Here's to Crowd Power

What a beautiful reminder this week that it really does take a village to raise a child!  Thank you to everyone who responded to our appeal for donations to Global Giving’s Little x Little campaign. Your many gifts ensured that our teens benefitted from matching gifts in the top 3% of the NGOs that participated in the campaign.

As always, the financial boost has been a huge help. But knowing you always have their backs, and care about their future prospects, gives our diligent teens in Alexandra, Khayelitsha, and Soweto townships a huge emotional boost too.

Right now, they are buried in their books, studying for mid-terms, and thanks to your ongoing generosity, they’re able to use computers and the internet in Infinite Family’s LaunchPads. You provide the technology and educational resources they need to get ahead, as well as also a safe place for them to study outside school hours. 

To say Thank You seems inadequate but we hope you’ll be warmed by the difference your kindness makes, at the foot of Africa, every single day.

The Long (and Winding) Road to Freedom

When Lesedi passed Matric (12^th grade) with a Bachelors' Pass (the highest category possible) and was awarded a scholarship (from South Africa’s Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, no less!), she thought she was On Her Way. All she needed to do was pack her bags for North West University (NWU) and wait for the first semester to start so she could take up her place to study for a degree in Psychology.

However, within days, her dream of a university education and an independent financial future appeared to be in tatters.

Before she could take up her place - and trigger the release of her scholarship - she needed to pay a registration fee of R11 000 ($595). This was an impossible sum for her unemployed father to provide. Plus, she’d need to come up with a security deposit and rent to cover her first month’s accommodation, … and her transport to campus, 100km away … furnishings for her room … her food … and, her all-important course books… all while she waited for the scholarship to be paid. Read more.

Change Agent Appreciation

April is Global Volunteer Month and, in the USA, the week of 20 – 27 April is Volunteer Appreciation Week.  

We know our Video Mentors, Directors, and other volunteer members of our Infinite Family, don’t do what they do for appreciation... but this is our moment to shine a light on the selfless, wonderful people who seek ways to make the world a better place by gifting their time, energy and positivity to causes they believe in.

It would be entirely impossible for us to run our global online mentoring program without the weekly commitment of scores of volunteers. You truly are the beating heart of Infinite Family and, whether you need to hear it or not, we hope you know that we DEEPLY APPRECIATE you!

April Imbizo for Video Mentors

If you’ve been involved with us for a while, you’ll know that an Imbizo is the isiZulu word for a gathering, called by local communities to discuss matters of great importance.  

For us, there is nothing more important than the wellbeing and success of our Net Buddies so we’re holding an Imbizo with our Mentors on April 30 and May 2 to to share additional training and materials and hear your feedback and questions related to “Achieving Goals”.  Please look out for an email with information on the dates, times and links to join one of the sessions.  Our conversations are always informative and enriching and we do hope you’ll be able to carve out a gap to join us. 

If this is a good time for you to join our incredible team of Video Mentors, click here to begin the process. We can't wait to connect you with a Net Buddy of your own.

Net Buddies and Video Mentors are the heart of our Infinite Family

Click here to see the Mentorship and Member Anniversaries we celebrate in April.

Thank you for being our Infinite Family

"The thing that is so good about Infinite Family is that there are people that assist you in the subject that is [beating] you and those people are very clever and know strategies how to solve [some things.]"     ~Sibululo, Net Buddy