See below for previous events.

Youth Spirit Awards 2010

Click here to download 2010 YSA Nomination form

The Amy Biehl Foundation will be hosting the third annual Youth Spirit Award event on 14 August 2010. Nominations for this annual award are based on the nominee’s initiative and dedication in service to others. The Award goes to young people who are already making a difference. Our hope is to challenge them to greater heights of service through the recognition of the Award and exposure to Amy Biehl’s life and work.

A Selection Committee will choose the finalists and winner from the nominations. At the event, the winner will receive prizes to the value of R25 000 which includes a Damelin bursary.  Two runner-ups will each receive prizes to the value of R5 000 which includes a Damelin Mowbray bursary.  The organisation supported by the winner, the school the winner attends and the winner’s nominator will each receive a prize.

Amy’s mother, Linda Biehl and the Mayor of Cape Town will be handing over the award.   Please circulate the nomination forms to your teachers and students to give them the opportunity to send in their nominations.

NOMINATION CRITERIA

Nominations must meet the following criteria and provide enough detailed information, or they cannot be considered.

- Young people ages 14-19 (at the time of nomination) are eligible.

-Nominee must have volunteered – within the last 12 months – specifically in the area of community involvement, service or outreach.

-Groups may not be nominated.

Please fax Nomination to 086 611 3189 by 14 July 2010.

2009 Events

Appreciation cocktail

We held an appreciation cocktail on 10 December at our offices and had a wonderful turnout.  We appreciate your support!

GALA FUNDRAISING DINNER – 7 November 2009

(Page down for feedback on the Mother to Mother and Youth Spirit Award Events)

Our annual fundraising gala event was held at The Great Ballroom, Cape Town International Convention Centre on Saturday 7 November 2009.

Sibongile Khumalo, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Aviva Pelham, The Original Tons, Larry Soffer and the Amy Biehl Foundation children, beneficiaries under our creative arts programme, entertained 480 guests to great delight.

Click here to see a video of the ABF Gala 2009 – Presentation

Click here to see a video of the ABF Gala 2009 – Selected Performances

Feedback from guests:

Thank you so much for an awesome evening last Saturday night! – Andrew Myne - De Heuwel farm & BLounge Restaurant.

Hi Kevin,Congratulations!!  Your Gala Dinner was outstanding – the theme – the décor – the setting – the entertainment – the co-ordination – the spirit of the night – world class!!  Karen and I have been to many functions across the world – this was up there – at the top. Please convey my sincere congratulations to you – the master magician. Kevin I admire what you do for the Amy Biehl Foundation enormously – they are so lucky to have you. – Andrew Jennings – Group MD Retail – Woolworths SA.

Congratulations on a wonderful event on Saturday. We had a lovely time.  Fay Kajee, Director BATSA

The evening was really great and it just seems to get better and better each year.  It is fast becoming an event on the social calender that one looks forward to and will not want to miss.  Pls convey my congrats to the rest of the team.Warmest wishes. – Prof F Abrahams - University of the Western Cape.

Hi Kevin,Wonderful to see you at the Amy Biehl Gala last Sat. The entertainment was fantastic and it appeared to be a great success in terms of fundraising. You deserve the magician’s cape and hat ! Thank you Kevin and kind regards - Carole Hambleton-Moser

I just wanted to congratulate you and your staff on a really excellent function!  It was so well done – everything seemed to run very smoothly and we really enjoyed the entertainment. Renee – Renee Bishop Recruitment

A quick note to say many thanks again for allowing us to film our glamour insert at your event on Saturday evening.  We certainly have the makings of a great show; a reminder to please watch on 18 November (SABC3 at 16h00).  It was a great event and very well put together! All the best, Glynis Abrahams, Woolworths

CONGRATULATIONS!! That is wonderful news and thanks for a great evening. Regards, Alex, SASTS

Thank you for Saturday evening. It was truly wonderful to be there, to learn more about the foundation, and to be so spoilt with the wonderful entertainment you lined up. Well done.  Yvonne Kiewiet, Protea Hotels

Just wanted to say thank you for an amazing evening.  Wishing you all the best until the next one.  Joey Burke

Congratulations on the event, it is great to hear it was so successful. Keep up the good work, it really is making a difference to the young people of South Africa. – Joel

I also share my  heartfelt congratulations on such an outstanding event!!!  How wonderful for South Africa and Amy’s legacy.  I send my thanks to all who worked so hard to make the Gala so successful!    – Celeste Habiger

What great news for all who worked so hard and all who will benefit! Congratulations. – Molly Biehl Corbin

We would like to thank the following individuals and companies for their support:

&Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge – Kruger National Park, 3D Management, Aesthetics Spa, African Bay Hospitality Group, Ahmed Kathrada, Aidan Bennetts, Appletiser, Arabella Spa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Associated Magazines, Aviva Pelham, Beezy Bailey, BIGShots, Body Shop, Bread Milk & Honey, Cape Gate Shopping Centre, Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, UCT School of Music & Ballet, Cape Town Opera, , Cape Town Tourism, Chocolate Graphics, CODA, Colin Moss, Colourworks, Company of Wine People, Consul of France, Coronation, Cape Town International Convention Centre, De Heuvel Wine and Olive Estate, Design A Balloon, DJ Rene, DKNY, Doppio Zero, Dynamic Corporate Activities, Enterstage SA, Exclusive Books, Flatnote, Framing Factory, Freebees PR & Marketing, Front Page Management, FW De Klerk, Gerry Elsdon, Gold Restaurant, Gold Sun, Grand Roche Hotel, Green Catering , GRS Tours, Healing Earth Spa – St. Andrews Boutique Hotel, Horst & Rita Boes, Hospitality Affairs, House of Pearls, Investec, Omar Valley – Iqabane Art Gallery, Jenny Morris – Giggling Gourmet, Joey Burke, Julie Killias Designs, Lagoon Beach Hotel, Larry Soffer, Le Quartier Francais , Lisan Decor, Louis Group Hotels (Schloss Hubertushöhe Hotel, Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa, Devon Valley Hotel, Place on the Bay), Luxury Cosmetics (Smashbox/Payot), Mandela Rhodes Place, Maxi’s Jewellery, McDonalds Green Point & Adderley Str, Newmark Hotels (Dock House, Elements Spa, SALT restaurant), Oasys Innovations, Onze Rust, Oprah Magazine, Orient Express (Westcliff & Mount Nelson Hotels), Ottimo Designer Wear, Paula Zolezzi Photography, PhotoBooth, Pick ‘n Pay, Prestige Cosmetics, Protea Hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, Rani Resort  Federal Air/Indigo Bay, Reeds, Relais Hotels, Riebeek Valley Hotel, Robberg Beach House (Diarmuid & Jenny Baigrie), Rosendal Winery & Wellness Centre, SA National Biodiversity Institute, Samara Private Game Reserve, Sanlam, Sibongile Khumalo, Spier Wines, Sugarbay, St Andrews Hotel, Stephen C Photographer, The Mai Family Foundation, The Original Tons, The Westin Grand Cape Town, Theatre on the Bay, Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Vodacom, Wine Spa – L’Ermitage Hotel, Wings, Woolworths, Yvonne Chaka Chaka

MOTHER TO MOTHER @ THE BAXTER THEATRE

The Baxter Theatre has very kindly given the Amy Biehl Foundation Wednesday the 7^th of October as an evening when all ticket sales went to the Amy Biehl Foundation.  This is a powerful story by Sindiwe Magona about forgiveness and reconciliation, performed by Thembi Mtshali-Jones and directed by Janice Honeyman.

Some feedback on the mother-to-mother show:

• I went to watch “Mother to Mother” the other day. I was moved, yet again. It is an amazing depiction.- Elias Masilela
• I wanted to contact you to say thank you and to add my praise to the many you must have had for a great show. The acting was superb and utterly convincing.  It evoked so much of the pain and suffering of those years. You have me hooked as an admirer of your amazing fundraising strategies.  It is certainly innovative and inspirational – Miriam Du Toit.
• We enjoyed the Mother to Mother show VERY much. It was moving, thought-provoking, wonderfully written and acted. We are so glad we went… had a great evening. I am even reading the book now! – Elena Donhoff
• Mother to Mother! Fantastic actress – the story goes underneath the skin! We can highly recommend – Horst and Rita
• I want to say a great big HUGE THANK YOU. The performance was excellent, the main star should be commended – Gillian Cox
• We had a wonderful and moving experience at the theatre, we thought it had a powerful message, excellent actress and well worth telling lots of people, which we have been doing. Kind regards, Nina and Frank Van der Velde

2009 YOUTH SPIRIT AWARD- 15 August 2009

In the photo: Felix February (Teacher), Cheslyn Steenberg (Winner), Mayor Dan Plato & Peter Harley (Nominator) The Amy Biehl Foundation hosted their second annual Youth Spirit Award event on 15 August 2009 at the Marimba Restaurant in Cape Town sponsored by Damelin and Chevron. It was also the commemoration event celebrating the life and legacy of Amy, who died in 1993. The event featured performances by the Amy Biehl Foundation brass band, marimbas, gumboot dancers, Afro Fusion, Traditional and Kwaito dance groups as well as the choir together with Aviva Pelham, Opera Diva. Roxy Marosa, talk show host and model, was MC and the Mayor, Dan Plato handed over the Award.

The winner of the 2009 Amy Biehl Youth Spirit Award was 16 year old Cheslyn Steenberg from Windermere High School. Cheslyn has done extraordinary work, particularly in the areas of Factreton and Kensington, through the Frontiers ‘Youth Serving Youth’ outreach program. The program encourages youth to take control of their lives and to become involved in their communities. Cheslyn has been extensively involved in both the leadership and the implementation of the program, running sessions that cover a range of issues, including substance abuse, sex and sexuality, peer pressure, relationships, and conflict resolution. Frontiers initiatives like ‘No-2-drugs & Yes-2-Life’ and ‘Addicted-2-Life’ are particular projects in which Cheslyn has stood out. He plans to pursue a degree in law at university, to make justice more attainable for the people of South Africa. Cheslyn was awarded a R25 000 Damelin Mowbray bursary. His school and a charity of his choice each receives R500 and his nominator, Peter Harley also received a prize. Akeen Wilson, one of the two runners up was nominated for his exceptional leadership in the programmes run by the Amandla Ku Lutsha Charity. In particular, Akeen has done be a servant-leader in its Education through Soccer Programme in which he has been involved since 2007. He is the coach for the team, leading and playing with his peers, and helping them not only to become better players, but also talking with them about life and encouraging them to pursue positive goals in their lives. Akeen has organized community outreach programmes for his team, allowing them to give back to and to become more active in their community. Akeen was awarded a R5 000 Damelin Mowbray bursary. Ncebakazi Pilingane, was the other runner up. Ncebakazi is part of the Thandi Arts Project, the aim of which is to cultivate the arts among young people. And Ncebakazi is truly a renaissance woman in the performing arts, specializing in dance, songs, drama and poetry, in addition to her motivational speaking. Through these passions of her she encourages and inspires her peers to pursue their interest in the arts. She speaks with youth about HIV/AIDS, crime, early pregnancy and shares her life experiences growing up in a single parent family. She has shared her tremendous talent and contributed greatly to the Thandi Arts Project’s success. Through her volunteer work, Ncebakazi hopes to change youths’ minds about life, give them hope and meaning. A born leader, Ncebakazi wishes to pursue her love of dance, music and drama at university level. Ncebakazi was also awarded a R5 000 Damelin Mowbray bursary.

The other finalists were:

Songezo Antoni, a 14 year old from New Crossroads/Guguletu. Songezo has done great work in his community as a Peer Educator in the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust’s HIV/AIDS Peer Education Programme. He has been a leader among his peers in the programme, presenting at the Foundation’s showcases, leading HIV/AIDS awareness sessions to youth at various locations in his community. Furthermore, he is one of the first Peer Educators to run the ‘Walk and Take’ initiative, which is on-the-ground work in which he speaks to his peers literally in the streets of Guguletu about HIV/AIDS, sex and relationships. Songezo is driven by his passion to inform other youth, stating that he is inspired by the hope that he can save a life.

Keren Futeran, is 17 years old and her passions lay in issues of the African continent, in particular the experiences of refugees in South Africa. She has pursued this passion through her initiative and leadership in Herzlia’s United Africa Society. This organization is a student-led, non-profit committee that focuses on conflict within Africa and raises awareness and funds toward helping others. Keren went further, compelled by her own interests, to bring South African refugees from the DRC to her school to address the entire school assembly. This outreach and activism has formed a good relationship between the school and others from the DRC Association of South Africa.

Alisha Jacobs, is 18 years old and from Mitchell’s Plain. She is an extraordinarily well-rounded young woman. Starting at the age of 16, Alisha began volunteering her time at Lentegeur Hospital, assisting with the basic needs of quadriplegic and multi-handicapped patients, in addition to her work as a peer educator at her high school. She is also in process of publishing a poetry collection entitled ‘The sun becomes the Atlantic.’

Ashur Peterson, is a 17 year old attending Wynberg Boys High School. For the past 2 years, Ashur has been extremely involved in Violetz, a community brass band in the gang-ridden areas of Manenberg. He has used his extensive musical background to teach youth how to play various musical instruments (some of the instruments he plays include the trumpet, guitar and piano), and also compose songs, as an alternative to idleness on the streets. Ashur has used his passion for music to make an impact on other youth in various communities.

Other prizes awarded to the winner, his nominator, the runners up and finalists were sponsored by the Louis Group, Mandela Rhodes Place, Greenways Hotel, Protea Hotel, Ritz Restaurants, Rainbow Experiential Marketing, Spur and Innovative Glass who donated the trophy.

Feedback

“Thank you very much for inviting us to participate in the Youth Awards, it was a great event and very inspiring. My son loved it and I hope he too will be inspired by it. I think the winners and nominees were fabulous, I would have liked to have heard them speaking. Well done for a special occasion.All the best.”……Dena Lomofsky, Southern Hemisphere Consultants.