Baphumelele
Khayelitsha
South Africa
Baphumelele
In 1989, Rosalia Mashale, “Rosie” to those around her, a trained primary school
teacher, moved from the Eastern Cape to the township Khayelitsha in the Western
Cape Province of South Africa near Cape Town.
Rosie was disturbed to see young children going through the rubbish dump in search
for food while their parents were away during the day, either at work or in search of
work, or without parents at all. She responded by taking children into her home, and
together with a group of women from the community, began looking after these
unsupervised children. After the first week, 36 children had joined their charge; there
are now over 130 children who live with Rosie and look to her and her staff and
volunteers for care and love.
Rosie’s project is entitled Baphumelele (pronounced: bah-poo-meh-LAY-lay), a Xhosa
word meaning “progress”; and progress she has made. From the beginning of one
house for 36-50 children, Bahpumehlelel has grown, there is now the Baphumelele
Educare Center established as a community crèche (preschool) caring for roughly 230
children aged three months to six years, the Baphumelele Children’s Home which is a
place of safety for abandoned, abused, neglected or orphaned children, most of
whom are either infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS.  In the community Baphumelele
is very active in HIV/AIDS education and caring for adults as well, there is the
Baphumelele HIV Respite Care Center, Rosie’s Kitchen (for feeding those in need no
matter what age), and the creation of entrepreneurship programs offering job training.
Through the hard work, determination and help of the community and overseas
friends, Baphumelele has developed into a thriving community project. In addition to
the Children's Home, Educare Centre, and Respite Care Center, today Baphumelele
encompasses other community outreach initiatives such as: Baphumelele Woodwork
Shop and Baphumelele Second-Hand Shop.
Anir Experience is working with Simphiwe Mabuya, Baphumelele’s Administrator, on
four projects:
A.        Supplying North American volunteers to work in: 1. the Educare Center
spending time and giving love and much needed attention to young children who have
been abused, neglected or orphaned, 2.Rosie’s Kitchen helping supply at least one
good hot meal a day to those in need, 3. teacher’s and tutors, 4. HIV/AIDS educators
to help educated the community, 5. Skilled crafts persons and business savvy
persons to help with job training.
B.        WOZA Soccer Camps for international youth to join in the spirit of the World
Cup by playing and interacting with the children of Baphumelele through soccer.
C.        Refurbishing  homes of respite care clients, bringing the homes up to livable
standards.
D.        The development of a crafts program using recycled materials.
    Next Anir program with Baphumelele April 10-20, 2009  Orphan
    care and building Homes for persons effected by HIV/AIDS