A note from an OTSK mentee, who has just been accepted to college:
I didn’t think I would have a good chance of getting in to study further after school. When I applied I felt much better about my chances of studying. The OTSK programme helped me a lot in giving me a clear mind about what am I going to do next year. Now that I have been accepted I am feeling a lot better because I know I have got my future planned for me.
A note from our newest intern…
I arrived in Cape Town about two weeks ago, after making the long journey from Seattle, Washington, and absolutely love it here! I am so excited to jump on board with Michelle and Marieke and join the Siyaphambili OTSK team as their second intern.
Cape Town itself is a rich and diverse city and I cannot wait to explore it for the next few months! I am greeted with friendly faces from the moment I get on the mini bus in the morning to when I step into the door at Beth Uriel (where I work during the day) and again when I venture home through the city in the afternoon. Although sometimes the locals laugh at my accent and choice of words, it is all in good fun and luckily I have learned the important ability to sit back and laugh at myself.
The first day of my internship was last Monday and I arrived at Beth Uriel in the morning. Michelle had just spent 6 weeks working in the UK so Marieke and I sat down with her to hear how her trip went and so that they could update each other on the development of the program. I immediately noticed the passion and excitement in Michelle and Marieke’s voices as we discussed the mentors and mentees and brainstormed the future of Siyaphambili. I had many questions and they didn’t hesitate to answer them. I got a good feel for where the program is at now and the direction that it is heading.
The next few days I spent getting to know Beth Uriel (introducing myself to the wonderful staff and several of the men that live there), learning more about Siyaphambili, and orienting myself around Observatory (Obz for short) where B.U. is located. Marieke and I went out to lunch at Cocoa, the delicious café up the street, but right away she claimed no responsibility if I got addicted to it. A week later and I am already hooked!
Later in the week I went with Marieke up to Heatherdale, a Children’s home in Athlone, where a few of Siyaphambili mentees live. We met with three young people who are interested in becoming mentees next year. Marieke briefly explained to them how the mentorship program works and what its purposes are. It was inspiring to see their excitement in getting involved in the program.
Currently I am researching different fundraising techniques, working on developing the volunteer program, and assisting Marieke in meetings with mentors and mentees. I cannot say it enough; I am so excited to be involved with this program and thrilled to be working with such passionate people making a difference in the lives of youth. It is going to be a great few months!
A note from Julie Tomlin, who ran the Run To the Beat half marathon to benefit OTSK.
On 26th September, 13 runners, some experienced and some not, (myself included in the latter) joined forces to undertake the Run To The Beat half marathon to help raise funds for Off The Street Kids. The months leading up to event day involved quite a bit of organising, whilst we searched for runners to help form our team. Eventually, we were very delighted to have ‘TEAM OTSK’ in place and ready for action!
Months of training and healthy eating lay ahead for all of us, both of which I am not a natural at, but I realised how important it was that I had to be in reasonable shape in order to complete the race, and make sure I didn’t let myself down, and most importantly, didn’t let OTSK down. What we had been building up to for months had finally arrived. Event day was here!
On the morning of the race we had all arranged to meet outside the tube station entrance. There was adrenalin pumped people everywhere, all very excited and nervous to be taking part in this awesome event for their chosen charities. After a quick phone call to Michelle and a few of the runners, pin pointing our location, I started to see OTSK t-shirts emerging from the crowd. Michelle arrived offering a very warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to us all, which was lovely and greatly appreciated. It was a pleasure to meet some of our team before the race, but unfortunately due to tube delays we didn’t get to meet everyone, which was a shame. For those of us who won our battle with the tube, we assembled nervously and excited in anticipation of the start, whilst Andy took a few photos before the race.
The start time quickly arrived and the nerves were now being channelled in to energy. The gun sounded and off we went! The first few miles were amazing; I looked around to see masses of runners, most of whom were also running in aid of a charity. Five miles in, my knee decided it didn’t want to play anymore, it undoubtedly slowed me down, but the fact that complete strangers were spurring me on and telling me to keep going, and reminding myself why I was doing this, it inspired me to carry on. Seven miles in, I got chatting to another runner, spurring each other on, we shared our stories as to why we were running for our chosen charities. I turned a corner and read the street sign, ‘Ha-Ha Road’…..I turned to my fellow runner and realised she too had spotted it, both having a little laugh we decided that the person who had chosen the race route must have a great sense of humour!
As much as I had enjoyed (nearly) every minute of the race, the sign reading 500 metres to go was a welcome site for sure. I reached the finish and realised I had done it, 13.1 miles in Three hours Six minutes. All of ‘TEAM OTSK’ successfully completed the race and have collectively helped to raise much needed funds for OTSK. We are still waiting for the final figure raised, but are confident it will be a healthy amount. Thank you to all those who came down on the day to show support and to all involved, and to all those who sponsored one of OTSK’s runners. It was an amazing and unforgettable day…….Bring on the next event!
