Support Home of Hope in Funding Anselm Farm

Help us Raise the Remaining 2,5 Million Rand Towards the Purchase of Anselm Farm and Invest in the Lives of Young Adults with Special Needs. 

The reality we all face

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is caused when a foetus is exposed to alcohol.

Global FASD prevalence rates are approximately 15 per 1000 Live Births (1,5%) – The World Health Organization.

Recent research has showed that the Western Cape has a prevalence rate of 250 per 1000 live births (25%) -FASER-SA.

FASD is the most common cause of permanent intellectual disability in the world. This is a permanent condition and cannot be cured. Lifelong disabilities in various forms and severities are experienced by those born with FASD which is further exacerbated as they go through life and ultimately when they enter adulthood.

If proper support systems are not put in place, these young adults are the ones falling victim to physical abuse, the ones landing up in sexual abuse and prostitution, becoming involved in crime, those living on the streets and succumbing to mental health issues and suicide. We cannot overlook this and need to do all that we can to assist these young adults and ensure that they are given a fair chance of learning independence and developing healthy relationships.

We need to work together to help those most vulnerable!

Where it all started

Over the last 16 years, Home of Hope has evolved into an organisation rendering specific services to those affected by FASD and other Special Needs. We do this through full time residential care, providing special needs education and continuing services into adulthood through a working care farm and a life skills programme.

As we reflect on the journey with our children for over a decade, we stand at this point knowing that many of them will never leave our care. For some of our young adults, Home of Hope will always be their family and support system but they will go out to find independence in their own right. Many of our children and those from other care organisations severely impacted by FASD however will have a different story. They might not move on from us to become what is often viewed as a successful adult in the outside world. 

Where we are going

We are trying to buy this small holding after a successful 2 year pilot project on a farm in Malmesbury, were we saw the impact of such a farm on our young adults with FASD and special needs. This is not just a project, this is our heart beat. This is a place where our young adults will be protected and will have a place where they belong. A place where they are understood and fully supported along the way.

Those with FASD and special needs are often misunderstood and not accepted in their communities, which make them extremely vulnerable to various forms of abuse. We want to meet this need by creating a space where these young adults feel valued, as they partake in skills development activities and experience social and emotional development, as they interact with those around them. We want to offer support and mentorship and walk alongside them, as we model healthy relationships, teach job skills, enable individual development and show them how to advocate for themselves, as well as to be proud of who they are.

The Dream

At the moment, Anselm farm is a blank canvas with so much to offer. As we embark on this exciting journey, we are certain that it can be developed into a working care farm which will offer an abundance of fresh food, a nursery, free range eggs and composting. All of which can be used in our existing projects as well as be sold to the public which in turn will make this project sustainable. This farm will also be called home to young adults who will never be able to live on their own and have nowhere else to go. With a dual purpose in mind, we also aim to provide a safe place during the day for young adults with special needs who want to partake in this programme, but still have a loving home and family to return to.

Now we need your help

The Small Holding is to be purchased at 3,5 Million Rand.

We have kindly been sponsored 1 million rand by the Christie Foundation who together with us believe in this project. We now need to raise the remaining 2,5 million by the end of January 2022 and are asking you to help us. By helping fund the farm, you are enabling us to provide a safe place where young adults with special needs have a fair future and the assurance that they are loved and cared for. You are taking hands with each young adult as they embark on a journey of learning how to build healthy relationships, make friends, how to self-manage and advocate for themselves, how to live in a household and manage a budget and most importantly how to care for themselves, for nature and those around them.

You are helping victims become champions in their own right!

We are proud supporters of the Home of Hope Team. They work tirelessly to enrich the lives of marginalised children and young people, who without their assistance would be unable to become self-sufficient or independent. We are delighted to be a sponsor and to help make this exciting new venture a reality - Christie Foundation.

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