Oasis of Hope in South Africa
Graham & Nicola White
Update July 2007

Graham & Nicola are based in Johannesburg.

Their house is very similar to those in the UK .

Shopping is done in the local Mall.

The office where the Oasis team is based is a modern building too.

Their church is GodFirst City Church which has rooms in a block.

The meetings are lively as you might expect in Africa!

 The contrasts start when we look at the conditions in which many of those Oasis try to help live.

This is Diepsloot informal settlement where there is:

• Poverty
• Migrants, no shared history
• Unemployment
• Not a community of choice

• Crime
• Lack of facilities
• Exclusion from regional economic & transport development plans

 We are aiming to model

 The Oasis team (except Graham who is taking the picture), Nicola is on the right.

 The plan was to carry out research from January - June 2007 on the needs in the following areas:

• Community survey
• School leavers support
• Pre-School teacher training
• Community health workers
• Computer literacy

The School Leavers Support Programme (SLSP) covers:

• Tutoring project
• Braamfontein
• Diepsloot

The Braamfontein SLSP

• University of Jo’burg
• Accommodation
• Mentoring
• Finances
  

Diepsloot SLSP

• Career Guidance
• Mentoring
• Further education
• Training opportunities

Community Health Workers

Pre-Schools

 Play with a purpose

Computer Literacy

• Grade 12 - Diepsloot Combined School

• Community Project

• School Leavers support

 Diepsloot Combined School

 Grade 12 computing

Community ICT Project (Graham on the right)

Strategy for Aug 2007 - July 2008

• Pre-school teacher training
• Community healthcare
• School leavers support
• Church/community action

Pre-school teacher training

• From July 2007 for 1 year part time
• In conjunction with Social Services
• 2 courses of 20 students each

Community healthcare

• Three months further research
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Prevention of Sexual Abuse (PSA)

School Leaver's Support

• University Students
• Mentoring
• GAP Year
• Skill training programme
  • ICDL
  • TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language
  • Career Guidance
  • Life Skills
• Training facilities

Church/Community Action

• Projects promoting social inclusion
• Network of Christian organisations working in area
• Interaction with government and greater community
• Partnering for community transformation 

Sport

We did our best to support the team but were heavily outnumbered!

Prayer

• That plans will come to fruition

• Fundraising for us and projects

• Facility / premises

• For our safety

• For our young people on the SLSP