My name is Louise Batty and I am the Managing Director and co-founder with Elizabeth Mabuza of Keep The Dream196. I came to South Africa from Australia in 1999 and returned as an Australian Volunteer, employed by the Dept of Health and subcontracted to a Tzaneen based NGO. That was where the program was birthed.
In 2007, Elizabeth and I quite our secure jobs and stepped out of the boat and created KTD196 through a lot of blood, sweat and tears. We were fortunate to have a number of donors including Save The Children and Oxfam Australia, willing to invest in KTD196 as a start-up. We didn’t have a name, bank account, board or constitution but still they were captured by the vision.
Now, in 2023 I still love the work I do in KTD196, I love seeing the excitement on adults and children’s faces as they grasp new ideas, new skills and new information. I love seeing that light globe moment. I also love knowing I am making a difference in children’s lives, families live and in the communities where we work.
There have been many watershed moments but I think the introduction of Self Help Groups (SHG) has really created a foundation to assist families financially. Poverty is one of the biggest sources of frustration, anger, hopelessness, and crime we see in the communities. Through SHG we are touching and changing families, relationships and impacting communities. This program has brought such hope but also directly affects the health, lifestyle and destiny of the people we work with.
Currently we are infiltrating Limpopo with our sights on changing the nation. A BIG dream but we are continuing to produce leaders of the future who will continue to carry the torch into their spheres of influence.
Over the years there have been many achievements but the greatest is enabling the children we serve to move into adulthood with the skills, abilities and passion to make a difference and to give back to their communities and to KTD196 through volunteering.
I am proud of the work we do, the lives we touch, the impact we see. All of this because people supported the vision, from International NGO’s to local businesses and individuals, we are truly changing lives for the better!