Sunday 02 May

A great finish to a great tour! We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise and stunning scenery as we passed Rooiels and Gordon's Bay. The team made very good time today as we headed back into Cape Town along Main Road this morning. We were very priviledged to have Helen Zille pedalling with us for the last few kilometers up towards our finish at Groote Schuur Hospital. We are so appreciative that she took time out of her busy schedule to join us in our quest to raise awareness and support for children and their families who are affected by HIV/AIDS. Thank you to Sr Susan Isaacs, Vuyiswa Mboji, Lil Hobbs and Zurina Isaacs for organising a wonderful welcoming party. Dr Paul Roux delivered a message to Helen Zille written by Dr Carol Baker of the Keiskamma Trust (based in Hamburg in the Eastern Cape). This message has been carried by the cycling team over the entire 1000km. The Cycle Tour thereby symbolises a link between the Easten and Western Cape,as well as between rural and urban health care initiatives. It also demonstrates solidarity between organisations that work with common purpose to alleviate the burden of HIV and AIDS. Thank you to all those who have participated in and sponsored this cycle tour so far. Further contributions would still be welcomed. Banking details -"The Kidzpositive Family Fund",Nedbank, Salt River, Current Account, Branch code:102-109, Universal Code: 198-765, Account number: 1021 275 743 Reference: “Peddie” and your name. For further information please phone Ronelle on 021 686 9710.

Saturday 01 May- Betty's Bay

Another 105km closer to home base. Paul "a machine" - his legs working as powerful pistons setting a blistering pace! Dave, "the physiological extremist"- 70+km/hr downhill one day and 6km/hr uphill the next. Steve "a pillar of strength" mentally and physically yet consistently putting his own agenda and ability aside in order to prioritise the needs of the rest of the team - a wonderful example of a true leader. Glenda "with renewed strength" surged up the hill to a strong finish at Rooiels for the day. Thanks to Kirsty Paxton and her family for making their house in Betty's Bay available for us to spend the night.
One more sleep before the last leg of the tour to finish at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town tomorrow!

Friday 30th- Riviersonderend

Today we would like to re-name "Riviersonderend" as "Heuwel-sonderend"! The day of a thousand hills! The youngest amongst us, in a moment of weakness, even mentioned that it could be merely a 2 hour drive back to Cape Town instead of a 2 day ride. We need to re-name Paul too- Paul "I got my legs back" Roux - very impressive performance! The thick mist presented some challenges although also a lovely cool day- perfect for cycling. The Team covered 117 hard earned km over this difficult and undulating section of the route. Thank you so much to Monica and Jinja at the Sleeping Beauty Guest Lodge who looked after us so well last night in Riversdale and sent us off with an amazing breakfast this morning. And thanks to Klara and Gehardt Sohlms for kindly accomodating us in their idyllic Restore Mountain Cottage near Riviersonderend. They have also generously extended their gift of hospitality in warmly welcoming us into their home where we are currently enjoying watching the Stormers perform! All in all a great day to remember. PS - Thanks to all of you who have posted comments on this blog- it is a great encouragement to us all!

Thursday 29th- Riversdale

The team bravely set off in the cold wind and rain this morning. Thank you to Malcolm Westmore for the best coffee ever - it has been much appreciated, especially on a chilly day like today. Paul's performance was phenomenal today as he kept up an incredible rhythm- at one stage maintaining a consistant 38km/hr for a distance of 20km! He also succumbed to a burst of energy as he and Dave set a new tour speed record of 77km/hr (without even trying - or so they claim!) The cold wind turned out to be a great blessing as it was a tail wind assisting our riders along the 135km that they cycled today.
A great big THANK YOU for the donations, sponsorships, and pledges that have been received so far that continue to make all this so worthwhile! If you are interested, donations towards this cause can be made to:The Kidzpositive Family Fund, Nedbank, Salt River, Branch code:102-109, Universal Code: 198-765, Account number: 1021 275 743 Reference: “Peddie”.

Wed 28th- George

Another 96km down and we are half way (yellow ribbon on map depicts distance completed so far). It has been a day of challenging passes such as Keimanns and others! Paul:"So this is what it means to 'be on one's last legs!'".
Dave broke his speed record by managing 69km/hr.
Paul's spoke broke and so both Paul and Glenda's bikes needed repairs along the way.
Many many thanks to our hosts over the last few nights who have ensured that we are well rested and fed and who have treated us so extremely well. Dave and Colleen of Fountain Vineyard church, Helen Veitch (Jeffry's Bay), Sandy and Trevor Davis (Knysna), and Sandy and Richard Moir (George). A huge thank you to Rose for the delicious crunchies and chocolate brownies which continue to provide much needed energy at each comfort break!

Tuesday to Knysna

The beautiful map embroidered by Nozeti of the Keiskamma Trust depicts the route we are following from Hamburg in the Eastern Cape to Cape Town. An early start gave us an advantage today and despite a slight headwind, the team managed to accomplish an amazing 160km to arrive in Knysna by 4pm! These kinds of distances highlight certain emerging characteristics of our riders:
Glenda-"Over the hill"-Doller: "on this ride, over the hill is where you definately wanna be!"
Paul- "Bat outa hell(meatloaf)" Roux: setting a demanding pace as he sped up near Plett after the first 135km of the day.
Steve-"Red Bull"- Bonaconsa: who literally flew along aided by (angels'?) wings!!
David- "Cannon ball"- Lovric: bulleting down the hill into Knysna at 62km/hr.
The "Zog the Frog" trophy was awarded to Glenda today for managing to cycle 75km with a broken spoke and a buckled wheel dragging on the brake!
Well done to the team for their incredible effort and remarkable achievement today!

As we head off...

The team enjoyed a very energetic community send-off on Sunday morning from Hamburg: vuvuzelas blowing, flags flying and arms waving. Dr Carol Baker of the Keiskamma Trust and other members of the Hamburg community joined us on their bikes as we set off on the first leg of the cycle tour from Hamburg. The team covered 85km on this first day despite a total of 5 punctures! Many thanks to Dave and Colleen of the Fountain Vineyard Church who kindly hosted us in their home and their church on Sunday evening. Well rested on Monday, we set of from Port Elizabeth with very favourable weather conditions. Despite many challenging hills, the team were able to cycle 110km which was 30km more than the planned distance for the day. We then headed back for a refreshing swim in Jeffrey's Bay.

Hamburg and Keiskamma

We awoke to a spectacular day in Hamburg- sparkling river, long white beaches, rolling waves, fish eagle overhead!

It was a real privilege to visit the projects established in the area- the Gogo chicken hut and vegetable garden, the creche and after care centre, and the Keiskamma Art project. It is evident that their phenomenal success is partly attributed to the fact that the assistance is in support of the kinds of things that the locals really need. Help has come recognising their real needs and is not imposed "from the top".
In particular, The Keiskamma Art project is remarkable with beautiful, original and creative design and embroidery.

The indomitable David Lovric is the proud recipient of our "Zog the Frog" trophy today. This was awarded him by Paul Roux for getting the first puncture of the trip on today's test ride before the actual cycling of the tour began! He managed this despite having frog-green sludge in his self- sealing tubes. He also needed to borrow pedals from the locals due to shoe clip incompatibility with his borrowed bike- Go Dave!

Hamburg and Keiskamma

We drove the entire 1000km without incident- only to end up in a donga in the dark on the way to the Heritage Centre in Hamburg!
Our spirits lifted as we were welcomed warmly, and enthusiastically entertained by the community and the Keiskamma music academy with dancing and singing.
Nozeti , on behalf of the Keiskamma Trust, presented us with a beautiful embroidered tapestry- Watch this space for a photo of this spectacular work of art.
We were also gifted with handcrafted T-shirts from the Keiskamma Art project.
A big thank you to all those involved in making this an evening to remember!

Our Cycle tour trophy-for-the-day, "Zog the Frog", was awarded to Paul Roux for driving us all safely to Hamburg.

Introducing the Team and the Route

We are about to set off on our journey!
See The Team in photo on Right - Ready- Set -Go!

The Route
Friday 23rd April- Team drives up to Hamburg
Saturday 24th April- Visit Keiskamma, HIV/AIDS awareness and outreach
Sunday 25th April-Cycle to Port Elizabeth
Monday 26th April-Cycle to Jeffries Bay
Tuesday 27th April- Cycle to Knysna
Wednesday 28th April- Cycle to Gearge
Thursday 29th April- Cycle to Riversdale
Friday 30th April-Cycle to Riviersonderend
Saturday 01 May- Cycle to Betty's Bay
Sunday 02 May- Cycle to Cape Town- Groote Schuur Hospital

Cycle Tour Count Down...

On the 23rd April the cyclists will be driving from Cape Town to Hamberg to start the cycle tour. Watch this space for more information, daily photos and blog javascript:void(0)updates.

Heather and the Bonfire Theatre Company

The fourth Thursday of every month is Adolescent Clinic Day. An afternoon is set aside for the adolescent group to come and see their doctors, receive medical care, have group counselling sessions, eat lunch together and be part of extramural activities.

Our February session saw two groups of visitors to the adolescent group as well as the first-usage of the adolescent chill room! The morning was spent with Connect 123, a volunteer based organisation spending fun time with the group. From making cards, playing games, and a lucky draw.

This was followed by lunch and a chill out session with Soul City magazines and quiet time.

Heather Schiff, a trained psychologist and co-founder of the Bonfire Theatre Company spent an hour with the group doing a range of activities using drama as the expressive medium! What a success. Heather's knowledge of adolescents, their needs, insecurities and developmental milestones paired with drama and movement had a phenomenal impact of the energy of the group with a lot of joy, laughter and enthusiasm.

All in all a very successful day with the view of more to come.

Coaching for HOPE

Coaching for Hope [www.coachingforhope.org/ ]‘is an innovative program which uses football (soccer) to create better futures for young people in Western and Southern Africa.’ Coaching for Hope is part of the international volunteering and development charity called SkillShare International.
A recent meeting with the Southern Africa Program Manager for Coaching for Hope has resulted in an exciting prospective for the Adolescent Group at Kidzpositive. Through the discussion it has become apparent that using soccer as a form of expression, group cohesion and team playing will encourage those interested individuals in the group to enjoy the multiply benefits of being part of this project. Our adolescent clinic in March will provide a space to introduce a Coaching for Hope coach from the Crossroads Multi-purpose Centre who will provide the adolescents with information about how to get involved, when to come to practices and how to join the mini-league. Through providing this service and introduction within a safe space at our clinic we hope that it will encourage our adolescent group to go along to the Crossroads Multi-purpose Centre and join in the fun. Adding to this, Coaching for Hope with SCORE [http://www.score.org.za/] provides opportunities for older adolescents who show soccer playing potential as well as leadership skills to be identified as suitable peer group leaders who will be offered the Coaching for Hope level 1 training later in the year. We hope that those dedicated and interested adolescents within our clinic will show their shining potential and grow within this fantastic initiative.

Collaborating for a better service for all

A recent meeting with Heather Schiff, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of the Bonfire Theatre Company [www.bonfiretheatre.co.za], has resulted in an exciting upcoming offer for our adolescent group at the GSH clinic.

Heather has offered to teach drama workshops to our adolescent group over the next few months, culminating in a show at the end of it. We are planning for two major workshops to be done with the group over the April school holidays - an ideal time for them to be busy and enjoying each others company without the pressures and routine of school everyday.

This is a very exciting initiative and we look forward to keeping everyone updated on progress and experiences of the youth.

20 years of Freedom

Today marks 20 years since the release of our former president Nelson Mandela from prison. In 20 years South Africa's political situation has made major changes. From his long walk to freedom, his rise to presidency, his contributions to social justice and freedom, and his continuing work with children through the Nelson Mandela's Children Fund Madiba has been and continues to unite a nation.
Like our Madiba, Kidzpositive is passionate about children and we work towards fulfilling the rights of our children to healthcare, to medical treatment and psycho-social support.
We would like to congratule Mr Mandela on his phenomenal personal, national and international accomplishments. He is the glue that has bound a country, set an example of what it is to show humility and continues to fire up a network of committed citizens in working for the greater good of a nation.

Viva Madiba Viva!

Upcoming Adolescent Activities planned at Kidzpositive

On the upcoming agenda for our adolescent group is ready to be viewed.... Providing healthcare services for HIV positive children and teens is not enough. Providing additional services is key. These include extra-mural activities. There are a number of new initiatives which will be launched in the upcoming months.

We have networked with ‘Dance For All’ outreach program who run dancing classes for disadvantaged youth in the Cape Town townships on a weekly basis. We are promoting these free classes which are run in Nyanga, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha at local schools on weekday afternoons.

‘Coaching for Hope’ and SCORE will be providing our youth (ages 10 – 18) with soccer training. The first session will be held in mid-March within the Southern Suburbs with one of the SCORE coaches with the aim of getting our adolescent group interested in free soccer mini-league coaching in Crossroads at the multi-purpose centre.

Ikapa Dance company will be offering dancing classes to our adolescent group during the year. We are aiming for one afternoon a month to start off with. Trying to logistically make a time for as many of our adolescents to come to a dance class is difficult, however we plan to include as many teens as we can. Holiday dance classes maybe the way of the future.

We have a UCT Masters student who is volunteering her time once a month with our adolescent group to teach art and crafts. Using the REPSSI educational centre a number of creative and educational classes will be held exploring individual and group identity and self expression.

A Resource Centre is currently taking shape in which resources including study opportunities, grant information, know your rights, compiling a CV, Further Education and Training options will be available to our adolescents and adult patients. The resource centre has already received its first batch of books and magazines from Soul City for educational reading and learning.

The Umuzi Photo Club has offered to mentor Kidzpositive staff in running a photographic project with a small group of adolescents. This is a project which will be investigated and followed in the future.

How to become a Follower of our Blog

2010 is undoubtedly a very exciting year for Kidzpositive Family Fund, with lots on the agenda. With the World Cup coming our way very soon, our beadwork Mum's are busy collaboratively beading vuvuzela's. The adolescent group is growing, with more activities being added to our service. The G26 ward where one clinic is run is changing shape, monthly research meetings have been implemented and other activities continue to expand.
We have an exciting CYCLE TOUR coming up - with a team of 14 cyclists peddling from Hamberg in the Eastern Cape to Groote Schuur Hospital between the 24th and 1 May 2010.
Keeping you updated on our progress is enhanced through our Blogspot, and thus we encourage you all to become 'followers' of our cause. Click the Follower button on the right hand side of your screen above recent blogs written. Post us comments or questions, be as interactive as you like...
We look forward to sharing our journey with you.

February

With a blink of an eye, January 2010 has passed by! A month of holidays for many, most staff at Kidzpositive Family Fund continued to work through the festive season, ensuring that project work continued and doctors were available to administer ARVs to children coming through the doors during December 2009 and early January 2010. February will prove to continue the cycle of busy schedules and growing projects, with an exciting adventure involving a collaborative team of cyclists riding from the Eastern Cape to Western Cape at the end of April... [more to come on this soon].
Being a short month, we hope to continue our work and improve our processes.
The adolescent clinic at the end of the month will it is hoped be full of exciting activities to engage our adolescents, offering extra curriculum activities aimed at self-expression and development.

'Let's Dance'

Through a collaboration with iKAPA dance theatre (http://www.ikapadancetheatre.co.za/ikapa/home.html) our adolescents will be given the opportunity to participate in a six weeks of dance classes in the upcoming months.

iKAPA Dance Theatre is a dance company that draws on artistic innovation and experience for social interaction through dance. iKAPA uses a creative fusion of Contemporary and Neo-Classical dance, traditional South African and International influences.

This is a very exciting opportunity for the adolescent group to come together and share creative energy on a Friday afternoon after school - an excellent opportunity in getting kids excited about an activity which is artistic as well as great exercise in getting endorphins rushing and limbs stretched.

We look forward to posting pictures and asking our adolescents to contribute to the blog - giving us and our readers a better perspective of their dancing experience.

Volunteers

At Kidzpositive Family Fund we have a strong team of hardworking and dedicated individuals. From doctors to nurses, counsellors, an OT and physiotherapist, data team and admin team.
Adding to this team on a volunteer basis is always appreciated. Currently we are looking for the following roles to be filled over roughly 3 hours per week for a six week basis (with the option of continuing the workshops if we receive positive feedback). Our adolescent group continues to grow and we would like to offer them three activities over the coming year:

1. Dance classes (which are currently in planning phase)

2. Art/ Craft classes

3. Photography classes

Anyone with the skills and a bit of spare time please contact us. This is an ideal opportunity to give back to the community, impart knowledge and self-expression to teenagers nearing adulthood. We would love the support.

New Blog Spot

Welcome to our new Blog spot!

As technology continues to expand and advance, so does Kidzpositive. From joining up to Greater Good SA, to creating a Facebook site, linking to Aids Buzz, working on updating our website and printing our newsletter... we continue to try and keep abreast of the multitude of choices we have in voicing our cause.

A month into 2010 and our plans for innovation and growth continue to be central themes. Our adolescent project planning is underway, with the hope of starting up a photographic project for teens documenting their everyday lives. From school, family, home, experiences, friends... the list is infinite. Adding to this a proposed after school Art Program as well as a Resource Centre being co-ordinated with resources and information on activities, study opportunities, grants etc.

A cycle tour is in planning with a team cycling from Hamberg in the Eastern Cape to Cape Town in late April raising funds for hilltop villages in the region.

The Beadwork Project is busy with beading for the upcoming World Cup, having collaborated an order for vuvuzelas (the South Africa soccer horn) with another NGO, Iziko, based in Hout Bay.

We are extremely excited about the work that we are doing and envision this blog to have many contributors... from Kidzpositive Team members, to our adolescents, to supporters and followers of our NGO writing, commenting and engaging with this space. What an exciting opportunity to communicate on real time!

Looking forward to the future of this space.

Lil