Hello everybody
I trust that you’ve all had a great Easter or Passover! We have had a double-dose as Greek Easter fell on the weekend after Easter due to the difference in the Gregorian calendar. What a great time to spend special time and create moments with family and friends?
I would like to start this update by sharing a letter from one of the women who received counseling from Tracey at the Zoe Project. She writes about her life and states how the intervention and help has changed her life for the better...
Letter from Angela Reading*
“Well, this is a very, very short version of my life story.
I am Angela Reading *. I am 29 years old and I’ve got 4 children.
My life hasn’t been all blooming flowers due to the choices I have made.
I had a boyfriend whom I loved so much but he beat me, he abused me mentally and physically. I’ve got two children by him that he does not support at all. And for this reason I wanted to give my last baby away for adoption.
And that is how I met Tracey and heard of the Zoe Project.
My love for people made me allow them to walk all over me. Because I’m so easy to forgive, I fall into the same trop over and over again.
I came to the point where I had enough of everyone who used me.
While I was pregnant I had to walk out everyday and go from door to door to look for cleaning work. I had so much stress on me with my kids to support, a boyfriend who was on drugs and to top things, my boyfriend’s family only knew me when I had money. It was always about money – something I didn’t have.
All I had and worked for had to go for bills: the rent, the water, to buy food and for a shack that had more holes than I wish to count.
Well, I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I had enough. I was at the worst - I didn’t have the strength anymore.
Meeting Tracey made me see things more clearly than ever and in a completely different light. She showed me how it felt to be loved. She’s the one I look up to. She taught me to follow my dreams and the dream I had was to work with people.
So I started my own group. We discuss how we feel, what we went through. What our dreams are. What wrong choices we made and how to compare our lives.
We are a group of 20 young people. We pray, we hug, we cry. We talk about drug abuse, about being abused and what it feels like now, and what we can do to help each other.
This is what helps me and my friends to survive. I’ve got Tracey to thank for always believing in me and showing me the way.
We need to trust that we can overcome our situations. Thank you, Tracey for changing my life and for allowing me to find my potential.”
*Name has been changed to protect identity. The letter has been used with the permission of it’s author.
Thank you to the following contributors:
Dr Lara Smith, Bronwyn Hopwood and Marlene Helfrecht, Ada and Henk Timmerman, Sharon Wewege and Heather Mylne, Our anonymous friends at the New Beginnings Clinic, Michael P., Newlands Lions Club, Tania Bain, the late Dr Van Hoorn and his family, Lakeside Baptist Church, Allan Dillon and the Mountain Men, Samantha at Barksole in Tokai, Denise and Willem van Bergen and Rosemary van der Post.
Thank you for your continued support and contributions.
News from the clinic
Doula’s - We are fortunate to say that we have 2 new Doula’s who have joined the Zoe Project. Anne and Leigh work on different days at Retreat MOU. As I have mentioned before, the Doula’s play a very important role for the moms during labour - for the emotional support of the moms. Not just during labour, but also afterwards.
Awards – Now I know what you’re thinking when you see the word ‘awards’! No, we are not rewarding any member of the Zoe Committee, nor members of staff at the clinics, but rather a new concept for the clients whom we see in terms of counseling.
It is difficult to bare your soul to another person but through counseling, we have helped so many people. Tracey came up with the idea of giving an award each month to the person or persons whom have grown so much, are achieving good things in life, and have rediscovered who they are after going through our counseling programs.
The award is a small wooden plaque with a star on it, and on the award is engraved the name of the person and their ‘characteristic’ most explaining their achievement. For most of the people who receive the award, it would be their first.
Awards handed out so far:
January – “Teachable Spirit”. This was given to a mom and dad who are taking young boys who are tik addicts into their home and looking after them. Giving them a safe place to learn and grow and recover. The mom went through the Zoe counseling process and is using what she has learnt to help others.
February - “Clean for 48 Days”. A young mom who has been clean of tik for 48 days. She has indicated that once she’s gone through the program that she would like to start a support group for her young brother and some of his friends.
The look on the faces of the recipient is priceless. They realise that someone believes in them and the encouragement they receive, helps them see their dreams.
I would like to add that Samantha from Barksole in Tokai is the kind sponsor of the award as well as the engraving done on the award.
What we desperately need!
The Dry Goods Pantry
This pantry was started in Oct 2009 under the premises that, as long as we have donations, we will continue to stock it. Unfortunately, early last year, two of our major contributors decided to discontinue their contribution due to personal reasons. Due to this, we have been unable to give the amount of tinned food and other dried goods on a regular basis to the Retreat MOU kitchen. The reason we started the dry goods pantry was to fill-up on the shortfall that was provided to them. We would like to continue with the dry goods pantry and require the following items on a regular basis – tinned tomatoes, tinned meat and vegetables, 2 minute noodles, packet soups, rice and pasta.
Mom and baby packs
We are currently in desperate need of the following items – new baby grows and vests for newborns, receiving blankets and/or winter sheeting to make receiving blankets and small toys.
Maternity pads and juices for the mom packs as well as toothpaste and toothbrushes and panties [sized medium], lip-ice, deodorant, soap, facecloths and small packets of biscuits.
If you would like to contribute one or all of the abovementioned items, please contact me to discuss this.
On a personal note
Part of the work that I do, is to write – I write blogspots, brochures, workshops and workbooks. Should you require the use any of the information [part of or in its entirety] in this or other updates or from the blogspot, that you, as a professional courtesy to me, contact me to get permission before using it as it is copyright protected. xxx
Thank you again so much for all the supporting emails and phone calls that we receive – it makes a difference to our lives too and we can pass messages on to the various staff members who work at the clinics and in the field.
Until next time, stay well.
Norah Papanicolaou
I trust that you’ve all had a great Easter or Passover! We have had a double-dose as Greek Easter fell on the weekend after Easter due to the difference in the Gregorian calendar. What a great time to spend special time and create moments with family and friends?
I would like to start this update by sharing a letter from one of the women who received counseling from Tracey at the Zoe Project. She writes about her life and states how the intervention and help has changed her life for the better...
Letter from Angela Reading*
“Well, this is a very, very short version of my life story.
I am Angela Reading *. I am 29 years old and I’ve got 4 children.
My life hasn’t been all blooming flowers due to the choices I have made.
I had a boyfriend whom I loved so much but he beat me, he abused me mentally and physically. I’ve got two children by him that he does not support at all. And for this reason I wanted to give my last baby away for adoption.
And that is how I met Tracey and heard of the Zoe Project.
My love for people made me allow them to walk all over me. Because I’m so easy to forgive, I fall into the same trop over and over again.
I came to the point where I had enough of everyone who used me.
While I was pregnant I had to walk out everyday and go from door to door to look for cleaning work. I had so much stress on me with my kids to support, a boyfriend who was on drugs and to top things, my boyfriend’s family only knew me when I had money. It was always about money – something I didn’t have.
All I had and worked for had to go for bills: the rent, the water, to buy food and for a shack that had more holes than I wish to count.
Well, I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I had enough. I was at the worst - I didn’t have the strength anymore.
Meeting Tracey made me see things more clearly than ever and in a completely different light. She showed me how it felt to be loved. She’s the one I look up to. She taught me to follow my dreams and the dream I had was to work with people.
So I started my own group. We discuss how we feel, what we went through. What our dreams are. What wrong choices we made and how to compare our lives.
We are a group of 20 young people. We pray, we hug, we cry. We talk about drug abuse, about being abused and what it feels like now, and what we can do to help each other.
This is what helps me and my friends to survive. I’ve got Tracey to thank for always believing in me and showing me the way.
We need to trust that we can overcome our situations. Thank you, Tracey for changing my life and for allowing me to find my potential.”
*Name has been changed to protect identity. The letter has been used with the permission of it’s author.
Thank you to the following contributors:
Dr Lara Smith, Bronwyn Hopwood and Marlene Helfrecht, Ada and Henk Timmerman, Sharon Wewege and Heather Mylne, Our anonymous friends at the New Beginnings Clinic, Michael P., Newlands Lions Club, Tania Bain, the late Dr Van Hoorn and his family, Lakeside Baptist Church, Allan Dillon and the Mountain Men, Samantha at Barksole in Tokai, Denise and Willem van Bergen and Rosemary van der Post.
Thank you for your continued support and contributions.
News from the clinic
Doula’s - We are fortunate to say that we have 2 new Doula’s who have joined the Zoe Project. Anne and Leigh work on different days at Retreat MOU. As I have mentioned before, the Doula’s play a very important role for the moms during labour - for the emotional support of the moms. Not just during labour, but also afterwards.
Awards – Now I know what you’re thinking when you see the word ‘awards’! No, we are not rewarding any member of the Zoe Committee, nor members of staff at the clinics, but rather a new concept for the clients whom we see in terms of counseling.
It is difficult to bare your soul to another person but through counseling, we have helped so many people. Tracey came up with the idea of giving an award each month to the person or persons whom have grown so much, are achieving good things in life, and have rediscovered who they are after going through our counseling programs.
The award is a small wooden plaque with a star on it, and on the award is engraved the name of the person and their ‘characteristic’ most explaining their achievement. For most of the people who receive the award, it would be their first.
Awards handed out so far:
January – “Teachable Spirit”. This was given to a mom and dad who are taking young boys who are tik addicts into their home and looking after them. Giving them a safe place to learn and grow and recover. The mom went through the Zoe counseling process and is using what she has learnt to help others.
February - “Clean for 48 Days”. A young mom who has been clean of tik for 48 days. She has indicated that once she’s gone through the program that she would like to start a support group for her young brother and some of his friends.
The look on the faces of the recipient is priceless. They realise that someone believes in them and the encouragement they receive, helps them see their dreams.
I would like to add that Samantha from Barksole in Tokai is the kind sponsor of the award as well as the engraving done on the award.
What we desperately need!
The Dry Goods Pantry
This pantry was started in Oct 2009 under the premises that, as long as we have donations, we will continue to stock it. Unfortunately, early last year, two of our major contributors decided to discontinue their contribution due to personal reasons. Due to this, we have been unable to give the amount of tinned food and other dried goods on a regular basis to the Retreat MOU kitchen. The reason we started the dry goods pantry was to fill-up on the shortfall that was provided to them. We would like to continue with the dry goods pantry and require the following items on a regular basis – tinned tomatoes, tinned meat and vegetables, 2 minute noodles, packet soups, rice and pasta.
Mom and baby packs
We are currently in desperate need of the following items – new baby grows and vests for newborns, receiving blankets and/or winter sheeting to make receiving blankets and small toys.
Maternity pads and juices for the mom packs as well as toothpaste and toothbrushes and panties [sized medium], lip-ice, deodorant, soap, facecloths and small packets of biscuits.
If you would like to contribute one or all of the abovementioned items, please contact me to discuss this.
On a personal note
Part of the work that I do, is to write – I write blogspots, brochures, workshops and workbooks. Should you require the use any of the information [part of or in its entirety] in this or other updates or from the blogspot, that you, as a professional courtesy to me, contact me to get permission before using it as it is copyright protected. xxx
Thank you again so much for all the supporting emails and phone calls that we receive – it makes a difference to our lives too and we can pass messages on to the various staff members who work at the clinics and in the field.
Until next time, stay well.
Norah Papanicolaou
