Did you know at UMC we have a community project called Khanyisa? Within Khanyisa are a number of different programmes, including teacher training, skills development, small business development, adult literacy and barista training. 

In October this year, we have a team of American volunteers coming to Umhlali, to participate in some of our Khanyisa Programmes. They will spend a week with us, seeing just what it is we do, and offering some of their skills and experience by facilitating certain aspects of the projects. As part of the week’s itinerary, we will visit some of the pre-schools that form part of the Khanyisa Teacher Training Programme. Many of these pre-schools are very under-resourced, and a group of committed teachers do amazing work with very little. 

Part of the time with the preschools will be spent in community service – helping the teachers and members of the community with painting murals, planting veggie gardens, fixing gutters and playground equipment. We would love for members of the UMC community to be involved in this too! You can join with this programme by: 

• Coming along on our school visits and getting your hands dirty. I have the full itinerary and dates available if you’d like to know more. 
• Helping provide a picnic lunch for our volunteers to take with them as they serve and visit. Perhaps your home group would like to help with this? 
• Donating some of the equipment we need to make this happen (mural paint, vegetable garden seeds and seedlings, jojo tanks, playground equipment). I have a more detailed list available if you’d like to be involved in this way. 
• Making a donation to Khanyisa to help us work with and better equip more schools. If you’d like to find out more, please contact me and I will be happy to fill you in :)