March 2019

The month of March felt really short as it was a month full of festivities as per usual at ICDM. The most important element of growing our organization being the after school education through sporting activities programs, the ICDM saw itself participating in a three day event which took place in Durban ( Glebe stadium). As part of promoting volunteer tourism and putting Isithumba on the map we saw a number of international volunteers taking part in our programs and this has become part of our organizational culture. It is with great honor to update on the litter system project, the project is going well, the school and the tourism center have started dropping the litter in a place where we can be able to hand it to the people responsible for it collection. Most importantly all this happens with the involvement of children whom we put at the center of all our activities.

The event in Durban was organized so that different communities can participate and compete in indigenous games like Khokho, Dri stokies etc. Our kids were super excited before, during and after the event. They had to train and or prepare themselves in Oder to compete other sports clubs and academies. This, to the youngsters always seem to feel as a good challenge that they always engage fully in. Our Khokho team made it to the final, however, couldn't win the Finals. The most important part about all this for our children is the opportunity to compete and get to meet new people and know there is a bigger world out there hence our objective goal can only stand to benefit from such events. It is all thanks to our forever hard working team lead by Mazwi Msomi, Hanif Mbhele, Napa Mkhize, Noluthando Buthelezi and Nicklas Klinge.

In as much as this month felt quick to most of us at ICDM we, however, saw a lot of volunteers coming throughout the month. We hosted travelers from Germany. The ICDM hosted Janine and Hanna who really worked hard in our after school programs introducing some games from Germany and this is key to intercultural learning. The 19 year old Germans also learnt a lot from the from our well informed children. They sure improved their chess and table tennis skills during their time at ICDM. This perfect mutual and conducive learning environment is what South Africa needs towards achieving good social cohesion. Later in the month we again hosted Talita and Carmel also Germans who also had an amazing time as they claim to have learnt a lot during their time with us. Talita :" it is always amazing to see that the people who brings about real impact in your life are the people you have never imagined meeting.

The litter collection project is going well with the whole almost ready as we have managed to put concrete and almost done with the fencing. The number one goal has been achieved which was to involve the children from the beginning to the end of the project.

The programs continues and more projects will unfold. It is amazing to see our under 15 children really being part of all the activities even activities that are not about them playing and or taking part in the activities. This helps the trainers to bond and get to understand the children more. The ICDM usually closes during school holidays but this time was a different story as the children kept on coming to the ICDM premises.

Thank you for reading our newsletter and supporting our work.

ICDM, We are the future.

February 2019

Ther ICDM kids.

The month of February unlike other months is a month of love as people celebrate Valentine's Day throughout the world. The ICDM took up on an initiative with a local music group 501 and planned an event. In this very month we welcomed Nicklas from German who comes from a background of investment banking and is here to spend two good years with ICDM. The project of keeping our area clean began as we started a good litter system working with the school, thousand thrills and the local community. Our after school programs are also on fire as we see an increase in attendance. The ICDM also filmed a 15 minutes documentary with a group of students from A university in Bielefeld, Germany. It was also in the month of February that the ICDM met with the EThekwini municipality's youth desk through our all time partners, the department of sports and recreation.

The event held on the 16th of February was bigger than what we anticipated. There art performances, ranging from Poetry, hip-hop/Rap music, Maskandi and Sarafina. It was a good platform for all the local artists as they found a chance to make themselves known to the local people and thereby creating a good local support base. It wasn't only people from Isithumba that performed on the day but from neighboring villages and excitingly we had Tomas the Brazilian multi talented dude performing on the day, doing beatboxing. This was also a platform where our talented ICDM kids could showcase skills in dances like Sarafina and more. More notable is that the event went accordingly and there were no incidents of misbehaviour and that has become to be the ICDM events culture since we strictly forbid alcohol and or any other drug in our events as they seek to inspire and develop the youth people. This event like many others will become an annual event of ICDM.

Nickolas has been assigned to managing the litter program and of course he will be working with the ICDM team and the local authorities, the aim is to create a clean space where kids can learn and grow. This is one of the initiatives where we as local people need to support the government where possible in bettering our own areas. The primary school Indunakazi is very cooperative under the administration of Ms Mncwabe and her good team. Working with Mr Zondi is very fruitful and helps make things move forward quicker, Mr Zondi is responsible for litter collection on the area. Slowly we start to see the change of attitude where people start to be more responsible and of course this will take time and persistence in the idea. What is great and notable for ICDM is that the children respect this initiative and seem to grow a lot from it.

Our after school programs are really growing such that it is hard to ignore the role played by ICDM in the local community of Kwaximba. The children start to communicate in English with our international volunteers and we have been lucky to meet Mboneni Ngcobo who is introducing a mountain bike program which we shall write more about in our next newsletter. In Chess and table tennis we have also helped the youth improve. There is always continuous posts on our Facebook page where one can see what it is that we do on a weekly basis.

The ICDM had a pleasure to welcome students from a university in Bielefeld. The aim of ICDM's involvement in the film was to film a 15 minutes documentary promoting volunteer tourism, meaning showing what one can do in Isithumba as a volunteer and what other activities are there to keep people entertained while we generate income so we can run the programs. The documentary went well such that the film crew was as happy as the ICDM was after the project was completed, however, we are awaiting the editing of the documentary and after we shall post it on our platforms to all relevant stakeholders.

Meeting with the structures of the municipality reminded us that we have their support and that they value our work hence we want to say that we have been and encouraged to do more. This is all thanks to Zola and her team at the department of sports and recreation of EThekwini. 

There is more coming, keep supporting and reading our newsletters.

We are the future

November 2018

The month of November has been a month we all at ICDM have been longing for. Although we have not been issuing newsletters in the recent months we can rest assure you that a lot has been happening at the isithumba community development movement. In November we hosted a number of events and international visitors which we pride ourselves of. We have during the time of hosting our international guests decided to build a kiosk, plant grass on the site, started a garden where we can plant crops. In all the activities we made sure to involve our children. Before we share with you the details of the aforementioned events and activities we want to thank you for the continued support and encouragement to which without we could not be able to do our work with such pride.

The ICDM attended an event organized by the provincial sports and recreation department where our children participated in activities such as the fun walk, netball and volleyball. The ICDM is very proud of it competitive Netball and Volleyball teams. Our youth did very well that we managed to come on a second place in Netball and third place in volleyball which is certainly good if one considers the level of competition on a provincial level. Events like these help our children to feel encouraged  and realise that they can make it to be better sportsmen and women in the foreseeable future. This particular event, we as ICDM through one of our directors Mr Bleh Mnyandu from Mkhizwane village we attended it jointly with children from isithumba and his Village through hard work of our managers Mr Mazwi Msomi and Ndoda Msomi in mobilising the children and ensuring their safety, also preparing them well before such an event.

Finally the Irish youth arrived in Durban on the 5^th of November and traditionally we welcome them from the Kingshaka international Airport where we all sing Irish and Zulu songs before what one can call a life changing experience for both the Irish and the Zulu children. This year’s event was arguably bigger and better compared to last year’s camp however the experience was as impactful. On this year’s camp we focused on building the kiosk, regardless of how warm the African sun can heat, the Irish and Zulu volunteers worked together in ensuring that the blocks, sand and other related resources were brought to the building area, good experiences driving at the back of a pick up truck to collect the sand, with theKiosk we intend to sell ICDM merchandise, coffee and cool drinks to our visitors and the monies generated from such activity will go directly to the ICDM’s charitable work, we also started a vegetable  garden, the vegetable garden will help us educate our youth about what can be planted in their area and also sell crops to the local communities, we also aim at providing the accommodation side of the centre with organic food freshly produced from the isithumba soil. The garden work would have not been possible without the hard work of our French volunteers who were with us during the same period as the Irish group. It is amazing how the garden project progresses with the hard work our children put in, in taking care of the garden.

One needs to note power of such work where people from different cultures can work together and achieve so much in less than three weeks, apart from the vegetable garden the three cultures illustrated that there is just so much we as a human race can learn from our diversity from laughing at each other's English accents and achievieving good work together.

The ICDM is also very happy with it working relations with it site co-organizations. All the activities we do are inline with the site development plans of the site, planting grass and making the site attractive is very good for tourist and local youth attraction. This is a site where a lot of team building activities can be done hence landscaping and more activities are essential. In addition the ICDM together with Mboneni Ngcobo a professional mountain biker we have started to have organized tours on trails

ICDM appreciated the support we receive from our stakeholders, however as we are a non-profit organisation out existence and the maintenance of our programs depends on the kindness of your sponsorship and donations. Should you like to make any donations to help out programmes, please visit our webpage  for more information:

http://isithumbacdm.wixsite.com/icdm

The work we do can also be followed on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Isithumba-community-development-movement-162308743839256/

ICDM We are the future!!

December 2017

December is normally not a very busy month for the ICDM as we have witnessed in the past couple of years of our existence. This year was a special year, where we hosted a group of Irish youngsters for a 12 day working camp, the ICDM managed to also host work away and other volunteers during the very time. We have met with Timo and his friend who will be helping us painting the amphitheatre outside using spray-paints.

The Irish group stayed with different families, this is done to ensure that each and every person's experience is unique and gives our visitors a diverse perspective of the village. Our young people together with the Irish group managed to accomplish a lot beyond intercultural exchange activities, the youth got engaged in wall paintings with Irish and Zulu writings on the wall, we are really pleased to have actually hosted the group. Different indigenous games were introduced to the team and they also introduced their Irish games. The aim is to ensure that this partnership continues in the next years and it aims at establishing a way in which our young people will get a chance to visit Ireland as it seemed that the two cultures have a lot in common and to learn from one another. We thank the villagers and Municipal departments that took part in the activities.

Timo is a 2017/18 wertwärt volunteer, through his connection with our current volunteer Johannes he has agreed to assisting with the paintings on the amphitheater. This is the positive part of having the networks of volunteers incorporated within our work. A lot of different educational drawings will be done. This will commence in January as soon as we resume our programs.

The workaway volunteer Sarah, is a young German traveller who was really dedicated and in the short stay which lasted two weeks she contributed a lot as she was really good with painting which saw her having a very good collaboration with the talented Irish boys. Sarah is a rather easy going German - she unfortunately had to continue with her travels since she had a limited time in South Africa. Lebo from Soweto and her German friend Anja also visited the ICDM for a two week stay, they too contributed a lot towards the building of a bench and a table outside next to the playground.

Apart from all the exciting activities the ICDM enjoyed a number of meetings with a number of willing stakeholders that are looking at supporting our programs. Next projects that the ICDM will be involved in are the painting of Amphitheatre, creation of a proper office space and building of a kiosk. The programs will resume on the 15th of January and we look forward to continuing our work we so love.

ICDM appreciated the support we receive from our stakeholders, however as we are a non-profit organisation out existence and the maintenance of our programs depends on the kindness of your sponsorship and donations. Should you like to make any donations to help out programmes, please visit our webpage  for more information:

http://isithumbacdm.wixsite.com/icdm

The work we do can also be followed on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Isithumba-community-development-movement-162308743839256/

       ICDM We are the future!!