Primary Projects
The following projects are local projects which primarily support children in their education, nutritional and general welfare requirements.
Project build
Project Build (formerly Natal Schools Project) was established in 1977 and aims to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged communities in Kwa-Zulu Natal in respect of educational and community facilities. In order to achieve its objectives, Project Build brings together communities, funders, sponsors and local builders to form a team that will deliver quality products which are acceptable to the communities at competitive prices, whilst creating employment and contributing to the local community.
Lewis is currently in the process of building three specialised Early Childhood Development Centre at Kwa Manzini Primary School in Pinetown. We are also building classrooms and ablution facilities and general upgrading of classrooms at Mshiywa Primary School and Sibhangwane Primary School in the rural surroundings of Harding on the KZN South Coast. Construction of a further Early Childhood Development centre has also begun at Ntabende Primary School in Keate’s Drift, near Greytown where we will also be upgrading the entire school.
Children of the Dawn
Children of the Dawn supports and strengthens rural community initiatives which focus on caring for HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in SA. Lewis sponsors 150 children located in Bushbuckridge, Mathabatha, Qwaqwa, Phuthaditjhaba and Ermelo. The sponsorship provides the children with the following: schooling (fees, uniforms, stationery, etc) nutrition (food parcels, lunch boxes, meals at aftercare centre) clothing, hygiene, (toiletries) household goods, (buckets, washing powder) transport, integration into the community (aftercare centre’s, school trips, etc) emotional and moral support, health including management of HIV/AIDS symptoms and other ad-hoc projects, (vegetable gardens). Lewis sponsors 150 children in total.
Monte Christo/Peninsula School Feeding Association
Monte Christo is a feeding kitchen situated in Paarl, run by a qualified management team. We have formed a partnership with Monte Christo and Peninsula School Feeding Association whereby MC will be cooking for 3 609 school children each day according to the guidelines specified by PSFA. Lewis has funded all the extra cooking and baking equipment needed to upgrade the facilities in order to provide these extra meals each day. Lewis has also adopted ten schools and funds the school feeding programme at these schools.
SA Children’s Home/Durbanville Children’s Home
The SA Children’s home in the Gardens has just celebrated their 200th anniversary. It provides a home for 44 boys and girls. The children come from a variety of communities, often placed in the home via the court system. The home receives a degree of funding from Social Services; however, this only covers a small percentage of their needs. We support this home on an ongoing basis in the following areas: beds, mattresses, cupboards, furniture, repairs, and schooling needs and sponsor the salary of care giver each month. In addition, Lewis donates money to these homes for general requirements.
Family Reunion Centre
The Centre is based in Paarl and has a division in Mossel Bay in the Southern Cape.
The Family Reunion Centre has been established as a care centre providing pensioners living under the breadline with food parcels each month. They also care for homeless people, single mothers and their children as well as the children of Amstelhof Primary school with a soup kitchen which caters for 60 children each day at an estimated cost of R350 per child per month.
We have committed to donate R5 000 per month, 50% towards the school feeding scheme and 50% towards food parcels for elderly disadvantaged pensioners in the Boland.
New projects
Tygerberg Meals on Wheels/Service Centre for the Aged
We have donated R20 000 towards the industrial convection oven at Tygerberg Service Centre for the aged. They also feed the elderly and destitute of Khayelitsha, Delft, Ravensmead and other areas via their mobile kitchen and support this programme with a mobile health clinic. Photographs of the handover have been published in the Tygerburger. Lewis also donated R10 000 towards their 40th Anniversary celebrations and R25 000 towards the feeding of the elderly in poverty stricken areas of the Western Cape.
PATCH
PATCH is a rape crisis centre for children located at the Macassar Police Station. They occupied a very small office in the station and desperately needed their own site. The station allocated a piece of land to them within their area and Lewis has assisted financially with the funding of the modular unit which has four rooms. This will enable them to evaluate the children, do counselling, assist with court hearings, etc. Lewis has made a donation over R120 000 towards the modular unit, has paid for the electricity and water connections, and have supplied various items of office furniture.