Thursday 17 May 2018

Filadelfia Ark


Topco has joined the Filadelfia Family to help families in need. 
Below is a just a short description on what this great organisation does to try help others lead a better life.


Filadelfia Ark is a non-profit registered article 22 company. They offer housing and food to the destitute and those in need. They also make provision for families with children on the farm, east of Hartebeespoort. Filedelfia Ark offer a safe haven and a work environment for people. Jobs offered at the Ark include: Farming, woodwork, steelworks, mechanical work , gardening and cooking.

The Ark houses on average 450 people per month at our care centre, included here is approximately 100 children (aged 1 to 18 years) and 82 pensioners, 46 of our residents work outside of the farm. The rest have no income and work on the farm. We also have a free kindergarten with approximately 40 children. Our residents receive 3 free meals a day and do not pay for accommodation. Filadelfia Ark also has a clinic on site with 2 registered nurses who offers basic medical assistance.

Plot 225, h/v Charl en Milfoill Rd, Kameeldrift Wes, Pretoria-Wes,018
Posbus 1130, Hartbeespoort, 0216
http://filadelfiaark.org.za/




We can all make a difference!









TOPCO impact to Jorvan Community Outreach

·        TOPCO has been supporting the education programme of the Jorvan Community Outreach for 10 years now.  The invaluable support has allowed us to increase the number of learners and students that live at and use the student centre from 10 to 30.  The funding is used to assist with the following expenses of the Outreach:

o   School uniform
o   Stationery
o   Monthly food cost
o   Municipality bills (water, electricity and gas)
o   Medical bills
o   Transport costs (fuel, bus/taxi fare) for students

·        Here follows some of the statistics of the Outreach programme:
o   To date we have 6 university students who have come through the programme (one of them has been with the programme since the age of 15)
o   Their field of studies are : B.Sc Human Life Science ; B.Sc Chemical Science ; B.Sc Microbiology ; B.A. Journalism ; B.A. Law ; Human Resource Management
o   In 2016 we had our youngest member join the programme at the age of 5.  She started Grade 1 this year and is doing very well.
o   70% of the group are girls.
o   Many of the learners from the programme joined the Dare To Stand Out group because their results were weak or mediocre.  We have 100% pass percentage at the end of each school year and most of the learners receive merit and honours awards.
o   We had NO teenage pregnancies within the programme.
o   Brian has started an exercise routine for all the learners who are at the student centre.  They run, cycle, walk or we have a fun dance sessions with Jordan.   Alternatively we have a physical exercise programme once a week.
o   ALL of the Jorvanites (the outreach students) are involved in the running of the Community Outreach Programme.  Each Jorvanite is a mentor or tutor.  During the school holidays they will volunteer at a foster care home ; they volunteer at a local educare centre.

·        Challenges
o   The cost of university registration fees and additional school fees, places a strain on the monthly food bill, stationery costs, etc.
o   The existing student centre is becoming too small to accommodate the learners living at the centre.  There are many more students who would like to move into the student centre due to social constraints at their homes.  We would therefore like to extend the student centre by adding another floor to the existing house/building which would cost R550 000 toR600 000.
o   We require a minibus to transport the learners to and from school and also to various school workshops. Melanie has to make several trips to and from school in her car which impacts on her teaching / tutoring time at the Outreach Student Centre. It also impacts negatively on our monthly fuel cost.
o   It is becoming increasingly clear that most if not all of the learners who live with us need some professional psychological counselling.  Many of them have experienced various traumatic events throughout their lives and as they grow older they struggle to cope with the suppressed emotions.  Neither Brian nor I are equipped to assist the children although we do offer maternal/paternal support.  Often, however, this is not enough but due to financial constraints the outreach programme cannot afford the counselling sessions which cost approximately R850.00 per session.

·        Direct quote from beneficiary
o   My name is Celine and I have been with the Jorvan Community Outreach for 5 years.  I started off as a weak student and the education programme has really helped me grow, not only academically but emotionally as well.  I started living permanently at the outreach centre since 2017 due to the negative environment at my home.  Due to the harsh relationship that I had with my mother, I fell into a stage of depression and therefore became anorexic but since living at the Outreach Student Centre I have become healthy again. The outreach programme really benefits me in the way that there is a continuous support base system, provides a safe space, a healthy environment, daily meals, bus fare when needed and toiletries when needed. The continuous help from TOPCO will really be able to help us as students as we will be able to have our stationary, books, travel allowances and our daily meals.

o   My name is Jordan and I’m the biological daughter of Brian and Melanie. Over the years I’ve seen how the Outreach has grown and how the help it provides to those going through the programme has evolved. At this point the Outreach is doing way more than I think we ever could have imagined. It’s seen as a safe haven by the kids because here they are given the space to flourish whether it be personally or academically. They are given the resources, the building blocks, to be the change they wish they could see and living with these kids I see the growth. Without this programme I could tell you that so many of them would be lost, falling into the same traps as their guardians/parents had and so much potential would have been wasted. This magic is of course only possible with help from the TOPCO. We as a family aren’t by the means to fully financially support as many kids as we do, but your company allows us to be a catalyst in their development.


Jorvan Community Outreach

International: +27 83 2720412

Local: 083 2720412
Office: +27 21 3714469

" YOU HAVE NOT LIVED UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN NEVER REPAY YOU "