REFILWE TIMELINE

1992 to 2000  
Primary Health Care Clinic: total number of patients who received health care services during this period – minimum 10,000.

1996 to 2005 
TB program for an average of 40 patients per month.

1995 to 2000 
Established an early afternoon learning centre for children.

1993 to 2005
Children’s home for 27 children from orphaned and vulnerable backgrounds.

2000 to 2005  
Refilwe School: total number of children who attended the school during this period – 60 per year.

2000 to 2005 
Refilwe Hospice: total number of in-patients during this period – 200.

2001
Registered as a Section 21 company.

2003   
Partnered with Department of Social Development to run a Drop-In-Centre.
Registered the Refilwe Community School as a Non Profit Organization.

2004 to 2007
Partnered with Right to Care to support its HIV/AIDS activities.

Registered the Christian Clinic (Refilwe) as a Non Profit Organization.

2004 to Oct 2005  
Partnered with NOAH to start a Day Care Centre.

Nov 2005     
Moved to Plot 87 & 90 of the farm Lindley and Jaco van Schalkwyk became the Project Leader.

Nov 2005 
Signed indefinite term lease with the Anglican Church for an 18 hectares site north of Lanseria Airport.

2005  
Refilwe and Right to Care partnered with Blue Cross Health to manage the HIV/AIDS and primary health care program.

2005 – Ongoing      
Repair and upgrade of site infrastructure: renovations of all existing structures to accommodate child and community care programs. This includes ten children’s cottages, two resident volunteer cottages, a computer room, a library, workshops, storage areas, office complex, community support centre, day care centre, clinic, roads, garden and landscaping.

2005 to March 2009
Drop-In-Centre program for orphaned and vulnerable children, and HIV/AIDS affected and infected individuals from the surrounding communities supported through a partnership with the Department of Social Development.

2006  
Launched the ACAT Skills Development Program for entrepreneurial and life skills training.

2006
Launched the Resident Volunteer program for international volunteers.

Dec 2006
Official launch of the God Parents Project (based on a foster care system) to provide family structures for orphaned and vulnerable children placed at Refilwe by the Children’s Court through the Department of Social Development. This program provided homes for 43 children.

Feb 2007 to 2012/2013 
ACAT skills development program: Every year at least ten groups of five persons each are being added to the program. Most of the individuals who are part of this program start their own businesses.

Jun to Nov 2007  
Built the Community Hall.

2007 – 2010

Partnered with the Infinite Families –mentorship program for foster children

Nov 2007   
Established the Piggery to serve as an income generation project for Refilwe.

Jan 2008   
Started the Hands of Hope School for seven Grade 8 learners.

March 2008   
Commenced major site upgrades to combat erosion and to replace invader trees with indigenous trees.

Jun 2008 
NOAH handed management of the Day Care Centre over to Refilwe. Number of children attending the Day Care Centre: 60.

Jul 2008
Established the Organic Fruit Orchard as a Refilwe Enterprise project.

Sep 2008  
Blue Cross Health terminated HIV/AIDs, TB and Primary Health Care services. Refilwe continued with a community based health care program.

Sep 2008   
Rotary partnered with Refilwe to expand the Hands of Hope School and Community Education Centre. Phased improvement and building of the school facilities will take place between 2009 and 2012.

Nov 2008  
Founder Jean Stewart became involved with the training and mentoring of the home based care workers.

Dec 2008   
Right to Care partnered with Refilwe and the Department of Social Development to expand the community based HIV/AIDS, TB and home based care health care program. This program offers intensive training for the home based care workers and will serve at least 500 regular clients per year.

Dec 2008        
Established the Refilwe Carpentry Project as part of Refilwe Enterprises.

Jan 2009    
Started the registration process for the Hands of Hope School and the Day Care Centre. Number of learners enrolled in the school increased to 18.

Feb 2009
Established Wormcycle as part of the Refilwe Enterprises.

Programs Running in 2010

Child Care
God Parents Project
Hands of Hope School

Community Care
Day Care Centre
Health and Welfare Program
ACAT – Lanseria
Skills Training and Developement

Enterprise Development
Indigenous Tree Nursery
Organic Fruit Orchard
Carpentry Project
Earthworm Farm

2010 – Preschool started in its current form (initially located in the house where the baby home is now)

July 2012 – Kids Club started for Joe Slovo and Community Kids – has grown to 140 kids!

October 2012 – Baby Home Opens (started with 6 babies, expanded to 12 in 2014)

2012 – Partner Clinic – Refilwe Bophelo Opens, run by Sister Didi – brings

2012 – Jaco Resigns

2012/2013 – GUESS renovations to the office, children’s center and GPP housing

2013 – Lelane & Current Board Appointed

2013 – GPP Afterschool Program Starts

2014 – First Holiday Club for Joe Slovo & Refiwle children during school holidays

2014 – Partner with Rotary and the Lego Trust to distribute Duplo Blocks among all of our community daycare centers and train the teachers in educational use of Lego

July 2014 – Ithuteng & Recycle project Opens – quickly grows to over 100 children

2015 – Training for our ECD Outreach Partners (Community Daycare Centers) in basic formal Early Childhood Development Training

Programs Running in 2016

Childcare:

Baby Home (12 babies, 0-3yrs)

God Parent Program (16 children – 6-20)

Independent Living Program (4 young adults – 20+)

Community Development:

Refilwe Preschool (70 children – 3-6yrs)

ECD Outreach (17 community schools, influencing over 700 children)

Ithuteng Aftercare (120 children Grade 1-12)

Kids Club and Holiday Club (140 children – 3-18yrs)

Skills Development:

Worm Farm (6 staff members)

Nursery (2 staff members)

Recycling (1 staff member and Swap Shop benefits 120 children at Ithuteng)