Wednesday, April 28, 2010

"The Family is a Haven in a Heartless World"

The children of Infinite Family lead very rough lives. They they live in orphanages and shacks. They eat meager meals shared by many children and very few adults. They try their hardest to make their few clothes look fresh and clean. They have big dreams and very few resources for making those dreams a reality.

Infinite Family attempts to make their lives less lonely by supporting the children with video mentors who share special one-on-one time with them every week.

But in the interim, the long hours in between those video conversations, Infinite Family hires community workers that we call Net Fundis. The Fundis share the same lives as the children, living in the same rough circumstances. Our Fundis are there for the children every day because of their big-hearted commitment to our Net Buddies who otherwise have very few consistent, caring adults in their lives.

To give you insight into how special our Fundi's are, I'd like to share with you a recent blog post that one of our Fundis posted on our internet platform, the Ezomndeni Net.


CHANGE MY LIFE

ALL THIS TIME I WAS THINKING THAT BEING A NET FUNDI WAS ABOUT REMINDING THE NET BUDDIES TO CHECK AND SEND EMAILS, TO WRITE THEIR BLOGS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ATTEND THEIR VCS ON TIME.

THEN ONE LITTLE NET BUDDY JUST CHANGED THAT. SHE SENT ME AN EMAIL. I READ IT AND I CHECKED HER PROFILE AND BLOGS ON THE EZOMNDENI NET. THEN I REALIZED HOW MUCH I'VE BEEN MISSING.

I JOINED FACEBOOK BECAUSE I WAS NEEDING A FRIEND, SISTER, BROTHER...SOMEONE TO TALK TO. I DID NOT THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND THAT PERSON HERE AT INFINITE FAMILY.

I LOOKED AT THE NAME INFINITE FAMILY AS ANY ORDINARY NAME, BUT THE MESSAGE WHICH IS CLEAR IS THAT I HAVE A FAMILY HERE. I AM NOT ALONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH MY BABY SISTER, MARUTLA. YOU ARE THE NET BUDDY WHO OPENED MY EYES.


We hope that the words of our Net Fundi, Hlengiwe, will touch your heart and encourage you to be part of Infinite Family, a haven for so many struggling with the stigma of HIV/AIDS and poverty, who are looking for family in a heartless world.

Visit our website today to apply as a mentor or to donate to the work that supports Hlengiwe as a Net Fundi.

www.infinitefamily.org

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Katy Keck receives University of Phoenix™ Volunteer Leader Award



Katy Keck, Chair of the Infinite Family Board of Directors, was named one of just ten Volunteer Leader Award Honorees by HandsOn Network/Points of Light Institute and the University of Phoenix to  outstanding volunteer leaders in the nation.

The award, announced last night in Washington, D.C. during the National Volunteer Week festivities, celebrates the first anniversary of the landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which authorized the largest expansion of national service in America in decades. This award includes a $10,000 grant, which Katy has designated to Infinite Family.

Katy’s volunteer work with Infinite Family is a motivating force for volunteers, donors and staff.  She has inspired friends, family and business partners to become active change agents in the campaign to impact youth in South Africa.  Her tireless efforts, insight and ideas, professional and organizational skills, big heart and buoyant sense of humor are a daily source of inspiration.

With an estimated 55 million youths orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, Keck feels that Infinite Family’s mission to connect a caring adult mentor to children who often grow up alone is critical.  She believes that by creating these connections, children will begin to define their lives by what they have to gain, not by what they have lost.

She has been the lead volunteer for Infinite Family since it began. With her professional background in finance and event planning, she has produced the organization’s fundraising events, pulling together dozens of volunteers, sponsors and in-kind donors. Over the course of four years, her efforts have generated more than $200,000 in donations. In addition, IF benefits from Keck’s leadership in developing marketing and communication tools, development and fundraising, and her ability to recruit volunteers and video mentors.

IF’s leveraging of technology to connect adults around the globe to youth growing up alone in Africa is an inspiring step towards ensuring that every child has a mentor.  Katy Keck is a 2010 University of Phoenix Volunteer Leader honoree because of her dedication, faith, willingness and selfless efforts to make sure that every child who needs a mentor, no matter where they are, can find one.

Congratulations, Katy!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A tour of the Ezomndeni Net...online!

Curious about how video mentoring works? Stop by Infinite Family's YouTube Channel to tour the Ezomndeni Net and our video mentoring desktop!  See the blogs, the kids and the art the Net Buddies create while online with their Video Mentors.  Just click on the link below to view the EzNet tour and many of our other insightful videos!
A tour of the Ezomndeni Net...online!

Monday, April 5, 2010

South African Schoolroom Humor!

Lots of activity happens on the Ezomndeni Net.  We always have lots of Net Buddies uploading photos, sending email, and enjoying their video conversations.  One of my favorite parts of the Ezomndeni Net is the blogs.  Every day we have children and mentors reflecting on their hopes and frustrations and looking to one another for support.

Today, I was lucky enough to catch Pippy's blog.  She decided to share some South African schoolroom humor. I thought I'd give you all a chuckle and pass them on.  You might want to share these with the young people in your life~

Teacher:  Zoleka, go to the map and find North America.
Zoleka:   Here it is~!
Teacher: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
Class:     Zoleka!
 
Teacher: Busie, how do you spell crocodile?
Busie:     k-r-o-d-i-a-l
Teacher: No, that's wrong.
Busie:     Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how to spell it!

Teacher: Millie, give a sentence starting with "I".
Millie:     I is.
Teacher: No Millie, always say "I am".
Millie:    All right. I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.

Video mentoring with Infinite Family brings many gifts...these jokes being just one of them!  Contact us and learn more about video mentoring a South African child today! Just email: info@infinitefamily.org or give us a call at 212.400.7446 x 12.