Planning is in process for the return to Vukuzenzele in January 2009. May 9, 2008 OCCE presented a video and PowerPoint concerning the plight of Vukuzenzele to Kettering University’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and the students involved are very excited about the OCCE and Vukuzenzele Project.  They are presently working toward submitting a proposal to EWB concerning the OCCE project.Thursday May 1, 2008 met with : Michelle Owens, PhD, Michigan State University’s Associate Director of International Agriculture and Director of International Extension Programs and David Fenech from Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Service - Genesee County.   Both were very enthusiastic about the work that OCCE is doing and are willing to  partner with OCCE with a health and nutrition agricultural program and possibly an exchange program between schools here and Lourdes Mission School or Cetyswayo Primary.

We’d like to thank the following for their most generous contributions and guidance in the formation of this non-profit organization:

• Elie Boudt, Ferndale, MI
• Christine’s Cuisine, Ferndale MI
• Roe Peterhans, Ferndale MI
• Vincent Mazzola, Mt. Clemens, MI
• Bruce Galloway, Grand Blanc, MI
• Diplomat Pharmacy, Flint, MI
• Donal Moore, Birmingham, MI
• Ethan Daniel Davidson, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Our first fundraiser reception at the Flint Institute of the Arts was a success thanks to:                                                                                      Gold Sponsors

• Lee Gonzales
• Elie Boudt
• Ethan Daniel Davidson

Silver Sponsors

• Richard Barber
• Carl and Karen Bekofske
• Mary Gleason 
• Norma Galloway
• Eli Gonzales
• The Lee Gonzales Team
• Roy & Muriel Haygood
• Scott & Cheryl Hope
• Dr. Jack Kay
• Dr. Prasad & Jayashree Kommareddi
• Dr. Paul and Susan Lauber
• George and Kimberly Navarrette
• Donna Proffer
• Linda Pylypiw, Esq.
• David and Sanjuana Solis
• Zoe Starkweather

Bronze

• David and Olga Arceo
• John Care
• Lowell and Sylvia Conner
• Stella Gonzales
• Diane Harsh
• James and Helen Irwin
• Florence Nesser
• Tim Sneller
• Julie Simon
• Jennifer Trovillion
• Doug Weiland
• Joe Wilson 

In an effort of good will and shared interest, Father Stanley Dzuiba from Centocow Mission in KwaZulu-Natal welcomed Brenda Gonzales to the Lourdes Mission 7 kilometers from Vukuzenzele, South Africa. Brenda arrived with a laptop, camcorder, and digital voice recorder to perform a needs assessment as part of OCCE’s pilot project in this small, remote village which is deprived of many modern luxuries. AIDS/HIV and TB affect many in the village and  OCCE, with local leaders and traditional healers, have come together to gather information about living conditions and to propose solutions to current problems including the plight of orphan children. Father George from Lourdes Mission, formerly a boarding school for many in the surrounding villages and now a ghost of its former past, offered a room at his mission for a very tired but enthusiastic traveller determined to launch a  fact finding venture. Necessary OCCE personnel (other partners and volunteers) have been contacted to meet with the principle investigators in South Africa. Personnel included Nosipho Mbanjwa, South African advisor and translator and Vukuzenzele resident,who was asked to contact local stakeholders in Vukuzenzele to participate in a dialoque to determine community needs. OCCE’s pilot program strives to bridge the communication gap between traditional healers, community stakeholders and others who want to help alleviate poverty and address medical problems in Vukuzenzele. 

As of April 2008 the preliminary fact finding was completed.  Upon arrival to the US partners have been contacted, such as Kettering University’s chapter of Engineers Without Boders (EWB) and Michigan State University International Extention Programs. Another venture to Vukuzenzele will begin in October 2008.

OCCE has announced that they will begin a pilot project in the village of Vukuzenzele in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in an effort to alleviate poverty to stymie HIV/ AIDS, TB and other preventable diseases. Since poverty is a huge factor for the incidence of disease in developing countries OCCE will be taking in a team to assess the village for water, sanitation and electrical projects. As part of the ongoing project, group members and volunteers from the US and South Africa have engaged in anthropological dialogue to gain a worldview via traditional healers. A practice of OCCE, which respects the views and values of those in need, is to interview traditional  leaders and healers in the village to understand their needs. In doing so, OCCE hopes to grasp the circumstances community members face in an effort to help with the survival of the village. Group spokeswoman, Brenda Gonzales, who is responsible for much of the groundbreaking work with OCCE in Vukuzenzele, reports that there will be a needs assessment beginning in February through the end of April 2008. She also added that a three year plan can then be implemented based on the findings and realized funding.  OCCE is a non-profit organization which depends on charitable donations.

OCCE recently deployed a new website for their non-profit organization. The new site, developed by OHMdigital, updates the organizations previous web presence and adds more information. Check back soon for future development.