Blanco Foster Care Home and Safe House

Blanco is in the process of opening a Foster Care Home and Safe House for abused and abandoned children on our premises.  We will run and fund it independently but will operate as a project of Child Welfare.  We are going to use their constitution and their NPO (Non Profit Organisation Number).

This project started off initially as a community outreach program that was initiated by us but after numerous meetings with Child Welfare it was decided to do a situational needs analysis and what arose from this was that there was a greater need in the area for safe housing abused and abandoned children.

Although the Tarkastad/Cradock district is an area where there is very little crime upon the white community, there is sadly a large amount of criminal behaviour that happens towards the little children in the townships.  Babies are being dumped in dustbins, small toddlers are being left unfed, unclothed and uncared for, little girls are being used for live sex shows in the taverns etc.

Although an enormous amount is already being done to help, it is not nearly enough, hence our mission to join forces with Child Welfare and see how we can assist.

 Whilst at a Child Welfare meeting one day, I sat listening to these stats and just got thinking about the enormous network of people that we have through the Blanco database and, of course, just with our very own friends and families.  Our Blanco guests, for some reason, are extremely passionate about upliftment in this area and are constantly donating funds and clothing to help with the betterment of our staff.

 At times the guests have also asked me as to how we can extend our reach into the community.  With this in mind, we have decided to start this project driven by the pure faith that we will get all the support, donations and funds we need just by tapping into our network.  We hopefully would like to create a ripple effect by asking each and every one of you to please try and tap into your network for us so we can spread the word and eventually get donations and funding from far and wide.  We would like to think of this as a way of “paying our charity forward”.  By this we hope that we can not only get people to donate, but also get them, with as little effort as one e-mail to their friends and family, to help get funding from others. 

Having said all of this, we completely understand that many of you already do an incredible amount of charity work in donating of old toys and clothes so there is ABSOLUTELY no expectation from our side.  This is simply a blanket request and we only want those who feel an urge/inspiration to join us and/or assist us to do so.  Donations can be once off or on an ongoing basis.  Alternately, every time you pass by Blanco, if you do have anything old that you want to discard, please bring it along. An old teddy or a few R5 coins all add up and make a difference.  It is incredible how the principle of “a little goes a long way” certainly does apply to an underprivileged child.

 We are going to take an extremely formal approach to the funding process.  Those who would like to join us will receive monthly status reports on the Foster Care Home and a monthly e-mail attachment of the bank account that will be set up to manage the funds/donations.  The names of all our donators (who we would like to call “our partners in touching lives”) will be included in this feedback. 

To our existing list of sponsors, we cannot thank you enough.

Our most generous sponsors:

Shanelle Smailes

Shanelle, we would just like to thank you and your company for your EXTREMELY generous donations and for your amazing offer to continue to fund on an ongoing basis, we truly are grateful for your generosity.

Penny and Mark Hosken

Sheila - who has made beautiful quilts for the foster home

Natasha and Andrew Brand – thank you for your beautiful gesture in teaching your children how to give and in doing so, helping others

Gary and Joy Strydom

Roy and Leigh-ann Morgan

Roland and Judy Selb

Steve and Lyn Bruce

Val and Pete Douglas

Ed and Kate Dutton

Helen Le Grange

Leigh-ann and Darren Cooke – Thank you for your unbelievably generous offer.  You guys are the very best

Karen Rubidge

Blanco Guest Farm – Building of the home.

Thank you all for being part of our foster care home and helping us make it happen.

We are hoping to have the home built by the end of the year.  We have had architects re-design the old school into a lovely little home for the kids.  Please see design attached.  Setting up the home is obviously not something that is going to happen overnight but once it is up and running there will be no stopping us.

 We are obviously appealing to our network for anyone who would like to assist us with this project.  Your donations do not need to be just monetary based, they can be toys, clothing, furniture, materials, kitchenware, household equipment etc etc

As mentioned earlier, this is just a blanket request, we realise that everyone already does so much in their own right. 

We are also working together with Child welfare on various projects in the area, so funds that are raised do not have to stop at the Foster Care Home.  Should we get enough, it will spill over into helping the broader community.  All of this will be communicated to funders.

Our NPO (Non profit organisation number) is:

026-901-NPO

The Management Committee for the foster care home is:

Chris Laubscher, Kim Laubscher, Maria Schenk (Dolly!), Vuyokazi Solani

We will be giving monthly reports to the Tsolwana Municipality District Child Welfare Management Committee and our project is being overseen by Jenny Van Heerden – Child welfare representative and founder of Sparrows – the gorgeous little children’s home in Tarkastad.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have taken the time to read this.  We just know that there are many of you out there who share our compassion for this and we are excited to get your help, even if it is just in the form of encouragement and /or passing along the word to potential funders.

With much gratitude and heartfelt thanks to our partners in touching lives.

The Blanco Team

Blanco

Sung to the tune of Surfin’ Safari by the Beach Boys

Chorus

- Let’s go to Blanco now

- Who wants to milk a cow?

- Come on all to Blanco with me

- Early in the morning we’ll be eating our eggs

- Cleo’s gonna trot along

- We’re loading up the golf bags with irons and woods

- Trying to get a hole in one

- There’s a squash court and a bowling green

- Let’s go camp on the trampoline

- Let’s run to Judy’s everyone

- Its gon-na be lots of fun

Chorus

- Lets go to Blanco now

- Who wants to milk a cow

- Come on all to Blanco with me

- Everyday at lunchtime we like to eat

- All this food is such a treat

- We’re going to Blanco for the Easter break

- Do you wanna come along

- There’s a tennis court and a swimming pool

- I’m so glad we’re away from school

- We’re driving to Tarkastad to shop for clothes

- We’re driving on a gravel road.

Chorus

- Let’s go to Blanco now

- Who wants to milk a cow?

- Come on all to Blanco with me.

Fade music…

Blanco's New Owners

It’s that time of year when we all go

To our very favourite Guest Farm – Blanco

This year however, was different you see

Because Blanco has new owners – Chris and Kimmy.

As we made our approach we all wondered I know –

About the new owners – would it change our days at Blanco?

Good changes we have seen around and about

These two people have worked hard there is no doubt.

We’ve had fun this year – we’ve had a ball

And Chris and Kim have been part of it all.

In order to see his guests to bed safely –

Chris has been seen to lock the pub after three!

Wherever you go, whatever you do

There’s a friendly Laubsher face to meet and greet you…

If the problems are big, if the problems are small –

Chris and Kim see to them all;

Quick as a flash, they always do their best

To look after and pamper the Blanco guest.

This shapely young lass who has a smile for all

Is not however going to stay this small…

In May next year a new baby arrives

To bring joy and happiness into the Laubsher lives.

This group of hooligans would like to share your joy,

We really don’t mind if it’s a girl or a boy;

We would like you to accept something from us all

To save you a trip to the Queenstown Mall!

Blanco Babble 7-13 July 2003

(I’m sorry to say I have not had enough time to put something together for tonight so)

I’ve had to join Robin Williams, and become a member of Dead Poet Society but then I thought again. Late evening when I donned my nighty

And put pen in my hand, and gave it a little time

And thought about you lot, and came up with a rhyme

So we are gathered once again, after a week of Blanco fun

To remember In rhyme, some of the things we might have done

Now some may feel scorned, and others may get the shits

As I recite your week’s misdemeanours, in scores of rhyming couplets

With so many teenagers, the lion den was very quiet

And the Olympic opening ceremony was a wonderful sight

With all the help you gave, you kids are now forgiven

For your nightly raucous parties, which left some broken and some smitten

The Hanley’s holiday took a drive, when they left the warmer clime

To spend a week in the cold, but had a great Blanco time

 And Isabel in thirty seconds, gave Dennis a really big fright

 Said sex is like a song, it’s been hard day’s night

Good food from the kitchen, dear Bronwyn couldn’t care a shit

For she brings to the dinner table, her own bottle of Marmite

And Pierre inspects the sauna, after the kids have doused the fire

He stokes and pokes the flames, till we perspire with desire

If the debate at night in the bar, is not hot and needs to thaw

Then just call on dear Mignon, but please, don’t mention the Law

And Roy wasn’t feeling well, said it was a bug in his stomach

But we all know too well, he’d just over-done it.

At night in lower meadows, lying in bed I beg for leg

The closest I got to procreation, was watching Lesley lay an egg

And Pete Cox broke an egg, right between his hairy thighs

And Colleen broke all the rules, by having the heater up on high

Nicky teaches science at Grey, knows her stuff but is clearly quite stern

For she sits by the fire all day, setting homework for the whole of next term Hubby Fred wearing shorts and sandals, up Black Eagle he easily was first

And on the bike when you think he is tiring, he puts foot and gives another final burst.

Now Vanessa’s been good all week, I’ve got nothing nasty to say

but she sang out of tune accompanying James, when in the pub he was singing My Way,

And the best relaxation for Jill, is to sit by the hut with literature

While Sam again takes out the kit, to fix yet another bicycle puncture

Bruce Barrow arrived late in the week, Tiffendell was their skiing resort

Heather sank the black at first try, says snooker is now her main sport

The McWilliams also came midweek, but made sure their presence was seen Allan and Heather sure played their part, in the victorious Olympic team.

The Saunders called Allan and Claire, with three kids out here in the sun

Dad’s back home after being away, and mom says wearing beanies is fun

And Wiseman’s called Ghita and Barry, up Loskop the last day of their stay Coming down was quite another matter, following Wayne as he lost his way.

And Guy did his stuff, with another great Olympic fest

With so much sporting talent, did he really know who was best

And Lindsay was a star, arranging Prickly Pear was really great

For morning tea, hot chocolate and lovely carrot cake.

For fun and entertainment, Louis stampedes the Wildebeest

And after dinner in the bar, he entertains all the guests

And Jenny the sporting Mum, looking always very chic

With not a hair out of place, she easily wins the Olympics.

Lynn Hobbs was feeling ill, Blanco tummy was the range this year,

So no time for annual shopping, nor a trip to the Prickly Pear,

But Neill was in fine form, and on his bike he looked quite cute

But he had us all in stitches, with his yarn about a suit.

If your cool drinks have gone missing, and the bar needs a lock

Then call inspector grim, Oh our Wayne is still in shock

And Debbie played bar games, all night in the Kroeg

Kept on with 30 seconds, till we were all tired and moeg

And Dave at the piano, played fine music without the boom

 Of the base drum and guitar, that emanates from the rec room

 And Sandy spent a morning, at a store called C and D

 Says even though it’s Tarka, its still great retail therapy.

And Richard to the Prickly Pear, drove the little ones for tea

Complained one was very chatty, just like her mommy named Sandy

Now Hester she’s plain bedonnerd, swimming four lengths under ice

But we will all agree this year, your pink hair is very nice

Now loosing balls at Blanco, was the best of golfing fun

But Dave’s now gone and spoilt it, with a perfect hole in one

And Lynne was there as witness, with shouts of joy as she should

Watch out Ernie Else, be careful Tiger Woods

And Elaine had a good giggle, watching hubby on the first tee

With balls in every direction, she laughed so mush it made her wee

And talking about balls, have you see Ian in his cycle shorts

I think his shop in Hermanus, is clearly for other sports

Our Baron Ian van Trapp, he’s feeling sad and sore

For he’s climbed every mountain, and he’s moaning there are no more

And to his lovely wife Jane, every bit the perfect Tannie

She’s given the best Blanco treat, to a little boy named Attie.

For most of us as at Blanco, horse riding is just fun

But dear Ruth took a tumble, now she got a very sore bum

And Dr. Roaul brought his medicine, but it’s only a pupil dilator

To get relief for poor Ruth, he used Jane’s 12-inch vibrator

If you dream of reaching for the stars, ask Neville for his long telescope

But keep your curtains drawn he may just peep you having a poke

And Jenny’s last to leave the sauna, she says she likes it all sticky and steamy Neville says pour more Eucalyptus, he loves when her eyes all go dreamy

Now most of life’s an illusion, just look at the owners too new

All week we call them Chris and Kim, when their names are really Fuzzy and Foo

And so to end we thank you Kim, and congratulate you Chris

For ensuring for years to come, unblemished Blanco bliss.

Blanco Babble 7-14 July 2002

After a good week of fun, and as we are heading for home,

I’ll recite a few memories, in the form of a poem.

You may be mentioned by name, or I may have left you out,

And if you feel insulted, then just set in the corner and pout.

For those too young to vote, there are far too many to name,

And after your 3am parties, you all look the same.

But we can see you’ve had fun, laughter mixed with a yarn,

But what goes on in the rec room, with lights out and curtains drawn?

You all opened the Olympics, with candle flute and young Daniel,

Doing more tricks with those sticks, than my favourite cocker spaniel.

And let’s not forget the young in the lion’s den,

Their only wish in life, is to eat here when they are ten

So without further ado, let’s get on with the rhyme,

With 45 adults, it could take a long time.

Let’s start with family Coomer, and our padre called Martin,

His snoring by the fire, Dear Lord, what a din.

If it’s a well-run Olympics, or darts that must fly

If you want a sports event, just call the organiser Guy,

And Lindsay turned forty, another birthday on the farm,

But someone else made the cake, so she couldn’t care a darn.

And our neighbour Sue, every day another jacket,

You can bet your bottom dollar, it’s costing Rob a pretty packet.

And to Rob our bingo caller, his jokes edging bolder,

Says we’ll play the game again but when we’re all a little older,

To Debbie, Roger and Glenda, the parents who came alone,

Showed us how to have fun without a spouse or a moan.

To sporting champ Roger, the Lord of the Olympic Rings without partner Glenda, he wouldn’t have won a thing.

                                                                                       

And Vanessa and James, a travelling they have been,

From Pretoria to Hermanus, and Blanco in-between.

To our Amsterdam Hoekers, dear Warrick and dear Lynne.

The same seat in the bar, with a gin and a grin.

And here’s to Dave Curran, that charming man from Coke,

Please remove the vending machine, its starting to make us broke.

And to his lovely wife Lynn, always by his side,

Their game of “Check you Mate”, brought tears to our eyes.

And Louis’s the man with a song and a joke,

You’ll have to agree, he’s a jolly fine bloke,

And Jenny’s good humour is just par for the course,

Then to our dismay, she fell off her horse.

To our climber called Ian, the intrepid mountain goat,

Always first to the top, but never one to gloat.           

And to his wife Jane, who has a heart of gold,

With always a kind word, for the young and the old.

To Gill and to Sam, the man of quiet voice,

You can see their good looks have come out in their boys,

And Roaul made us laugh with his joke about the stoker,

With movements like that, Ruth must enjoy the game of poke-her.

To dive bomber Dave at the pool he ruled the Law,

By splashing all the kids, but he’s still trying to thaw,

And to his wife Debbie, she is the real sporting mum,

But this week she’s over done it, now she got a sore bum.

To Hester the knitter, spend all her week on her Jersey

If you ‘re cold on your next swim, don’t look to us for any mercy.

And Richard in the room, near the bar couldn’t sleep a wink,

Until Louis’s singing voice, finally went on the blink.

And weatherman Sandy, never short of telling a tale,

Said all the roads were closed, due to a silly little gale.

And Kate had a first, with a sweat in the sauna,

But says that hug from hubby, make her feel a whole lot warmer.

And Neville walked the mountain, wearing only socks and sandal,

But with his heat in the sauna, he really started a scandal,

And wife Jenny in the sauna, wet T-shirt to boot,

All the boys agree, you’ve never look so cute.

In the beer tasting fest, if you guessed you came first,

But don’t call on Graeme, if you’re dying of thirst.

And Jayne was distressed, when their daughter broke her arm,

With the amount on the bill, they could have bought his whole farm.

And to my wife Les, of course I do love her,

But did you have to win, the golf, tennis, bowls and snooker.

Now to get onto clothing, if you need a sporting vest,

Just visit the sports shop, of Duke and Duchess Best.

And then we have Neill, the man who has no fear

Lets Lynne loose with his wallet, to buy the stock at Prickly Pear.

And Ian and Elaine, sporting their gear from Billabong,

They say please visit Hermanus, their clothes are going for a song.

And Nick at the Olympics, trying his serve and volley,

Says these sporting party games, are a whole bunch of folly.

And to his lovely wife Elaine, always smoking at the bar,

Don’t you think she looks great, despite the nicotine and the tar?

And Mark from East London, the man who wears short pants,

Got a kick up the arse, from one of Patrick’s elephants.

And his lovely wife Karen, the super-mum with four,

Says next year at Blanco there’ll certainly be two more.

To Veronica in the kitchen, the “sauce” of great food

And to Owen and his team, for making the farm look so good.

And to Lynne and to Patrick, you’re the very best of hosts,

At home to our friends, a great holiday we will boast.

So thank you for your time, for allowing me to speak

We’ll see you all next year, same place and same week.

Trevor the Toad

Fostering Care And Compassion At Blanco

Blanco has some wonderful news- the Blanco Outreach Program has evolved into us starting a foster care home and safe house for abused and abandoned kids in the Tarkastad area of the Eastern Cape! Thank you to all of those who have joined our program as funders, we cannot do this kind of work without your help and support!