A month from THAF

THAF Intern Miriam at a traditional Zulu wedding.

I have arrived back at the African Impact projects in St. Lucia as The Happy Africa Foundation (THAF) intern after volunteering here for two months earlier in the year. I have been here for just over two weeks now, but so much has already happened!

My role as the THAF intern is to build awareness of the St. Lucia projects and to generate income for the four focal projects, the Medical Project (where volunteers assist on home based care and deliver food parcels to the patients they see), the Educational Support Programme (where volunteers work in crèches teaching children and helping teachers gain confidence in their own teaching), Inkanyezi Crèche Development Programme (we are building a secure new building for the children and staff)  and the 10 Families Programme (a nutritional programme aimed at building people’s health and giving them a sustainable way of maintaining it).

Our main goal this month has been to focus on fundraising for the Medical Project, as we are currently low on funds for essential things such as items for the food parcels, nutritional shakes and adult nappies. However, we are starting to receive donations - which everyone is very grateful for. 

Another very generous donation was made by Mtuba Pharmacy in the form of a manual scale. In desperate need of one, Khula Clinic had been without for almost two years. Last Monday, we delivered the scale to the clinic and were greeted by a very grateful head nurse. We assembled the scale next to the blood pressure machine and baby scale and it was used straight away.

This past week I also held a THAF night with the help of Alanna. This included information for the volunteers regarding THAF, what it is and how they are involved with African Impact. We then all joined in with a sustainable development activity, which made us think about how sustainable products are such as the female condom and if there are any better alternatives. This got everyone thinking and it was a great way for volunteers and staff to work together and for teams to debate their ideas. 

After this, I left everyone with paper and the idea that they would write a letter to themselves that will be sent to them a few months after they have left so they are reminded of the immediate memories and feelings they are experiencing right now.   

Within the next few weeks we have some fundraising events coming up including a quiz night that will hopefully become a regular event and a morning session of yoga on the beach which will hopefully relax everyone after a week of projects.

A lot is happening here in St. Lucia at the moment and a lot more is still to come so I will keep you updated! 

If you would like to donate please visit The Happy Africa Foundation and you can donate through them with the money going straight into the project of your choice.