280 bikes, nearly 300 wetsuits and nearly 900 people... well done to everyone who took part and volunteered during the weekend - even the weather was good to us!

Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein and MaAfrika Tikkun called on South Africa’s Jewish community to turn out in force to celebrate Mandela Day on July 18 by donating non-perishable foods, blankets and nearly-new toys and clothes to children and their caregivers in some of the country’s most impoverished communities.

Johannesburg businessman Rui Nobre, will be moving out of his comfort zone and embarking on an adventure of a lifetime – a 12 745km motorcycle ride from Cape Town to Cairo – in order to raise funds for children and youth living in several of South Africa’s most deprived communities.

Nobre, CEO of property investment group Griffin Holdings and his brother-in-law, Dale Edwards, are tackling the ride in aid of MaAfrika Tikkun, a NGO focused on the sustainable transformation of communities.

MaAfrika Tikkun’s goal is to improve the lives of South Africa’s children by employing a holistic approach to poverty alleviation that begins in early childhood and continues through young adulthood, ultimately empowering them to develop into valuable, contributing members of society

The pair left Cape Town on Wednesday June 30, and plan to reach Cairo 56 days later on August 25. They are travelling through 10 countries including Namibia, Zambia and Kenya. They will return to Cape Town on 25 August.

A beautiful photographic book done especially to help children at Ma Afrika Tikkun in SA play sport.

The USA launch of the Children of Africa book took place at Mina Gallery, 32 Cooper Square New York City on June 16th, 2010.

The South African launch for the book is on 25 August 2010 – watch this space!
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To order a book go here: www.thechildrenofsouthafrica.org

It is time again for three of our youth  interns to compete in the London Triathlon. Following the success of the triathlon team from Orange Farm who won the sprint event in the 2009 London Triathlon and went on to compete in the Safelite Nevada USA triathlon, this year's team is from Alexandra township. We wish them much luck in their athletics and cycling events as MaAfrika Tikkun CEO Marc Lubner is doing the swimming for the team.

MaAfrika Tikkun and Deutsche Bank have worked together on three youth dialogue events (called The Big Talk) in the last two years that have involved giving Grade 10 learners the opportunity to discuss their challenges and celebrate their ability to identify possible solutions to these issues. These events were all attended by officials from the Department of Education from provinces of Gauteng and/or the Western Cape.

From the previous events it has become apparent that although the youth uncovered the same issues each time, including teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, peer pressure and low self esteem, when it came for the youth to attempt to lessen the impacts of these in their schools and communities, they felt overwhelmed and intimidated and therefore stopped trying to be change agents.

Therefore, this year’s Youth Citizens Action Programme is linked with the National and Provincial Department of Education's Race and Values Directorate and has been tailored to provide step-by-step guidelines on how to initiate change to help the participants to first grasp the background of what it takes to be a good citizen, and then to embody that by acting responsibly and making a change in their schools to improve their situations. The scope of the learners’ projects will be practical and implementable within their frame of reference and environment to effect change for the better.

The youth development programme caters for 7 to 19 year olds. The youths come to our centres after school and thereby avoid becoming influenced by gangs, becoming addicted to drugs and participating in crime.

In 2009, a formalised Youth Development Programme consisting of 5 key pillars is being formulated and 2 of the 5 pillars are being implemented at each site this year:

• Computer Skills - Training in Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet
• Literacy - Library usage and reading encouragement
• Environment - Recycling, anti-pollution training
• Arts and Culture - Traditional dance, art, drama, singing etc
• Sports and Wellness - Karate, Yoga, Soccer etc