account to now. But, you know, a nice contrast to where we stand today.

What are your hopes for the next ten years of African Solutions?

Noah: My hopes are very high indeed. It’s been amazing for ASAP to get to this point of celebrating its ten-year anniversary, and I hope that we get to a point where we are celebrating our 20th anniversary. And at that point, you know, we’ve had so much experience under our belts working with women and helping orphans and vulnerable children, and we’ve really, as I’ve said in the beginning of the interview, used our ears more than our mouths, and done more listening than lecturing, and really tried to codify a model of intervention based on experience of the women on the ground, not based on theory, or based on funding theory, or based on what’s trending in the world of NGO’s, but really based in the reality on what’s happening on the ground in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Building the Nation. Noah and Priscilla sitting with the members and board of Reahasetjhaba, one of the brand new Community Based Organisations that will take the team well into its second decade of African Solutions

And I would like to use that experience to grow ASAP to yet another level where we have a broader impact, and we’re providing broad-based care to orphans and vulnerable children, not just in the Eastern Cape, but perhaps elsewhere in Sub Saharan Africa, or perhaps just more in South Africa itself. But to really put that experience to good use, because we have a responsibility to the women and children of Sub Saharan Africa to share this model of intervention so that they can replicate this successful model of care.

What’s next for the US office? Is there anything coming up in the US?

We’d like to increase our fundraising activities in the United States, specifically in New York. We hope to host a New York fund raiser sometime in the future, and we are just in the developing stages of trying to do that. And for the US we would like to really support the development of ASAP on the ground here. So, as ASAP goes through its next stages of transition and growth we would like to support that both financially and administratively.

Finally. If you had to pick an African animal that best captures the spirit of ASAP, what would it be and why?

Noah: Oh my god! Okay. Well let’s see.. If I had to pick an African animal.. Well, my name is Noah. So I’ve got a lot of experience with animals, so this should come easy to me. [laughs] Erm? I would choose a giraffe. Because a giraffe has its feet on the ground and its head in the sky.

“It’s the slow growth that really shows itself in the ASAP drop-in centers; the slow steady growth and training. And it’s that investment that will yield sustainable organizations who put children first for a better future for South Africa.”

Helping to improve many young lives. Maxine at her work station.

Recently married, Maxine graduated from  the University of the Western Cape in september 2012 with a BA in Social Science.  Originally from Pietermaritzburg, all the way over in KwaZulu-Natal, she now lives in Cape Town. 

“I enjoy working for ASAP,” says Maxine.  “I feel like I’m making a difference, that I am working on my skills, and it just compliments what I have learnt in theory at University.  I enjoy the company.  I enjoy the staff, my colleagues, and Priscilla [the founder and director of ASAP].  She teaches me a lot.  I just like to gain strength and knowledge from those around me. 

Open for business. One of 24 cupboard libraries installed throughout three rural schools in the Eastern Cape.

“The fact that I can use opportunities that were given to me to help other people.  I think what motivates me is to see a difference, to see a change, either by what I can contribute, or by what others do and being a part of that.” 

“I am working on the research for the new libraries that we will be putting into the schools, and I am trying to gather some more information and statistics, and to get a better understanding of them and what they need, and how they see the project, or the value of the project.

“I think what motivates me is to see a difference, to see a change.”

“ I would say that I hope ASAP grows even bigger, and that it becomes more well known, and that it continues to make such a big difference, as it has already in such a short space of time, in the future.”

“I can use opportunities that were given to me to help other people.”

This year they returned to the field with their two year old daughter Trixie.  Here’s what they had to say about their adventures this time round, beginning with why they they had chosen to return.

Alex:  When we came back to the United States we joined the US board of ASAP, and we wanted to stay involved in the organisation and know what’s happening.

Andy:  It’s hard to stay connected to that mind-set, and to what’s happening on the ground

Alex:  And we’d made a lot of friends while we were living there and we wanted to get to see them.  A good friend that we had made had died already, so we wanted to try and get out and see some of the people that we knew.

Welcome to the neighbourhood.
Andy, Alex and Trixie standing in front of a rondavel.

How cool was it to have your two-year-old daughter, Trixie with you this time?

Andy:  [laughing]  It was a trip.

Alex:   It was amazing. We were doing a lot of preparation, just telling her that we’re going to be around all these people, they’re going to be excited to see you, they might try and pick you up.  She can be shy.  We were very worried that she was just going to freak out, and she just loved it, everywhere we went kids started following her around, and wanted to throw a ball with her, and she loved it.

“She just loved it.” Trixie greeting some school children
from Maria Linden school, near Mamohau

Trixie learnt how to say, “Hello, how are you?” in Sotho and Xhosa.

So much to see and do

So, what were the biggest changes that you saw since you here last?

Andy:  We were there for some of the very early discussions about drop-in centres around Matatiele, so going there and seeing the buildings and this sort of flourishing Centre and community there, was..  I mean they were in a kind of shack with broken windows before, and they were feeding the kids outside.  One of those photos of those buildings took my breath away, but to go and see them in person!

Alex:  And the drop-in Centre has beautiful gardens with lots of fruit trees and vegetables.

Andy and Leticia Tshalana checking out a raised bed of spinach

Andy:  Oh, the trees is one of the biggest things!  Because that’s one of the big fund raising things we were involved with in the States.

Alex:  We saw pictures of the village health workers planting teeny tiny nubs of trees, and now the trees are twice as high as they were.

Andy:  At Itekeng they have a real kind of orchard going, where there’s loads of shade and the chickens live underneath the trees in the shade.  And if they wanted to the kids can go in there and sit down.

Nomsa standing in front of one of the fruit trees,
at Beja, near Mt. Frere

Alex:  Just seeing some of those village health workers that we spent so much time with back then.  I did a lot of art projects when I was here before so I would spend a lot of time with some of the kids.  It was just great to go back.  People started singing songs and there was just this excited joy, it was really lovely.  And just driving around, you know, we don’t have these kind of landscapes in Brooklyn.  It’s just amazing.  Yeah, I think just driving out in the rural areas, and just feeling, I don’t know, just part of something else.

Back in 2008 you both had a particularly powerful connection to one of the gardeners and carers, Nokulunga Mzobotshe, who has since died.  Could you still feel a sense of her on this visit?

Andy:  Every time you are in a garden, that was Nokulunga’s patch, and she was making that happen.  All the gardens around Mount Frere, you knew that she must have visited tens of times and touched the plants and talked about how to shape the garden to make things grow better.

Nokulunga Mzobotshe surrounded by cabbages
in one of her gardens

Alex:  Yeah, it was really difficult I think being there, it was just strange.  A lot has changed in the specific CBO’s (Community Based Organisations) that we were working with, so it was very sad being there and just feeling like there was something missing, there was definitely something missing.

Andy:  There was just a hole where Nokulunga should have been.

And would you say that Nokulunga’s gardens were her biggest legacy?

Andy:  Absolutely, she was garden and nutrition manager for Hlomelikusasa.  We spent the most time with her.  We would go out to the field to the drop-in centres, and she would come with us for the garden visit, and she taught us all the different plants that they grow for medicinal purposes.

Alex:  We did a cooking workshop together right at the end of our 2008 visit.  Which was also kind of sad because this time I walked into this room where Nokulunga had done her cooking workshop and it was just this empty room.  She taught me a lot about gardening.  We planted a small garden in our yard when we got home to Brooklyn.  It’s all in the condition that she shared with us over the year that we were living in South Africa.

ASAP is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.  What would be your best birthday wish for the organisation?

Alex:  I guess I would say more recognition, more presence, more visibility, for more people around the world to know what ASAP is doing and accomplishing.

 Andy:  I think it’s time for ASAP to grow.  What you see in Matatiele, which is really the first generation of ASAP model drop-in centres, kind of clustered around a central field office,  is just something that’s ready to grow in many different places in South Africa.  And I would hope that over the next few years that that is something we are here to see.

So what’s next for the three of you?

Andy:  The US board tends to be focused on the fundraising and publicity, and we’re going to try and move that forward, especially online, try and up our online donations.  There’s also the School to School programme which is a small programme in the US, and now with Trixie starting pre-school  and stuff, we’re going to see how we can bring that ASAP fundraising even to her generation.

 Alex:  We had a Gogo’s (grandmother’s) luncheon with my mother and all of her friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last summer, and now it’s cool, generally a few people interested, and maybe we could try and do it with Andy’s mum.  We did a fundraiser last year, we did some filming when we were living here, and we did a kind of screening fundraiser.  There are different ways large and small to keep fundraising and to keep getting people involved.

 If you had to pick an African animal that best captures the spirit of ASAP, what would it be and why?

 Alex:  [laughs]  Oh boy!

Andy:  We went to an elephant park in the Eastern Cape, we just took Trixie, so I guess that the spirit of the elephant is that the elephant never forgets.  And that’s something that is good for ASAP because we’ve always been focused on the children, and helping the women help the children..  Like in everything, it’s easy to be part of ASAP because even when you are in the field or when you are at home you have a simple mission which is that these kids need more care, and that the women can give the care

Alex:  I would say elephant too.  I mean, not racing to be flashy, but just really caring.

On the road with ASAP – Trixie, Sindi and Linet share the bumpy back seat.

Any last comments?

Alex:  I just feel really lucky to have come upon this organisation when we were looking for somewhere to volunteer, and my mum’s best friend’s sister is a funder in the UK.  And it’s just crazy how it kind of all happened, and now it’s just such a huge part of our lives.

Andy:  So we’ve been involved for six years.  When we first met Priscilla[ASAP'S Director] there was already like a need for the extra help.  We already knew that we wouldn’t be just spinning our wheels or anything, like the organisation’s small enough that if you are a part of it, you are already making a difference.

Alex:  We thought that we’d volunteer for a year and then that would be it.  Priscilla cares about the OBC’s, she cares about everybody that she works with, and she’s got that drive that really, you know, it would be difficult to extricate ourselves.  You know, we want to be a part of it and she wants you to be a part of it.  It’s forever, as opposed to, “Okay, we’ve volunteered.  Now let’s just..”

So, ASAP’s for life?

Alex:  [laughs] That’s right.

Andy:  It’s really great to see like, like, you know, last summer when we were here, when we first arrived it was Linet and Priscilla  in Priscilla’s house.  And to see the office and everyone, because there is so much work being done, and to see the Matatiele office.  It’s a big change in the organisation for the better.  It just indicates growth and success.  It’s thriving just now.

What an amazing trip!
Alex, Trixie, Leticia Tshalana and Andy in Njijini, near Mt. Frere.

 Thanks to Pakama Ncume, who with her wide experience in school libraries, selected the books in line with the National curriculum.  And coordinated by ASAP’s Maxine Begbie, each school received books from 8 national publishers, in Xhosa and English across all grades.

 Due to limits in space, it was determined that the best possible solution was to establish individual classroom libraries, in lockable steel cabinets, suited to the specific age and grade of each class.

 In November 2012, with the installation of the libraries,Pakama Ncume, organised a comprehensive series of three-day teacher/librarian workshops, for staff at each of the three schools.  This created a platform for the teachers to get the best out of the libraries and promoted competent, confident teacher-librarians, to bring these books to life for the children, and to inspire a lifetime of reading.

 The topics covered included – the definition and importance of libraries, the roles and  responsibilities of teacher librarians, book classification, library activities, the role of learners, their families and communities and making sure the library is fully resourced.  Everything, in fact, needed to maximise the power of the written word in helping to transform these young lives for the better.  And throughout, the teachers showed great enthusiasm and understanding of what was discussed, and a training manual was provided for future reference.

Of course, ASAP is very excited by these developments, which would not have been possible without your generous support.  It is a great day for literacy and we look forward to keeping you updated on the libraries, and to show you photos of them in action during the coming months.  Plus, we have got more new libraries planned for this year, so watch this space! 

A cupboard library, open and ready for young minds.

The workshops on teacher / librarianship help to ensure that the schools will get the very best from these libraries.

The teachers showed great enthusiasm and understanding

The Coalition also seeks to ensure that adolescent girls can:

• Minimize their vulnerability to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, violence, exploitation, and abuse;

• Obtain a quality education at the primary and secondary levels;

• Access safe, affordable and comprehensive girl-friendly health services;

• Build and protect their economic assets and opportunities;

• Advocate for themselves and their communities;

• Count on and be counted by their communities, families, men, and boys as allies;

• Participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives, communities, and nations;

• Decide if, when and whom they marry and if, when, and how many children to have;

• Understand and obtain legal rights.

Director of US Operations Noah Fischel represented ASAP at the quarterly meeting in Washington DC on December 19th, joined by long-time ASAP donor, AJWS’s Advocacy Associate, Amanda Cary. The meeting was hosted by the United Nations Foundation and Nike’s Girl Effect Campaign whose stunning new video was warmly received.

Says Priscilla Higham, ASAP Programme Director, “We are inspired to back the movement and fuel the girl effect, carrying this message to the adolescent girls in the ASAP drop-in centres in the rural villages of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. We invite you to do the same.”

Director of US Operations Noah Fischel, with long-time ASAP donor, Amanda Cary, was thrilled to attend the meeting in Washington.

A special thanks to journalist Zoe Beaty and photographer Neale Haynes.

Click on the images below to see them bigger

Sindi Mabhija

Alice trains the care givers based in the drop-in centres, who are always on hand to provide children with guidance, and conducts home-visits, as well as counselling children herself. She tells stories of young, poverty-stricken children faced with incredible adversity, and their remarkable individual turnarounds upon receiving the care and attention needed.

Alice is confronted daily with not only the physical, but also the psychological challenges facing these children. Many are infected with HIV, of which Alice says, “They [society] don’t know how to handle it, there is still a stigma.” One such child, Grace*, was devastated by the loss of her mother, grandmother and aunt. When Alice met her and heard of her story, she says, “I cried, I couldn’t help it, and I prayed to God that he’d help me.” The then twelve-year-old was always tired and withdrawn; she barely spoke a word. Today, at age fourteen, Alice smiles proudly and says “If only you could see her [Grace]…” After only two years of receiving help from ASAP, Sindi adds that Grace’s turnaround has been huge.

Alice Klaas

It is the seemingly small things that are making a large impact in the lives of these children through ASAP’s initiatives. A nutritious meal, five days a week, books in a library corner, art workshops in the school holidays and a garden filled with fresh produce. Alice says that the children are happy to visit the drop-in centres and although faced with difficult circumstances, she adds that society may not be changing in a big way, but it is indeed changing, one happier child at a time.

*Name has been changed.

Mbali is an orphan due to the loss of her parents to the AIDS virus and was born HIV – positive.  Her survival has been made possible due to anti-retroviral treatments and the benefits of drop-in centres put in place by African Solutions to African Problems, a grassroots organization run by local women that provides community-based support for children made vulnerable by the AIDS pandemic in South Africa.  On this day, Mbali and her caretaker, Mantsoaki Mosenye pack up for the journey to Mparane Clinc to replenish Mbali’s anti-retroviral medication.  The 4-kilometer trip is made twice a month prior to Mbali’s walk to school. The bi-monthly ritual starts a little after 7 with Mbali sifting through her nightstand drawer to find her prescription documents.  In little under a minute’s time she produces a plastic bag containing a series of neatly folded pieces of lined paper containing her treatment schedule and required dosages of her anti-retroviral treatment.

Mbali’s caretaker, Mantsoaki Mosenye inspects Mbali’s prescription documents which detail her treatment schedule and required dosages.  I wasn’t given much detail about Mbali’s CD4 count beyond the fact that it was “good” and that she has been in good health for some time.  Her access to treatment and medication has had a significant impact on her life and the lives of other vulnerable youth in the Eastern Cape.

On the days that Mbali goes to pick up her medication, her journey is made significantly longer as the walk to school is an additional kilometer after reaching the clinic.  On these days, her total walk in both directions is 10 kilometers.

Our first steps outside reveal the beautiful landscape of varied terrain that is the Eastern Cape.  Rolling hills, vast grassy plains dotted with traditional thatched roof homes and grazing horses that are characteristic of the area around Matatiele.  Mbali steps out ahead of us, seemingly anxious to greet the day, full of energy and focused on facing the journey ahead.

Mbali’s caretaker, Mantsoaki Mosenye walks close to Mbali during the walk to the Mparane clinic.  Along the way, Mbali walks over varied terrain through fields and on rough gravel roads, encountering wandering livestock along with a plethora of potential hazards.  Factors like weather and the seasons can make the journey even more treacherous.  At a few points during our trek, we pause for a brief respite to allow Mbali (but mainly me) to rest. I am winded, outdone by my young vibrant companion.

After 2 hours of walking we arrive at the Mparane clinic, a series of new, long narrow buildings behind a fenced in enclosure on a hillside over looking the municipality.  Mbali is in and out in under 15 minutes, departing the clinic in a hurried fashion now anxious to get to school on time and settle into her lessons.  She takes this all in stride, seemingly completely unfazed by the special journey she has just made or the illness that necessitated the journey in the first place.

Story and photos by Jemal Countess (a New York photographer)

Lining up with their self portraits

Mandi Sandenbergh returned in July bringing her brilliant creative art project, Art On The Go, to the ASAP Drop-in centres in the Matatiele district of the Eastern Cape.

Using the ASTAR (Awakening Spirit Through Art Technique) methodology she worked 3 days in each drop-in centre, the workshops encouraged children to participate in interesting and enriching artistic activities. Many of the children have never used paints and Mandi brought fabrics and glitter and glues and the drop-in centres were a hive of colourful activity.

On day 1 the children engraved images into wax crayon on paper. Tucking into their artworks with sticks, forks, plastic knives, and even their fingernails, they loved how magical it was to transform an ordinary A4 piece of paper into their very own works of art. Working in teams and on their own, they experimented with painting using toothbrushes, plastic bubble wrap, wool, string, straws and paint brushes. This helped them learn about how to paint with both primary and secondary colours.

Mandi Sandenbergh with her eager learners

Engraving images into wax crayon

Paper plate art

Creativity at work

Day 2 brought with it lots of laughter with the children each making their very own masks. Presented with a treasure trove of interesting materials, creativity soared as they transformed wool and raffia into colourful locks of hair, and bottle tops and corks into noses. The drop in centre was full of dance and song, as they each put on their masks, and impersonated the different characters they had made.

Showing off their masks

Day 3 allowed the children to reflect inwards, as they were encouraged to draw self-portraits. After looking in a mirror, the children drew pictures of their own heads and shoulders, and then added unique decorations to their work.

Alice Klaas supervising the children

Concentrating hard on their drawings

Some of the beautiful art

With snow on the Drakensberg Mountains, The Art On The Go holiday workshops kept the children in Mamohau, Itekeng and Sakhikamva busy and happy throughout the coldest school holiday.

Priscilla Higham was introduced to the guests by South African born British actress and director Dame Janet Suzman. Janet Suzman, the niece of anti- Apartheid campaigner Helen Suzman, gave a rallying cry to the guests; urging them to ‘be useful’.

Giving an account of the history of ASAP, as well as a description of the work done in the drop-in centers, Priscilla Higham’s speech outlined the hard work being done through

ASAP.  Praising the capacity of the woman, she stated that ‘these people who ASAP are working with do not have a begging bowl mentality; they are hard working woman attempting to rise above overwhelming circumstances’.

Added to this, ASAP’s Xola Yoyo and Alice Klass came from South Africa, representing the ASAP beneficiaries, to talk about the work they do.

The hour long lunch was chaired by Tiggy Kennedy, with ASAP US Board member Kevin Kollenda, as the dynamic emcee. The tables were beautifully decorated with fresh flowers, donated by Adam Bolton and the Flower Stand with gifts for each guest of individually beaded Zulu coasters. The guests enjoyed platters of Itsu sushi, donated by Julian Metcalfe and a selection of Deimersfontein wines, donated by Beatrix and Max Silvano.

With the help of loyal committee members, donors and friends of ASAP, the event was a huge success. Here are some pictures from the event (photographed by Richard Young Photographic Ltd).

Priscilla Higham and Xola Yoyo

Introduction by Dame Janet Suzman

The beautiful spread on each table

Emcee Kevin Kollenda and chairperson Tiggy Kennedy in action

And here are some of the many esteemed guests:

Charles Oboah

Barbara Halunicki and Twiggy

Lynne Franks and friend

Rifat Ozbek and friend