Tias Arms: Bringing Relief to Children in South Africa

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Who is getting help from these funds raised?

HOWICK HOSPICE
This community based hospice is located in the township of Mpophemeni outside of Howick, close to Durban.
Many of their patients are children. The main purpose of Howick Hospice is to provide a service of care and support for terminally ill patients and their families many of whom have AIDS.
TIAS ARMS provides a high caloric, supplemental food program consisting of peanut butter, oil, corn meal, skim milk and morevite for 65 children and formula for babies.
We have visited these children as they carry home these 3 - 5 lbs food parcels. Their happy faces reflect the gratitude of a full belly.

Visit their website www.howickhospice.co.za

and more news...........

TIAS ARMS SCHOOL FUNDING:
On the 17th January, 2005, following on confirmation of funding for children's school fees and uniforms from our wonderful American friends, Tias Arms , a staff meeting was held at Howick Hospice to discuss the criteria for this project.

It is a very difficult task to identify specific children for assistance when there are so many in need! After a great deal of thought and discussion it was agreed that the project should be kept small and efficient so that it was manageable.

	We agreed to start with families who have no money coming in and, in this context, the term "family" could apply to a group of people with at least one adult or child in charge of the others. Each case would be assessed on its own merits. The following procedure was put in place: 1. Each child had to be identified by a Nursing Sister, Community Worker or our Social Worker. 2. The children had to come from an orphan-headed home, a Granny-headed home with orphans, or a family which was impoverished and had no support. The children had to be connected to Hospice in some way, for example they could be on our Memory Box Project.
3. School fees had to be paid by a Hospice worker and receipt filed at Hospice. 4. Uniforms and stationery had to be purchased by a Hospice staff member. 5. Monthly monitoring must take place - on Hospice visits, clinics or via Neat Sithole's children's groups. 6. Copies of school reports for each child must come to Hospice. And so on the 28th January the first batch of 12 children was taken to Nu Shop in Pietermaritzburg to purchase their school uniforms and equipment.
	For many it was the first time they had traveled in a motor car, and none of them had ever had new school uniforms, shoes or school bags in their lives. It was a very humbling experience for the staff to see the wonderment and pride on the children's faces when they received their new possessions. Thanks to Joanne and her wonderful team of fundraisers at Tias Arms, a total of 53 children were identified for assistance in 2005 and all are now attending schools in the Lions River Magisterial District. We know that they will just thrive with the wonderful opportunity which has been offered them by Tias Arms and we now pray that we will be in a position to sustain and expand this program in future years.
HOKISA

	HOKISA (Homes for Kids in South Africa) is an organization committed to caring for children affected by HIV/AIDS in the township of Masiphumelele, outside of Cape Town. TIAS ARMS has provided baby formula, nappies (diapers) baby cots, washable linens for the babies room and the annual salary for a "Tia" dedicated to loving, holding and feeding these babies.
HOKISA was opened in December 2002. For more information and details you can view their website at www.hokisa.co.za To see more pictures click here
AND EXCITING NEWS IS THAT NOW....	Ubuntu Education Fund - Port Elizabeth, is receiving salaries for two full time counselors that focus 100% of their time on counseling and case management service for Orphaned or vulnerable children who have been abused/raped or who are HIV positive.
Gecko Uthando House Project - Howick has received a grant to assist to be used to supplement the salaries of caregivers employed on a permanent basis to care for the children. The majority of the children residing in the project are directly affected by the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, and funds will therefore be used directly for the care of children affected by the HIV / AIDS epidemic.

If you would like further information about TIAS ARMS, please contact Joanne Baker or write to:

Joanne Baker
3 Wild Goose Ct
Newport Beach
CA 92663
USA
Phone 949 650 6254

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