Since Boost’s inception in 2007 our dream, our pie in the sky, was to establish a learning centre close to Dunoon.  Boost Africa Foundation has grown dramatically since 2007 and we now find ourselves in desperate need of a stable base of operation to fully impact the lives of the children and our families.
      For the last 4 years of operating in Dunoon we have begged, borrowed or niggled space from whoever was willing to have us.   Sometimes we operated from the back of the Boost car, other times from the homes of volunteers living in the community, trying desperately not to impose but store as much as possible in their tiny spaces.  Currently, we are meeting with our Keep a Child in School families at Zusake center one day per week and holding Boost Kidz Klub at the municipal hall, two days per week.  We are often in and out of the community other days but there is no one concrete place that our families and children can locate us.  This past month we were unable to use the municipal hall for Boost Kidz Klub leaving us to operate outside on some of the most miserable winter days.  Not being able to use the hall, occurs often, meaning that when anyone with more stature in the community requires the hall Boost and our kids are out, out, out.  This is incredibly disruptive to the kids and even with our volunteers because they really never know if BKK is on and where.  Our work with Zusake has been such a blessing but for 2 weeks this month Patricia’s teachers went on strike and we were unable to use their facilities to any degree. 
     Although we have made some success in impacting the community and creating relationship with the children and families by operating “here a little, there a little” we now realize not having a base of operation is holding us back.  We see a growing need for our current programs and a need for adult literacy classes, English classes and Entrepreneur training; without a permanent spot, how can we provide these?  Many of our kids have disruptive home lives, we want them to know that we are there for them and that we are there to stay.
     The property that has caught our eye is located across the street from Dunoon and adjacent to Site 5, where most of our Boost Kidz live. Our desire is to have a learning facility, with classrooms, computers and an office.  The lots and facilities for sale are constantly changing, but the price of buying versus building is similar. The Boost Learning Centre facility will cost R2, 600,000, which is $380,000. This price includes the furnishing of the center including, desks, books, and computers.  If we buy an already built facility the price will be similar, but we could move in immediately.
     Having facilities next to the township would allow us to expand our ministry and increase the effectiveness of our time with the kids. Much of our time currently spent in prep and transporting equipment would be minimized by having a permanent base. Having these facilities won’t only aid us in the work we are doing, but it would also place us in a position to grow and strengthen our ties to the families we partner with. We don't know where the money will come from, but we feel strongly that we have a direction  from God and we must be obedient to that leading.

*if you would like to know more about our building fund, the details and funds raised so far please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 We often speak of our Keep a Child in School families but rarely give you specifics of their lives. The Kasendwe family has been part of our K.A.C.I.S. program since the end of 2007. The family emigrated from the Congo in 1998 and currently lives in Dunoon.  Gilbert Kasendwe is the wonderful father of twins Felistance (13 years) and Evaristo (13 years), Patricia (11 years), John (10 years), and Gilbert Jr. (6 years). When his wife died of AIDS, he found himself in the challenging position of sole care-giver of his children and being ill himself.  Gilbert sells beautiful wood carvings at the beach to tourists, but struggles to make ends meet when the weather is poor and when he is ill, which is often. At difficult times like this, Boost has been able to help with a food package. The four older children are regulars at Boost Kidz Klub and are sometimes drafted as volunteers when our regular help is lacking.    Felistance enjoys dance, Evaristo is the actor in the family, Patricia likes math and social science, John enjoys reading about animals, and Gilbert likes most outdoor activities. It is an encouragement to see their hunger to learn and desire to make a success of their lives in spite of the challenges they face.  All five children are at the top of their class.

  Have you ever had a wacky idea that was just crazy enough to work?  Towards the end of 2010 we hit a wall with Boost Kidz Klub.  We had more kids than we had sandwiches and no extra funds to allocate to the program.  We had a group that made sandwiches for us once a month, they bought the bread and spread jam and peanut butter together as a group.  It was a big help but we had  7 other days a month to provide sandwiches.  One night watching a little tv a crazy thought materialized.  If it worked for one group to make sandwiches why wouldn’t other groups want to do the same, offices, small groups, running groups..... the sky was the limit.  We placed a free ad in a small newspaper just to see if someone might call.
     Someone did call, Angela Dallas from Barone Budge and Dominick, BBD for short.  They were interested in doing something as an office to help in their local community.  We emailed information back and forth and the day arrived when the juice mix and sandwiches arrived, all buttered and neatly packaged for approximately 150 kids!  We were delighted.  We tentatively enquired how often they were planning on making sandwiches.  Angela casually said “well we will make them every Tuesday and Thursday, every week if you need them”.  We were beside ourselves we even thought that day that we must have misheard but that was the beginning of November 2010 and the sandwiches keep coming.  Our other group disbanded in November so now BBD makes all our sandwiches, twice a week, all month, every month. Through thick and thin, personal trials and tight work deadlines, Barone Budge and Dominick has been faithful in feeding our kids.  We want to say a big thank you to them, without your help BKK would not be growing and thriving as it is today.  Thank you for investing into the future of South Africa!

   A missionary in Asia once discovered the power of the advice Jesus gave to his disciples in Luke 10:3-9, to find a ‘man of peace’ in the towns he was sending them to, when he entered a potentially hostile unreached village with a co-worker. He relates how when they prayed that they would find a ‘man of peace’ God led them to a man named Li, who fed them, then properly introduced them to the village's hard-faced leader who might otherwise have ordered them killed. Li told the ill village leader, that the newcomers' God "is a great God, and they will pray for you." They prayed; the leader was healed and soon became a man of peace in his own right, opening his heart -- and the whole village -- to the Gospel.

Patricia Fekema is the Woman of Peace in Du Noon. She is a vital part of the ministry of Boost Africa Foundation in this township.

Patricia is the founder and life-force of Zusakhe, meaning “to build”, and provides an indispensable service to the community. Zusakhe was ‘birthed’ in 2007 when Patricia recognized the void created by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the families of Du Noon. “Many children were growing up as orphans in the community, some not even knowing their mothers because they had died from the disease. Some kids think their grandmother is their mother because they have been raised by them”, Patricia says.

At Zusakhe they provide a support system for those infected with the virus and assist families who have suffered loss as a result of the pandemic and are struggling to make ends meet. Patricia’s personal encounters within her family with HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, makes the input she gives in these areas real, relevant and practical.

Zusakhe runs a crèche to provide a safe, affordable and nurturing environment for little ones from these and other household.  In addition, Patricia’s concern for the youth has made Zusakhe a place where young people are encouraged and taught necessary life skills. Patricia says she learned from the mistakes she made with her own children and now uses the lessons learned in her attempt to reach the youth of Du Noon and save some from a life of drugs and crime. “I used to think that being hard with them would be good for them, but it just made them more angry”, she relates regarding her kids, “I learned that what they really need is to be loved. The youth of Du Noon are very angry and lash out because they have never experienced a mother’s love,” she says. She has become a mother to youth aged twelve and up.

Having witnessed some of what Patricia has achieved, I think she qualifies for a “Man of Peace” award; an award created in 1999 by the annual World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome which recognizes and acknowledges individuals who have “offered an outstanding contribution to social justice and peace".  With her contribution to social justice, peace and her efforts to meet the needs of the community by partnering with various organizations, including Boost Africa Foundation, Patricia is in every way a Woman of Peace.