On Wednesday 01 July 2015, Purple Bandage hosted an Eid Card making cardmaking initiative in Roshnee. The event took place at the Roshnee Sports Centre and at the cost of R20 (that included all stationery, the card and a balloon) children were able to make a card for Palestine. For the past few years CWF (Caring Womens Forum) has been sending eid cards and gifts to children in Palestine. Other towns and organisations joinined hands with with them in ensuring this project is seen to fruition.

 Earlier in May 2015 , the Purple Bandage team provided these young Sharpeville pre-schoolers with stationery packs and toys. The Purple Bandage team is hoping to start a long-term relationship with the school, to uplift and empower learners and their families.  Sharpville community is one of the areas earmarked by the team to provide empowerment and growth opportunities in the future. It is hoped that businesses will partner with the team to help realise this. Investing in our younger generation is fundametnal to our success as a nation. 

Social responsibility and empowerment; these are the hallmarks of the various aims of the NPC, Purple Bandage. The groups latest efforts witnessed another successful  blanket drive in Tshepong, south of Johannesburg on the 29 May. This is part of a bigger umbrella campaign called “Winter Warm your Heart Campaign”.  Plans for hamper distributions and soup kitchens are in the pipeline too.Purple Bandage members accompanied by a support team consisting of school children, parents, teachers, and businessmen distributed over 600 blankets on this day alone. A further 500 blankets are being distributed by the team to other needy people in the Vaal area.

Purple Bandage NPO are pleased to announce our latest partner-project, The Ihsan Beyond Barriers Project. IHSAN(Islamic Holistic School for Alternative Needs) was developed to provide a service for disabled individuals in Johannesburg. It provides a specialised learning space for disabled individuals and their families. IHSAN is in dire need of funds to cater for the needs of the disabled learners and upgrade of their centre.On behalf of the Roshnee Community, PURPLE BANDAGE have boarded the IHSAN train and will be collecting funds for this much-needed facility.

A recent visit to the prison was nothing short of life changing, not only for us, the Purple Bandage Team as visitors, but for the prisoners themselves. Purple Bandage representatives were part of a team including the Department of Correctional Services and other interested parties, who met with interacted with inmates. We often pondered about these inmates and wondered what life behind bars means; perhaps  a life sentence or maybe a new chapter? The visit was intended to allow members of the community to interact with these inmates and provide them with a learning experience from the outside . The inmates especially enjoyed little snack packs provided by the Purple Banadage team as well as lunch.

Purple Bandage ( NPO ) hosted its first ever kids cycle challenge on the 13th September 2014 at the Roshnee Sports Grounds. It was also the first cycle challenge ever hosted in Roshnee. Hundereds of kids from the early age of one up to twelve years participated in this innaugural event. All proceeds were channelled back to back into three projects in Roshnee, including, education (Al-Munira School for the Disabled &  VADMA) , and medical and security organisations .  Enthusiastic kids turned out in their prams, tricycles, bicycles and scooters. The short course began at the Sports Grounds, through a section of Tagore Drive and a loop of varying distances on Iqbal drive for the different age groups. Enthusiastic patterns braved the raring scootes and bike to run alonside their kids. 

 Friday the 29 August 2014-despite the extreme cold weather,  over a 1000 people put aside the comforts of their homes to attend a dinner hosted by Channel Islam International to raise awareness and funds for the plight of our beloved brothers and sisters in Palestine. World renowned umanitarian dorcot and academic Dr Mads Gilbert was the guest of honour.After the success of Purple Bandage’s SyriaDay13 dinner, the CII team, led by CII journalist Azhar Vadi, approached PURPLE BANDAGE requiring assistance in organising and overseeing their fundraising dinner. Their dinner was particularly to raise funds for CII’s “Gaza Ambulance Drive”.

The Purple Bandage team together with local stakeholders have identified families in need of assistance. Hampers were packed and distribute to families in Sprincol, Lawley, Lenz & JHB South. The PB team persomalyy distributed a number of food items including: mealie meal, oil, tea, sugar, etc. These essentials were warmly welcomed by recipients. 

Vaal Muslim Women's Forum and Purple Bandage co-hosted a talk by Moazzam Begg, the director for the prisoner human rights organisation, CagePrisoners (now known as CAGE) to bring awareness of the plight of the illegally detained, tortured and oppressed prisoners languishing in jails around the world.

Moazzam Begg is one of nine British citizens who were held at Camp X-Ray, Guantánamo Bay by the government of the United States of America. Begg was labelled an ‘enemy combatant’ by the US government, imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit and whose precise nature has never been determined.

Purple Bandage participated in the the recent Vaal launch of theFree Marwan Barghouthi and all Palestinian Political Prisoners campaign headed by The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation . The Foundation’s director, Neeshan Balton, was one of the key speakers at the launch. Notable participants included Luisa Morgantini, an Italian member of European Parliament who is a leading member of the Italian Peace Movement. The launch also saw the endorsement of the campaign by the ANC, where local mayor, in his capacity as ANC member addressed the public, expressing outrage at the human rights violations present in the Marwan Barghouti case. Audiences were in awe at the motivated and passionate speech by ANC stalwartAhmed Kathrada, who in spite of frailty in age, was most vibrant in spirit.

Purple Bandage distributes over a thousand blankets to the impoverished settlements of Sicelo and Sonderwater in the Vaal area. 

Monday, 23 June 2014, 11:00 – A cloud of thick smoke arose from the burning tyres as angry residents expressed their outrage at poor service delivery.  This was the scene in Sicelo that greeted onlookers on that fateful morning. The atmosphere was that of tension, the mood that of despondency. Three hours later, an onlooker would never believe that this was the same place. An atmosphere of joy and a mood of celebration greeted the convoy that visited White House Hall at 15:00 that very same afternoon.

SYRIA DAY 1309

Syria is thousands of miles away. The majority of South Africans have not visited Syria and only a few know its cities and culture.

Yet the plight of the Syrian people was no further than a hear beat away for the residents of Roshnee, a small town situated in Vereeniging.

Fundraising is not new to the people of Roshnee. Perhaps its meaning 'Light' aptly captures the spirit of its people. Over the years, Roshnee residents under various NPO organisations have aided many crisis victims nationally and globally. From natural disaster victims to war-torn countries as well as the underprivileged of South Africa – Roshnee's residents have always rose to the occasion.

Purple Bandage would like to salute the Roshnee Football Club (RFC) for their #leadroshnee effort. After playing against United FC earlier in the season, the Roshnee Football Club's (RFC) under 13 team manager earmarked them as a team which the RFC could try to assist as part of its social responsibility programme. United FC is a newcomer to the Lenasia Soccer League. Roshnee Football Club donated a kit to United FC on Saturday 28 June 2014.

The Annual Roshnee Football Club Junior Soccer Tournament was hosted before the kick-off of the 2014 season for the forst time this year. The tournament was held over the 12 and 13 April 2014 and was well received by the Lenasia Soccer League. A total of 56 teams participated over the 2 day tournament and all participating teams were very happy with the way the tournament was hosted. The Roshnee community were out in full force the tournament was a great success.

Purple bandage was responsible for the tea stall, and all proceeds were donated back to RFC. The member of Purple bandage sponsored the trophies fromtheir own personal funds.