Hands of Honour

Hands of Honour creates jobs and award winning Early Learning Furniture and Tools from waste collected at Corporations ,Advertising Companies .Lawyer Firms and individuals.
Our award winning Angel Classroom on Wheels will help transform the 60% of children who do not have access to any ECD ( Early Childhood Development) programs ,into the next generation of problem solvers , entrepreneurs and leaders.

 

Please list links to your Website and Social Media Platforms here:

Hands of Honour
Hands of Honour Facebook

 

Describe in detail what your Organisation does:

 

• •Hands of Honour addresses two problems in Cape Town.
  PROBLEM – 1.
  Large scale unemployment among township men, especially those languishing in soup kitchens.
  PROBLEM – 2.
  Lack of Early Learning tools/ furniture that inspire critical thinking and creativity in young children caught up in crowded Early Learning Centres and Creches.OUR SOLUTIONS

  SOLUTION – 1.

  Creating Employment :Hands of Honour employs the ‘unemployable’ in South Africa – those who have experienced homelessness, crime and / or substance abuse – to up-cycle obsolete stock and recyclable items. Much of this waste is provided through partnerships with the corporate sector and would otherwise end up in landfills. Workers process the waste, either rehabilitating material or stripping goods for sale of parts.

  Proceeds from this have two benefits:

  • Provide salaries for workers who otherwise have no work options available to them;

  • Profits are invested in derelict community spaces, focusing on public spaces which have become havens for anti-social behaviour.

  SOLUTION – 2.
  Manufacturing and distributing award winning Early Learning tools and furniture that will prepare the next generation of problem solvers, collaborators, and critical thinkers

  A real space saver and specifically designed for Early learning Centres where a lack of space is a daily challenge ,the unit literally folds open to reveal a world of learning and adventure through the books and educational aids installed within it’s confines.
  The unit can be used in a pre-school ( aged 2-4 years) ,foundation phase (Grade R – Grade 3 ) or intermediate (Grade 4 – Grade 6 classroom).
  It transforms into a Puppet Theatre in a few seconds and comes with two puppets.
  Educational Aids and Toys are installed that supports THREE main learning areas
  *Numeracy
  *Literacy
  *Life -Skills

  With eight activity boards affixed to the rear that support the main pillars of Early Learning .The unit easily manages to keep a whole classroom engrossed in an educational activity at any given time.See the concentration on the children’s faces and as they play they learn a whole range of skills including literacy ,numeracy, life skills ,fine -motor skills ,spatial skills ,sequential skills, shapes ,sorting and matching by colour and shades of colour ,motor control and co-ordination through threading small pieces, pincer grasp, hand:eye co-ordination , concentration, thinking skills, perseverance,
  Creativity: making new creations from combined materials . Extra educational aids and toys also provide activities which develop FINE MOTOR SKILLS ( ie .Finger dexterity with bead threading ,plastic construction ,connecting plastic links in a chain ,plaiting laces ,jigsaw puzzles etc ,MOVEMENT & BALANCE (eg ,the use of bean bags) and SPATIAL development (copying patterns from an abacus ,completing a jigsaw puzzle by copying a picture).

  This Angel Classroom on Wheels ,as presented ,provides an educational Hub for a Pre-schools class of up to 30 learners.
  The Angel Classroom on Wheels is especially designed to children in vulnerable and under -resourced Early learning Centres ,whose parents simply cannot afford to send them to better resourced and more expensive Early Learning centres.

  When not in use ,the unit is closed up ,padlocked shut ,and turned to face the wall ,so that the posters on the unit are displayed.A real space-saver !!!

 

How long has your Organisation been operational?

 

• 7 Years

 

In your opinion, what has been the most challenging aspect of running your Organisation?

 

• Lack of funding from local government .Fear of Local Government representatives to try new ideas and innovations .Ignorance of international trends by local leaders

 

Describe your Nonprofit Journey in three words:

 

• Innovative – Brave – Success

 

Do you collaborate with other Causes? If yes, would you like to mention them?

 

• Yes – At Hands of Honour ,we create world beating early learning furniture .We often need Corporations ,Philanthropists and organizations to sponsor them for under resourced Early Learning Centres .We count among our partners ,The United Nations Women’s Guild – , Y -Gap (Australia) , CURO Fund Services , Masikhule (ECD Training)

 

If you had one Organisation wish, what would it be?

 

• A Large Warehouse in Cape Town

 

In your opinion, which skills do Nonprofits in your Country lack?

 

• The ability to use business methods to sustain the organization

 

Looking back at your Cause Journey, what advice would you give a newbie Organisation?

 

• Be determined yet patient. Try new things happening the world over .

 

If you could change one thing about the Nonprofit Landscape, what would it be?

 

• Government should be more involved

 

Which Cause achievement are you most proud of? Feel free to elaborate on why and include any links

 

• Being declared as a winner in the Swarm Vision ” Future of Education 2016 ” campaign for tools and furniture that will inspire creativity and critical thinking in young children.
  Finalist : SA Edu -Week Awards 2017 – http://www.educationweek.co.za/awards

 

Last question, if your friends had to describe your Organisation in three words, which would they use?

 

• Brave -Innovative – Compassionate