2020 Newsletter

Chairman’s Report 2019

Just The One Foundation greets you warmly during this uncertain and challenging time in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that you are safe and healthy and have found time to pause and reflect.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who have donated or participated in one of our fundraising events! With your help, 2019 was another successful year and we raised a total of R165 450.00. Without you we can’t keep doing this meaningful and impactful work. With your help we are able to support our students by providing them with quality education, extra lessons, additional support, transport and meals.

2019 Events: 

Our annual golf day, the Just the One Classic, found a new home at Heron Banks Estate on the Vaal River. This year’s Classic is scheduled to take place in October.  

Neil Massey headed up our running team #takeitandrun. We are hopeful that the 2020 Comrades Marathon will still take place later this year because our Just The One Foundation (JTOF) runners are eager to raise funds and continue their partnership with us.
Our cycle team dominated the 947…again. 

Corporate Partnerships: 

Lombard Insurance continues to support the foundation through their Chairman’s pick, and we are ever grateful for this incredible partnership. A special thanks to Mark Massey for his unwavering support and continued commitment to the foundation. 

We are delighted that our partnership with GTC continues to strengthen. Just The One Foundation is now GTC’s sole charity. I would like to thank Gary, Debbie and Jackie for the important work that they do and for cultivating this significant partnership. JTOF values this corporate relationship and looks forward to the future.

New relationships with other corporates were also seeded and we look forward to announcing some exciting partnerships later this year.

 Our purpose: The Students

2019 Students: 
At the end of 2019, three of our students matriculated. Lungile Mazibuko, Rethbile Radise and Kwezi Ngema passed with exemption and all three of these outstanding scholars were awarded full bursaries to study further.

Those of you who have met Lungile know that he is a charismatic young man with an entrepreneurial eye. He is studying Business Management at North West University. Rethabile is laser focused and fierce. Since joining our Just The One family, Rethabile expressed her dream of becoming a lawyer. We are proud to announce that she is currently pursuing her ambitions at the University of the Free State. Kwezi is a strong and determined young woman, who works quietly and consistently. She has received a full bursary to study and we are excited to be a part of her new and exciting journey as she enters this next phase of her education.

Frans Nkona, our talented chess player, excelled and completed Grade 11 with outstanding results. We are supporting him as best we can during this National Lockdown and are acutely aware of the challenges faced not only by Frans, but by Matrics and all school students around the country. Frans is focused and determined and we know that he will negotiate and handle this situation with a positive attitude.

Esther Coker, in Grade 11 this year, achieved exceptional results in 2019. She was moved from Waverley Girls’ High School to Sacred Heart. She excels inside the classroom and in co-curricular activities too. She has started exploring different career options that exist within the Information Technology sector because she loves coding and anything related to computers. 

2020: Growing our Just The One family

As three students become alumni we are ecstatic to welcome three new students to our family:

Grade 8:
Yvette Moshego is interested in becoming a doctor or mechanical engineer because she wants to contribute to the world around her in a positive, meaningful and impactful ways.

Isaac Motala shows a keen interest in geology and the mining sector. He wants to become a mining surveyor. He is deeply inspired by his father who was a mining engineer. He wants to celebrate his father’s legacy by following in his footsteps.

Rorisang Ranaka is ambitious and driven. She wants to be a business woman and become one of the largest employers in the country, in a bid to help others and decrease unemployment figures.

Alumni: doing great things 

Pitsi Tsebe and Corine Malahlela are both in their final year of study. Pitsi is completing his Degree in Information Systems and Marketing, and Corine, a degree in Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics. Since matriculating Pitsi and Corine have become passionately involved in the foundation. Both have played a significant role in our mentorship programme. 2019 was a very special year for us as a foundation as they both joined our board, with a collective vision towards expanding the foundation.

Just The One Team: 

This year, two of our valued directors, Nicole Barbeau (Mentorship) and Westleigh Wilkinson (Operations) will be stepping down in their capacity as board directors. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the 6+ years that Nicole and Westleigh have given to JTOF.

Nicole has served the board of JTOF and the foundation as a whole with passion and dedication. Her consistency and enthusiasm has been a vital part of JTOF. We are extremely grateful and appreciative of her. Nicole has transformed our mentorship programme into a significant platform that forms the heart of our organization and the work that we do. She has been an important support not only to me, but to all of our students. She remained consistent and driven whilst working a full time job and completing her MBA through GIBS during 2018 & 2019. We are inspired by her and excited by her drive and passion. We wish Nicole well on this next part of her life’s journey, we will miss you- and remember that you always have a home here at JTOF!

Westleigh is a brilliant mind and has added immense value to our operating and communication systems. We are incredibly grateful for his kindness, counsel, and advice. His calm demeanor and positive attitude are infectious. Thank you, Wes.

Both Nicole and Westleigh will still play a role in the foundation, albeit in varying capacities. 

I would also like to thank Haafizah and Lynette who joined the board last year. Their commitment and expertise are deeply appreciated.

2020 Board:
 Our 2020 board members are:

Ryan Dittmann – Chairman 
Corine Malahlela- Mentorship 
Pitsi Tsebe- Marketing 
Lynette Wilkinson- Finance 
Haafizah Van Der Ross- Fundraising 

 The 2020 board have set exciting goals for the year ahead, to raise R200 000. Once we have confirmed dates for this year’s events, you’ll be the first to know.

If you would like to get more involved please let us know. If you are planning to take part in any sporting events and would like to use the event as a way to fundraise- we can’t wait to hear from you!

We look forward to seeing many of you soon. For now, during this uncertain time of ‘Lockdown’ and social distancing, I encourage you all to stay safe, stay home and continue your small acts of kindness in any way that you can. Please remember that ‘this too, shall pass’.

Warm wishes,

Regards Ryan Dittmann
Chairman JTOF
Cell: 0822612560
Email: events@justtheone.org.za