One Love one Namibia.

A [SPOKEN WORD] INITIATIVE

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead 

One Love is a movement that sees young professionals doing their bit to make change in the lives of school children in Namibia. The idea of One Love grew out of [SPOKEN WORD], a series of monthly poetry sessions organised by young Namibians for young Namibians. These events, usually held at the Nedbank Theatre School, bring together local and visiting poets to share their passions, inspirations, their words and their wisdom. Entrance fee costs N$10 or a donation of an educational book or a toy, which is then given to children living in the informal settlements of Katutura. Shortly after starting these events, the [SPOKEN WORD] committee realised that they wanted to do more. Thus the birth of One Love, the charitable arm of [SPOKEN WORD] spearheaded by Afra Schimming-Chase and run by a group of professional young women.

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"One Love has been in the minds of a whole lot of people for a long time," says Afra. "Every January we read the stories: This one can't go to school; that one's school fees can't be paid; kids are going to school with plastic bags instead of school bags. You look back at the apartheid era and imagine the money our parents paid for us to get the education we did. When we look at our society now, so many years after independence, there are many kids who don't have a decent education ... not the sort of education that allows them to be economically independent." Afra believes many of our societal ills, such as violence and crime, stem from a lack of a good education. She asserts that providing children with quality education can have a positive impact on society.

According to Afra it is the responsibility of those who have achieved success to help others do the same. "We spend a lot of time complaining that we don't have enough entertainment, that we don't have things to do with our time. We should be spending time on things that really make a difference, like playing a positive role in young people's lives, learning from them and helping them get a good basic education," she says.

To date One Love has been involved in a number of charitable events, mostly in aid of Leukemia sufferer, Thireen Basson, who was raising funds for an urgent operation. "We attended the fabulous garden tea party held for the Thireen Basson Trust Fund and won the prize for best decorated table; we managed to put together four teams of four people for the Sanlam Challenge Relay and two of our teams won first and second place in the open women's walking teams. We also donated all our proceeds from that day to the Thireen Basson Trust. We all had an amazing time doing good things," Afra beams.

Sadly, Thireen Basson passed away before she was able to go for the operation.

The One Love trust is in the final stages of being registered. Its main focus for the remainder of this year is building capital in order to sponsor school fees at the start of 2007, but One Love hopes to do more than just that. "Our main objective is to be a fund where young professionals actively contribute and play a role," reports Afra. "It's about more than just giving money; it's about being involved. It's about giving back to the community. We hope to instill a sense of responsibility in the older kids, as well. If the trust pays your school fees, we expect that you will do something for your community, your school and other younger kids. There will be a constant exchange. It's about teaching us all to be independent." Perhaps, in the end, One Love is really about teaching us to give of ourselves and the joy that comes from that giving.

For more information on One Love, contact Afra Schimming-Chase: 0811299611.