The Amy Foundation is raising money to run an end-of-year holiday camp in Stellenbosch for more than 80 children from its after-school centres in Gugulethu and Bonteheuwel.
The camp, with the theme “Rising Heroes”, will run from Wednesday November 27 to Friday November 29.
According to the organisation – formerly the Amy Biehl Foundation – the camp is inspired by the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign and will include team-building activities and awareness about gender-based violence, drug abuse, and gangsterism.
“One of our goals for this camp is to stop gender-based violence in its tracks by educating young boys on the importance of becoming active allies for women,” said Liezel Solomons, the Amy Foundation’s centre coordinator and camp programme director.
“We need to constantly educate and em-power the youth in our after-school programmes and encourage them to become change agents. Change starts with this generation of young people.”
Ms Solomons added: “In many ways, these children have not had the privilege of just being children. They have been forced to fight the odds with countless responsibilities and everyday pressures through navigating violence and poverty in their communities.”
Kevin Chaplin, the managing director of the Amy Foundation, said the camp would give the children a chance to “escape from the daily challenges and social ills that plague our townships and enjoy a time and space where they can feel safe and happy, and it allows for open and honest dialogue among our youth”.
The organisation is running a BackaBuddy drive to raise the R55 260 (or R642 per child) for the camp.
Visit www.backabuddy.co.
za/champion/project/amy-foundation-camp-2019if you want to help.
