Help us help the children of Africa!

			You can make the difference!

Did you know?

• South Africa is one of the countries hardest hit by disease and poverty.
• In the areas where the orphan centers will be built, unemployment rate is 65% and the HIV infection rate is as high as 30%.
• The majority of those dying from AIDS are between the ages of 20-40, orphaning millions of children.
• In the next five years there will be 2 million orphans in South Africa.
• South African law discourages resident orphanages and/or adopting their children out of the country.
• Orphan centers are desperately needed.

Santa Cruz DOES Care!

Santa Cruz Cares was initiated after two teams of volunteers had visited South Africa in 2004. They have sponsored several fund raising events and have raised over $47,500 to assist in the construction and operation of the Tsakelani Orphan Day Care Center in Soshanguve (a township near Pretoria) South Africa.

Future plans include

• Awareness building regarding individual sponsorship of orphaned children at the Tsakelani Center.
• Gift cards for sale created from artwork done by the children at the Tsakelani Center.
• A fundraiser luau, with a mixture of South Africa and Hawaii, at the Dunton home in the Spring of 2009.
• Fundraisers to purchase, or help to purchase, a pick-up truck for the AFnet Aid use in distributing food, clothing and other materials to their orphan centers and other sponsored services; to help in the completion of building storage units for the collection and distribution of supplies.
• Working with TLC in developing future teams to go and serve in South Africa.

Past Events have included

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	A 501(c)(3) organization

In March of 2007, phase one of the Tsakelani Center in Soshanguve, South Africa, was dedicated allowing staff to be brought on and the youngest orphaned children to be served. July 22nd there was a "Grand Opening" and dedication of phase 2 - which we also celebrated. (see above). Currently all participating orphans at the Tsakelani Center (68) have sponsors.  As soon as the program can accommodate the additional 32 children the facility can serve, we will be soliciting more sponsors. Please go to the Donations page to see how you can help support the work being done at the Tsakelani Center.   The above photos were taken at a recent Afnet Fun Day at the AFnet Headquarters. Members from a local church came to spend the day with the Children. Now you can also donate your old cell phones to help these children! So far the donated cell phones have generated over $400 toward the Tsakelani Child Care Center! Twin Lakes Church 2701 Cabrillo College Drive Aptos, CA 95003 831/465-3300 Contact: Loren Grossi  831/214-2430 Verizon Wireless 1443 Main Street Watsonville, CA 95076 831/768-1200 Contact: Jeff Spa-Fitness 1100 41st Ave. Capitola, CA 95010,  831/476-7373 Contact: Denise Barnett

Aids orphans playing soccer at the new Tsakelani center in Soshanguve, South Africa.	This November photo of our Orphan Center "Tsakelani" shows phase 1 near completion.  It is now serving as the pre-school center and dining room for the center.	Nourishing food being served at the Orphan Center.