Scholarship Program
Open Dreams teamed up with four NGOs and Emzingo to honor the leading youth volunteers in Soweto, South Africa in 2015.
Each NGO nominated two of their top youth volunteers for our scholarship program.The top three volunteers won 25,000 Rand, 15,000 Rand, and 6,000 Rand to study at the university of his/her choice.
Sibonelo Melusi Hlatshwayo
Won first place, as a leading volunteer at PUSH who also aspires to be an electrical engineer. Melusi created an after hours soccer program to keep the children united and supportive of one another once the center closed. He is always the first to arrive and the last to leave, and has shown a strong and unyielding dedication to helping others. His R 25,000 scholarship is renewable for up to 3 years to complete his degree in electrical engineering at the university of his choice.
R 25,000
Bongiwe Shamina
Banda
Received R 15,000 renewable for up to 2 years to become a social worker. Bongiwe lost both of her parents at a young age and has raised her 6 younger siblings as well as her own child ever since. She is an extremely strong, bright, and well-spoken young woman who aspires to not only be a social worker, but also to start her own TV program dedicated to the arts. She started PUSH's first poetry club, and believes very strongly in the power of the spoken word.
R 15,000
Simphiwe Mtembu
Also received R 6,000 to continue studying marketing a local university. She has been volunteering for the last several years at the Kliptown Youth Program (KYP) in Kliptown, another Emzingo partner. She runs the one laptop for child program and oversees their computer programs. She is extremely hard-working and intelligent and has recently secured a job in customer service at a large, local bank.
R 6,000
Celebrating our Winners!
Our Proud Nominees
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Patience Mazibuko - Nanga
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Michael Sibeko - Nanga
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Jabulane Zondo - Masibambisane
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Itumeleng Mafumekwane - Masibambisane
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Magcinandale Mazala - KYP
We are especially thankful to Matome Mokgoloboto of Masibambisane, who organized and arranged the entire event in El Dorado Park. He did an incredible job!
NGO PARTNERS
Push
PUSH - Perservere Until Something Happens, is an Orphan and Vulnerable Children Center (OVC) located in El Dorado Park, Soweto. They offer drop-in feeding services for more than 450 orphans and vulnerables children, providing 2 meals a day, 6 days a week. They also offer home based care for indiviuals suffering from HIV/AIDs, as well as HIV/AIDs testing. They also provide a youth development program.
Masibambisane Center
The Elton John Masibambisane Centre for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children provides psycho-social support, material assistance, homework supervision, life skills training, as well as bereavement and general counselling to children and young adults aged between 3 and 21. This support extends to the families of these children. Community outreach programmes are facilitated at schools, churches and community based organisations and more recently, a programme has been started for people living with HIV/Aids.
Nanga Vhutshilo
Nanga Vhutshilo is an integrated child/family
centred programme for orphans, vulnerable, HIV/AIDS affected children, their caregivers and
families.
They provide care and support and strenghten family structures by empowering not only the children but also the caregivers and families. We provide psycho-social, educational, nutritional and household support programmes for our beneficiaries, their families and the community.
Kliptown Youth
Kliptown Youth Program's mission is to eradicate the poverty of mind, body, and soul and to fight against the disadvantages imposed on the children of Kliptown, by providing educational support and after school activities. It seeks to develop young and dynamic individuals who are willing to contribute effectively for the betterment of their community.
Thulani Madondo, KYP's founder was just recently nominated as the top 10 CNN Heroes. Learn more about Thulani and KYP here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ktuc5_HLE
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