Life-changing Education for South African Children

Dear Friend!

Did you know that the three most important things a child needs to unfold and thrive, is trusting relationships, opportunities and freedom? At YOUPSA we provide exactly this to the young people we work with. Our groups have a set number of participants, and we meet the same groups every week. This allows us to build trusting relationships and know each individual very well. The group becomes a great support to each child and is a place where they feel respected, accepted, loved, and free to express themselves. A great Thank You to our kind supporters, like you, and our volunteers who help us to enrich the lives of the rural children.

Our children are exploring the world

YOUPSA children visited Buffelsdrift Game Lodge near the town of Oudtshoorn. It was a dream come true for them to see animals in the wild for the first time, and the wide open spaces. After the game drive, we had an 'elephant experience' where we were able to interact with 3 elephants, feed them and get a huge elephant hug each!

Experiencing outdoors, friendship, and adventure is an essential part of childhood! YOUPSA's children went on an excursion to the breathtaking Meiringspoort Mountain Pass and Waterfall outside the town of De Rust. Seeing the water falling down from such great heights, and drinking this pure mountain water was exhilarating.

This quarter YOUPSA children also visited the De Rust Open Art Studios weekend and took part in a mosaic making workshop. Together we went to view the artwork exhibited at various studios. It was the childrens' first time seeing artwork.

Learning is always fun in the YOUPSA sessions

Our volunteer Chrissie Lotz is captivating the children with her weekly maths lessons. The children just love Chrissie and her interactive learning activities and practical approach. The children have also learned to use an abacus, and are improving their understanding of numbers and operations this way.

Reading is one of the childrens' most favorite activities. "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go." (Dr. Seuss). This is exactly what you experience when you read a book! We read both in Afrikaans and English language, and the children love to discuss what they are reading.

We introduced the art of paper weaving to our groups. Each child created their own unique warp and weft using paper. They learned the many skills of measuring, cutting, carefully weaving the paper and finishing off.

Summertime has arrived, and YOUPSA is once again giving small groups of children the opportunity to take weekly swimming lessons with Karen Talbot, one of YOUPSA's volunteers and excellent swim instructor. Did you know that only 15% of South Africans can swim? We want to make sure that all of our children lose their fear of water and are able to swim confidently.

YOUPSA regularly sponsors children to attend 3-day overnight pony camps at Klein Karoo Horse Adventures. These extraordinary holiday pony camps are attended by children from all over the country. During the camp, the children take riding lessons in the ring, go on outrides into the bush and mountains, and learn about caring for and building a relationship with their horse. This special experience gives a tremendous boost to their personal development.

Please keep helping YOUPSA to bring children more amazing opportunities - and open up their worlds.

Thank you kindly!

With warm regards and our very best wishes for the holiday season,

The YOUPSA Team