Pinelands resident Alison Smith packed her bags and headed to the United States in the year 2000 for what she thought would be a routine position at a summer camp. Her adventure abroad would soon turn into a passion for uplifting the impoverished communities of Cape Town for years to come.
Smith left her life abroad and came to Cape Town in 2005 where she founded Camp Sonshine Africa, a sister organisation to the Maryland charity she had grown to love.
Based in the impoverished community of Garden Village in Maitland, Smith’s charity aims to change Africa one child at a time through a daily after-school program for primary school aged children. The program also boasts a scholarship fund which supports disadvantaged children who cannot afford the school fees at government-run schools.
“My favourite part of what we do is our scholarship program,” Smith told SA Breaking News. “I was fortunate enough to be given a quality education, which at the time I did not realise how important this was, but now, looking back I appreciate it so much.”
“Without an education you are powerless in this world. With a good education, these children are able to break the cycle of unemployment and poverty in their lives and that of their families.”
The organisation also supports families by providing transport, helping with homework, food parcels, fixing up homes and assistance obtaining children’s birth certificates.
Smith said the scholarship programme has made a noticeable difference to the lives of the NPO’s beneficiaries.
“Next year, Chelsea, our very first scholarship kid will be in Matric at Pinelands High School. She will be the first one in her family to get a matric. That is very exciting!”
“Sade, one of our scholarship kids at Pinelands North Primary is in grade 7 and is a prefect at her school! Sade is being raised by her granny as her parents walked out on her when she was very young. She works incredibly hard and is extremely self-sufficient in all that she does,” Smith added.
Smith’s journey is not without its challenges. According to the social entrepreneur, the organisation’s beneficiaries are in desperate need of a place to call their own.
“We are now working out of one of the local churches in the community. They have a tiny wendy house on their grounds that they allow us to use during the week (sic),” she said.
“Unfortunately the size of this severely limits what we are able to do and the number of children who are able to be involved, especially during the winter months.”
Smith has launched a desperate plea for businesses, individuals or organisations that are in a position to assist the charity to do its work. Her hope is that her recent nomination for the Business Women’s Association’s Regional Business Achievers Award will launch her organisation to new heights.
“I saw a need and it was just something that I could not ignore. I believe that God has given me gifts and abilities to meet the needs of this community and I simply could not walk away from this. It is what I was created to do,” she said.
Smith left her life abroad and came to Cape Town in 2005 where she founded Camp Sonshine Africa, a sister organisation to the Maryland charity she had grown to love.
Based in the impoverished community of Garden Village in Maitland, Smith’s charity aims to change Africa one child at a time through a daily after-school program for primary school aged children. The program also boasts a scholarship fund which supports disadvantaged children who cannot afford the school fees at government-run schools.
“My favourite part of what we do is our scholarship program,” Smith told SA Breaking News. “I was fortunate enough to be given a quality education, which at the time I did not realise how important this was, but now, looking back I appreciate it so much.”
“Without an education you are powerless in this world. With a good education, these children are able to break the cycle of unemployment and poverty in their lives and that of their families.”
The organisation also supports families by providing transport, helping with homework, food parcels, fixing up homes and assistance obtaining children’s birth certificates.
Smith said the scholarship programme has made a noticeable difference to the lives of the NPO’s beneficiaries.
“Next year, Chelsea, our very first scholarship kid will be in Matric at Pinelands High School. She will be the first one in her family to get a matric. That is very exciting!”
“Sade, one of our scholarship kids at Pinelands North Primary is in grade 7 and is a prefect at her school! Sade is being raised by her granny as her parents walked out on her when she was very young. She works incredibly hard and is extremely self-sufficient in all that she does,” Smith added.
Smith’s journey is not without its challenges. According to the social entrepreneur, the organisation’s beneficiaries are in desperate need of a place to call their own.
“We are now working out of one of the local churches in the community. They have a tiny wendy house on their grounds that they allow us to use during the week (sic),” she said.
“Unfortunately the size of this severely limits what we are able to do and the number of children who are able to be involved, especially during the winter months.”
Smith has launched a desperate plea for businesses, individuals or organisations that are in a position to assist the charity to do its work. Her hope is that her recent nomination for the Business Women’s Association’s Regional Business Achievers Award will launch her organisation to new heights.
“I saw a need and it was just something that I could not ignore. I believe that God has given me gifts and abilities to meet the needs of this community and I simply could not walk away from this. It is what I was created to do,” she said.
