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Dear Friend,
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Nearly thirty years ago, my concern for the well-being of a baby led me into a
world where I had never ventured - that of South Africa's black townships. I
was young and uninformed, and the realisation of the terrible living conditions
of my fellow South Africans shocked me.
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As time passed, the work I did as a speech therapist did not seem enough. I
could not ignore the poverty and desperation around me. Nor could I ignore the
bravery and resilience of the black communities themselves, who confronted
the daily obstacles placed in their way by the Apartheid government with
amazing strength and wisdom.
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I started working with the communities in small ways. It was a difficult time
because the government of the day did everything they could to stop us. But we
combined our abilities and resources, and slowly "projects" started to take
shape.
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We worked tirelessly and with shared vision to establish facilities that were
not provided by the authorities. In time, day care centers, skills and training
centers for adults and the disabled, youth and senior clubs, havens and schools
were formed. Each project and building was owned and run by the communities
themselves.
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By 1992 the projects had grown in such strength and number that it became
necessary to co-ordinate all these, and Ikamva Labantu - Future of our Nation -
was founded as the umbrella organisation, with all the projects as affiliates.
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Now Ikamva Labantu needs to live up to its name. We need to look ahead to the
critical challenges facing our new nation. And essential to the future is the
creation of a growing economy. Our latest projects are enterprises that
encourage entrepreneurial skills and that provide support to start small
businesses. The eventual aim to is make ourselves redundant, as our people
achieve the means to support themselves.
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Please help us to redress the damage of the past and to provide the groundwork
for a self-sufficient future.
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Please join us to help make a difference.
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Yours,
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Helen Lieberman
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