In September 2007, Peter Williams and The Children's Campaign Trust of South Africa took over The Philippi Children's Centre. They were impressed with the transformation of the creche and they are looking forward to facilitating our progress and continuing to foster the creche's sustainability.   The creche now functions as a Montessori school and Helen Bryant, from the local Claremont area has been appointed as their Directress/Principal. The school currently has 185 students and is approved by the Department of Education to facilitate a total of 200. The 2 year old classroom has been divided and the dining room is now a functioning toddler classroom. Five new assistants have been hired and a former teacher is returning. All will be trained in Montessori education. Africa Inc. is proud to have changed the lives of so many children these past five years. In 2005, The Philippi Children's Centre was on the verge of closing and sending 130 young children back into volatile, crime ridden, AID's impacted townships. Through the efforts of many, Africa Inc. changed the course of history and made a difference in the lives of others. We will continue our work in South Africa to educate children in need.         American Families Reaching, Inspiring, Children of Africa                                    A.F.R.I.C.A., Inc   Now that the school year has ended, Ojai Valley School kindergarten teacher Dana DeYoung-Bornand could spend her summer lounging at the beach or playing with her grandkids. Instead, the veteran educator is about to embark on the most challenging mission of her 26-year teaching career. In a small farming community outside of Cape Town, South Africa, DeYoung-Bornand will set out this summer to transform a threadbare schoolhouse into a state-of-the-art educational center, one that will deliver a first-class education to some of that country’s poorest and neediest third-world children. For seven weeks in June and July, she will develop one year’s curriculum for the 130 students at the Philippi Children’s Centre, who range in age from 6 months to 7 years and whose parents work nearby farms. She also will spend weeks training teachers at the school, who currently are little more than caretakers to the children and have neither the resources nor training to provide a formal education. And with the help of donations and a faculty enrichment grant from Ojai Valley School, she will funnel much-needed educational materials and other supplies to the children’s center, providing a true place of learning to youngsters who otherwise would be shutout of the educational process. "I saw the conditions there and I just had to do something," said DeYoung-Bornand, whose daughter, Autumn, lives in South Africa and studies at the University of Capetown. "It’s the power of one," she said. "We can cross the globe with the knowledge we have and give these kids a chance." Support for the endeavor has come from all over. DeYoung-Bornand’s kindergarten students raised $436 for the trip by selling popcorn and handmade lollipops during a March 22 fundraiser at the Ojai Valley School campus. More donations rolled in this month when friends hosted an afternoon tea, during which DeYoung-Bornand showed photos of the South African community where the school is located and detailed her plans for boosting educational opportunities there. The tea generated more than $1,800 for the cause. But the biggest source of support came from Ojai Valley School, where DeYoung-Bornand has taught for 16 years. She was one of two recipients this year of the school’s faculty enrichment grant, which is awarded annually to advance the professional and personal development of the school’s teachers. The grants were sponsored this year by Ojai Valley School parents Peter and Diane Goldenring and Andrew and Lorie Helman. One grant went to sixth grade teacher Brian McColgan and his family for travel to Costa Rica, where they will join a project that helps monitor and protect endangered sea turtles. DeYoung-Bornand received $4,920 toward her classroom crusade. "When I read Dana’s proposal, I literally got choked up," said Lorie Helman, who has two children at the school. "I can’t even imagine the deplorable conditions that these children are in. I was overcome by emotion by her selflessness and her generosity, and how she is willing to go across the world to try to make life better for other people." DeYoung-Bornand said once she saw the conditions firsthand, she couldn’t help but get involved. She got to know the school, its parents and students while visiting her daughter on summer vacation over the past three years. At the school, known as a creche, she said that she discovered loving and vibrant families, but she also found families enduring grinding poverty.And she found a timeworn schoolhouse, with peeling paint and only the barest of necessities. To generate donations for the school, she has launched a nonprofit organization called AFRICA---American Families, Reaching, Inspiring, Children of Africa. Donations can be made at the Wells Fargo Bank in Ojai, 202 E. Matilija Street, in care of Dana DeYoung-Bornand-AFRICA. DeYoung-Bornand has come up with a long list of items that are badly needed at the center, ranging from irrigation systems and new toilets to puzzles, paint brushes and pencils. Because of the exorbitant costs of shipping materials to South Africa, DeYoung-Bornand said to she will have to take American dollars and exchange them for South African rand to purchases needed items. Ultimately, DeYoung-Bornand said she’d like to see the center become a model facility for the children of South African farmhands that could be replicated in other areas of the country. Down the road, she said she plans to spend as many summers as she can tending the schoolhouse and helping it grow. And she said when she retires from Ojai Valley School she and husband, Ventura County sheriff’s deputy Ray Bornand, plan to split their time between Ojai and South Africa. "I just felt that I needed to take a stand, to do what I do best," DeYoung-Bornand said. "Once you give them the seed of education, the hope is to inspire them so that they’ll be able to take it from there." For more information, contact DeYoung at dana@africainc.us
Board Members Founder/President: Dana DeYoung Vice President: Sheri Usher Secretary: Dana Stevens Treasurer: Dana DeYoung Development Directors: America -Lori Bolton  South Africa- Lizanne Shultz Advisory Committee :  Autumn Engelke,  Sarah Houseman           Philippi Children’s Centre Principals Report 2006 A total of 135 children from surrounding farms and settlement areas were registered at the center. At present the ratio between farm children and settlement area children are 60/40 respectively. The attendance record is good but during school holidays the numbers drop to about 50 children per day and that is only farm children attending. The education skills of the children have improved tremendously especially during the latter 2 months due to donations of educational toys and re-modeling of the classrooms by Mrs Dana de Young from America. Thank you to all the donors no matter how small the donation, it helps to uplift the children and keep the doors of the center open. Thank you to the entire staff for their co-operation, support, understanding and willingness to continue with the wonderful work they are doing. Thank you to the parents for allowing us to help with the education of their children and for paying their fees. Thank you to the committee for caring, support and willingness to be there for us and the children. Ms Abrahams from the 3yr old class resigned due to social problems and Ms Leetjer was re-appionted to the 3yr old class. Health report The nutritional status of the children is good. The personnel from the Philippi clinic no longer visits the center due to shortage of staff. Mothers now have to take their babies to the clinic themselves for immunizations. There were no major outbreaks of childhood diseases this year. Education report Dana de Young,  the donor from America, had workshops with the educators. Ms Fortuin, the grade R educator attended an exhibition at the education department in Ottery. Ms Du Toit attended a 6 week parent and leadership course presented by Social Workers at the Parent Center in Wynberg, once a week. Thank You Sister Van Wyk
Curriculum Implemented in Afrikaans, Xhosa, and English   Chairpersons’ report – april 2005 – august 2006 For the Philippi Children's Centre The Management Committee has remained the same except that Heidi de Bod has resigned due to work commitments. We have not replaced her but will be doing so at the AGM. The committee are as follows: LC Schultz, Chairperson; H Rix, Vice Chairperson; A Rix, Treasurer; Z Hestermann, Secretary; and L Rix; R Wicomb; H Kohn; L Baguley. We would like to thank Heidi for her support and dedication and her assurance that she will continue helping where needed. The committee met once a month on a regular basis. We have had a busy year with lots of fund raising, revamping and problem solving.  I would like to thank Dana de Young from California USA. Dana came upon us through her daughter, Autumn Engelke who is married to a flower farmer from Philippi. Dana, being a Montessori teacher for the past 27 years decided to do something for the children of Philippi. She applied for a grant given to a person who wanted to do upliftment work in another country and she succeeded in getting it. This paid for her air ticket to South Africa but the rest of the money for any work done here she had to raise herself. She raised $5000.00 with which she redid all our classrooms. She repainted them with the help of Autumn, then restocked them with educational aids, toys, equipment and furniture and the 2 year old has a new novilon floor. It was an absolute inspiration to see Dana and Autumn working day after day, giving up their holidays and working with the staff and the children. Dana then did daily workshops with the staff, teaching them new skills and inspiring them to teach! Dana has founded a NPO named AFRICA Inc., which stands for "American Families Reaching and Inspiring Children of Africa". She has made this a 2 year project and from there she will move onto other schools also needing help. THANK YOU DANA!! We once again had a whopper fund raising dance where we raised R16 000.00. It has definitely become a yearly institution and is well attended and supported by all. Thank you to all the donations and the hard work that goes into planning this event. Our staff members are doing well. They are still slightly short staffed but are coping well. Sister Van Wyk is still our Principal and cook and what would we do without her? Our main aim this year is to be able to give our staff members a good raise and be able to send them to more workshops and courses. The committee would like to thank the staff for their loyalty towards the center. It has been a pleasure to be able to work with these very special teachers! I am sure this will be rewarded. As you know, our buildings, grounds and equipment are all very old and repairs are always needed. We did plenty of maintenance work this year and so far everything that needed mending has been fixed. A special word of thanks to Levy Strauss Community Involvement Project who sent a team of people out in July and repaired the rotting side wall and the roof of Weltevreden classroom. It was great seeing adults and children all getting involved with sanding, painting and repairing. For the rest, the outside of the buildings have to be painted and the inside of the toilets, dining room, staff room and office. A huge project for the coming year is to get funds to replace our combi. It is time to get a new vehicle so that the breakdowns and flat tyres can be minimised and so that the delays in getting the children to and from the center can be eradicated. It is with great pleasure that I write this report and have to admit that things are going well at the center. We have so much to be thankful for and we cannot stop thanking our God and Father for His endless blessings bestowed on Philippi Children Center. Each teacher, child, donor, organization, committee member and friend entering our center has made an unimaginable impact on everybody involved. THANK YOU Lizanne Schultz Chairperson