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NEWS 2009

1. The Capricorn Foundation will get a face lift and a new Internet presence - wait to see the results. Thanks to the creative and helpful minds at projectBlau, a marketing agency in Munich we will soon have a wonderful new site.
    

ACHIEVEMENTS 2008

1. We are very proud to announce that the Capricorn Foundation was elected to receive Euro 10.000 from the Active Help Kinderfond Stiftung - a foundation initiated by  Siemens AG, Siemens Management Consulting (SMC).
   
   THANK YOU to Mr. Albrecht Wild and all the employees at SMC for this very generous donation. It was dedicated to the furthering of educational projects in Africa and will be used at Baphumelele. More on this and pictures will be available during the year. Read about the Active Help Kinderfond Stiftung here www.kinderfonds.org/active-help/
    
2. We have also received funding for 5 teenagers at Baphumelele for the coming years to support them in their tertiary education (University, High School). THANK YOU to Michael Kausch from Visio Munich, Toon Bouten, Uli Holtz, Familie Baumann and Dirk & Silvia Gallowsky.
    
3. We have taken up a new project called “Memory Books”. It is based on a film and the book by Christa Graf that portrays the lives of HIV positive mothers and their children in Uganda.
   
   In order to leave their children a memory of themselves as well as a history of their family and ancestry parents compose memory books. Hand written memoires their children can read once they have passed away. A deeply moving film and book that touch our very inner most fears and emotions. For more details please see: Memory Books
    
4. The kindergarden in Mozambique was successfully completed and the pictures can be viewed here: Events
    
5. Baphumelele is progressing and busy as always and the children are developing well. For the most recent news letters visit the following sites:
   
   Newsletter June 2008
   Newsletter July 2008
   Newsletter November 2008
   Christmas 2008
   
   
   

ACHIEVEMENTS 2007

1. We have built a sports ground for the children in Maun at Bana ba Letsatsi and they are using it with much fun for plays, get-togethers and other outdoor activities. It was made possible by friends in Italy who baptized their children and chose to donate to the Capricorn foundation instead of receiving presents. Thank you Gianna and Pier! Take a look a the pictures here or by clicking the events button.We are also still financing the new Peace Corp volunteer who arrived to replace Ray in August 2007.
    
2. During a trip in October / November 2007 to South Africa and Mozambique 2 new projects were identified:
   
   a.) The project in South Africa is called “Baphumelele” and is situated to the North of Cape Town in the township called Khayelitsha. Rosie started the project 4 years ago and we intend to help here as much as we can in her seemingly endless task to care for abandoned, abused and orphaned children. Without her these kids would have no future. Take a look at the project here or by clicking of the projects button.
   
   One of the foundlings of Baphumelele in her little bed
    
3. The project in Mozambique “Casa da Família”, will be the construction of a new kindergarden in the Northern outskirts of Maputo. It is a community project that was started by Mr. Geraldo and his wife with the intention of improving childrens’ education and care in the area of Magoanine. Mozambique is a lovely country and is home to a very kind people and we at the Capricorn foundation look forward to working in this country we have repeatedly visited over the past 4 years
   
4. We have not managed to reopen Dula Sentle as intended and do not know if we will be able to do so as the issue of dedicated staff and coordinators could not be solved so far.

ACHIEVEMENTS 2006

In 2006 we were not as successful as hoped for:

1. Dula Sentle was closed in May by the Governement of Botswana after a defamation campaign against the founder and coordinator of the project was initiated. This was unfortunate and unnecessary as the legal battle that ensued only harmed the welfare of the children. We were however able to win our case at the High Court of Botswana in December and this will pave the way forward.
    
2. In contrast to these sad news Bana ba Letsatsi has done extremely well. They were able to move into the new buildings after these had been refurbished and the new rooms and offices are fantastic. The compound has received an outside shaded area where the children can eat and gather for lessons. The premises have been fenced in and security stepped up. A container was bought that stores all inventory as well as donations of materials and clothes. The Peace Corp Volunteer was able to significantly assist the coordinator and allow her to focus on the development of the Center.
    
3. A Trip to Botswana was undertaken in October 2006 to follow up on the situation at Dula Sentle by speaking to representatives of the Government and lawyers involved with the matter. We also visited Bana ba Letsatsi and were very surprised and pleased by the developments.
    
4. New projects were identified in Cape Town, South Africa, that provide care for disadvantaged children in one of the poorest townships by providing daily meals, building kindergardens and homes for neglected children. We will support this new project through our network.

ACHIEVEMENTS 2005

In 2005 we can proudly say that we achieved a great deal:

1. With special support from friends in Waldkirchen, Bavaria, we were able to build a jungle gym
    
2. With the help of friends and companies in the IT industry a sick bay was constructed that currently can take six children that are at risk.
    
3. We sent 527kg of childrens’ clothes to Botswana just before Christmas 2005 and the kids had a great Christmas party. Included in the boxes were 125 Christmas presents - each child received a swim suit. This was made possible by the children and parents of the Groebenbachschule in Groebenzell, near Munich.
    
4. We furnished the house of and sponsored a Peace Corps Volunteer for Bana ba Letsatsi who will be supporting the coordinator for the next 2 years.

Thank you to all of you who  made this possible!

The presents wrapped and named for the kids Christmas 2006:

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Please stay in touch and update yourselves regulary, something is always happening.

It would be wonderful to be able to find more support and assistance from people out there like you. Should you be interested in supporting these projects as a volunteer for 3 months or by contributing your professional advise and experience please contact the foundation.