The Thusanang HIV/AIDS Relief Program is a NPO that was established in 2006. The program was established to decrease school drop outs , unemployment rate and increase poverty alleviation. Thusanang provides school children with breakfast before going to school , they also make sure they are clean before going to school. After school they provide them with lunch and help them with their school homework . Penelope Khunuo works with her employees and volunteers to make this program successful.
What skills and resources were you able to draw from the community for this project?
We have employees that get a stipend for working with us , we also have volunteers that help when they can. Thusanang got a sponsor from the HR Foundation to help renovate their kitchen , they also have one sponsor that helps with the overall program which is the Department of Social development.
The challenges
The program was estalished after the managers realized that there was high number of youth unemployment within the community . A lot of parents within the community worked at a nearby mine this led to some of them getting affected by diseases like HIV/AIDS and . This led to some of them being too sick to take care of their children or even dying. Thusanang helps less privelleged children and also orphanages.
Addressing the challenges
Thusanang has helped over 420 learners . It has programs that will also help with the children's needs , they organaise games that would also help like the spelling bee. Thusanang also gets help from Paiv ltd that helps with promoting the program and also teach the learners about entrpreneurship. The program only has one sponsor for now so which means they need get more sponsors and also a better enivironment for the children cause the state of their building is not good enough e.g their toilets.
The achievements
We continue to recruit learners within the community and the program has been going strong. We have help over 420 learners. Thusanang has different programs for the different learners so it can help them in which ever way it can.
Johannesburg, South Africa