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 Tess Gerritsen
Top Ten bestselling author Tess Gerritsen delivers a thoroughly menacing new thriller. A brilliantly compulsive page-turner from the author of The Surgeon. Dr Emma Watson, a brilliant research physician, has been training for the mission of a lifetime: to study living organisms in space. Jack McCallum, Emma’s estranged husband, has shared her dream of space travel, but a medical condition has grounded him. Now he must watch from the sidelines! The mission aboard the space station turns into a nightmare when a culture of single-celled organisms begins to regenerate out of control — and infects the crew with agonising and deadly results. Emma struggles to contain the deadly virus, while back home Jack and NASA work against the clock to bring her home. But there will be no rescue, as the astronauts are left stranded in orbit where they are dying one by one!
Released 5 Jan
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 Lee Child
The heart stopping new thriller by No.1 bestselling author Lee Child
Released in paperback 4 August
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 Once again a box full of kiddies clothes and teddy bears has arrived safely, My contact in Cape Town will deliver them to the most needy Thanks everybody and heres a word from Jo
HI Nicky,
Thanks once again to all your friends in Mallorca – the parcel arrived on Monday. Sorry it has taken me a while to confirm its arrival, but Mandela’s 67 minutes got in the way. Many groups spent their time making sleeping bags for the homeless which meant I was on duty to demonstrate. UCT have taken on this project in a big way – not the students yet, but the staff of various faculties.
I hope you won’t mind but I am giving the latest parcel to Dr. Paul Roux who is taking a whole heap of stuff up to Peddie on Friday. I think I might have mentioned that he has started a clinic in the rural area and the people there are unbelievably poor. Paul and Debbie (both members and ex Presidents of my Rotary Club) cycled 1000 kms from Peddie to Cape Town to raise enough money to purchase a vehicle to transport the ill and elderly patients from surrounding areas to the clinic. This they did while I was away. They raised enough and Rotary then paid in the difference for the required vehicle.
Paul has come and gone with his 4 x 5 fully laden with kids clothing, adult clothing, toys, two bags of shoes and about 40 kgs of health bar off cuts I collected from Michaels & Michaels this morning.
I am trying to sort out my garage and to distribute anything I no longer will need in Shady Pines. I thought I had got rid of everything when I moved, but found two huge containers of photographs going back about 60 years. I doubt my daughter will be interested once I am gone, so albums (minus a few photographs of friends) are all going into the garbage bin. All the toys I bought for the grandchildren have gone with Paul as my spoilt grandchildren have enough of everything. Books and puzzles will go to the paediatric ward at Groote Schuur. See everything has a home somewhere.
Many many thanks Nicky – you know how much I and everyone appreciates the trouble you go to.
I will now have to make friends with the chaps at the Howard Centre Post Office in Pinelands.
Warmest regards and sincere good wishes to all,
Jo
Jo Maxwell
5 Pillans Court
Pillans Road
Rosebank
7700
Tel: 021 685-4517
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I have to admit I have been rather slack about updating the charity news on this website. Well we are still sending out parcels of kiddies clothes and heres an e-mail from Jo Maxwell in Cape Town letting us now how she plans to distribute the clothing.
Para:
nickiprescott@yahoo.com
Hi Nicky,
You have been hard at work again – picked up your latest parcel on Monday and this by pure luck. For some reason the PO delivery note had slipped out of the letter box and firstly the snails had a great time eating the paper and then the rain came. I just happened to pick up what looked like a dirty piece of paper only to discover that the slip had been sent on 6th October. I am still holding onto some of the clothing for our “Opening Party” of Makukhanye but I think that it is going to take too long so will probably get out to Browns Farm next week and start handing the clothing out to the children. Rotary have given us a R40,000 grant to upgrade Makukhanye and about 6 Rotarians are going to do the heavy labour, saving money, and John will oversee the whole improvement. However, R40,000 doesn’t go very far as so much needs to be done. The wiring all needs to be redone as they have taped electrical wires together with bits of cellotape and the wires hang all over the place. Electricity has to be taken to the new “structure” and the corrugated home build class room has no electricity either. We also have to install a couple of toilets and a hand basin which will go into the recycled Wendy House donated by my son in law. They have no fridge or storage cupboard and the gas hob needs to be replaced in the new kitchen but I got a donation from the Rotaractors of Wynberg, Claremont and Stellenbosch of R6200 from a fund raiser they did earlier this year by standing on street corners with placards saying “We have a house – other do not”. We have food – others do not” I stood with a few of them in Rondebosch on the Saturday, and it was funny to watch how people look the other way when they see “beggars” even though most of them were white. I think they did brilliantly well and I will use the money for a fridge, gas hob and storage cabinet – if the R6200 covers all the items otherwise I will use part of the funding which Rotary gave me and the rest will go towards the improvements. I doubt that much will be achieved before the end of the year.
Am presently working on another fund raiser at the Irma Stern Museum using the talents of our flower club members – only the top arrangers will take part – and the theme will be Christmas with a Difference and have roped in Sue Wolf who makes beautiful jewellery, Adonis Musati refugees who are making lovely flower bags and then using my Bling balls and Christmas T-lites. All will be incorporated into the actual arrangements which we will hopefully sell at the end of the show. This is a biggie and requires a huge amount of work from all the ladies. We will serve wine and snacks and charge an entrance of R50 and all funds raised will go to a project initiated by The Bookery and the Cape Times and called “A Library in every School”. Most township schools have no libraries, or if they have a library they have no books. So I think this is a worthwhile cause.
I am having to beg for free wine and snacks else I will have to dig into my Red Hat Funds and find cheap but decent wine – none of that boxed stuff. I think P & P will give me a gift voucher to spend on snacks as I have been charming the Western Province ’s marketing manager for ages. Will have to do a huge amount of advertising to get hundreds of people to the show but luckily with the Cape Times as a sponsor they will give us some coverage.
I have managed to get a table at the Rondebosch Craft market to hopefully sell the hundreds of Christmas decorations and Bling T-lites the unemployed have made for me. November and December will see me sitting at the market each Saturday trying to sell. Luckily there is no one else selling these sort of hand made decorations although they will cost more than the Christmas balls imported from China . Just hope people will realise how much work goes into making these decorations and I spend hours trimming and finishing them off. They are really beautiful and in the sunlight, sparkle like diamonds.
Okay that is enough of me – please say thank you again to all your wonderful clients who continue to drop off their children’s beautiful clothing. When I look at some of the cute stuff I wish I was 6 again.
Warmest regards
Jo
Â
Jo Maxwell
5 Pillans Court
Pillans Road
Rosebank
7700
Tel: 021 685-4517
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Royal Yachting Association
 Although written & illustrated specifically with the boating fraternity in mind, the books content is applicable to a much wider readership. Structured to guide everyone from a complete beginner to a seasoned sailor step-by-step through simple knots onto the advanced knotting skills required to make a Turk´s Head and Star Knot.
Price 25.5€
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A parcel arrived in Cape Town, that was posted by us at the end of January, it was received by Joe Maxwell.
Picked up another parcel on Thursday. My goodness you seem to be spending a huge amount of time packing and posting off beautiful things for the children of Browns Farm than any of the recipients imagine. Of course the families receiving these donations are grateful, but I am sure they don’t
> even realise what a schlep it must be getting them here. Not much more I can say than another huge THANK YOU to you and all the donors. With a very wet winter predicted, and more flooding of low
lying township shacks, I am expecting to have to increase the production of the Good Night and God Bless sleeping bags starting in April. Fortunately I have received another R20,000 from my Rotary Club for this purpose. I have also started on another project of putting food parcels together for the elderly, refugees - well anyone in dire need of help. Because I can go off and buy in bulk and therefore save, volunteers and myself are packaging a full balanced meal which is being sold at cost (around R5.80 per main meal). This will include oil, spices, vegetables, either rice/beans/macaroni/mielie meal/samp mielies (depending on whether they are for pensioners or homeless/refugees) plus small amounts of chicken or beef mince.
I am setting two refugees up in business by giving them 40 prepared packaged meals which will cost around R15. They will sell for R25 - each meal enough for two people - keep R15 to continue buying and make R10 profit per package. Of course I have no guarantee that they will continue with the project once they have sold their first free 40 packs, but I will not supply any further unless they give me the money to
shop. Hope it works.
My thanks once again to your wonderful friends, colleagues,
customers for their continued support.
Jo Maxwell
1 Norfolk Lane
Rosebank
021 685 4517
Proudly a Claremont Rotarian
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Hi Everyone.
The 500€ we raised has finally got to Cape Town
Joe Maxwell should have it tomorrow night, where she
will go to Pep stores (low income family supply) to
buy school uniforms and books for the 18 Kids at Maria
Solomens Haven. The new school year starts in mid
January in South Africa. The rest of the money will be
spent on the creches that Jo looks after.
She has just received another box of clothing and
bears from us and would like to say thanks to all.
I managed to post of another big box of clothing and
bears yesterday, so hopefully it will arrive safely in
Cape town soon.
During 2008 we managed to post out 7 parcels (each
parcel costs around 90€ to send). We also sent a total of
850€ in cash to be spent at the creches and Maria
Solomons Haven.
Thanks again for all your lovely donations last year.
Regards / Saludos
Nicky Prescott
The Trading Place
C/ Pou35 b, Santa Catalina, Tel: 871941350
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 Hi everyone
Posted a box really nice clothes 2 weeks
ago and it´s
got there already. Thanks to some really generous
donations from you guys I sent off another box on
Tuesday, I still have some money left for posting, so
if you have any unwanted kids stuff, please could you
drop it off at the shop and I will get it posted off,
hopefully getting to the kids before xmas.
Attached ids a thank you note from Jo.
Thanks guys
Nicky Prescott
The Trading Place
C/ Pou 35 b
Santa Catalina
07013
Palma de Mallorca
Tel: 871 941350
www.mallorca-books.com
Forwarded Message: The Parcel
Dear Nicky,
Today I opened the parcel and once again overwhelmed by the beautiful children’s clothing donated by your generous clients, who are probably your friends by now.
We, that is Jane Keen and I have decided that we will do one crèche at a time. With the clothing from you plus a huge donation from a Canadian “Queen” who visited last month and more clothing donated by the locals, we have enough for two of the smaller crèches. As I am involved in so many other projects I have asked Zandile who works for Jane Keen and is basically in charge of managing the daily affairs of the crèches, to distribute to the children.
I went out with her last week to look at the grounds where my new School of Nutrition and Cooking will be set up. I anticipate that I will be up and running by March. First have to wait for the shipping container to be upgraded and prepared as a basic kitchen with seating. As Noncedo have huge grounds this is where I will be three days per week. The Principal wants the School on her grounds because on the days I am not talking about nutrition and cooking, they will be able to use the kitchen facilities. Fortunately they are one of the crèche’s with running water and electricity. I am also pleased because Phumla has shown initiative and started a big veggie garden. Part of the teaching will be to show the local people how to grow vine veggies and potatoes using old car tyres requiring very little space.
One of my other projects is Maria Solomons Haven in Mitchells Plain. Maria, her husband Alec and I have become good friends and I am on the Board of the Haven. In fact on Sunday afternoon, Pastor Jeffrey Poole made me an “honorary coloured” much to the hilarity of all the other members.
Maria and Alec have taken in and cared for abandoned, raped, neglected and traumatised children for the past 17 years and most of the children who started with her are still there. Ages range from only a few months to 18. They too are in dire need of help as Alec is the only breadwinner bringing in around R4000 per month. Hardly enough to cover household expenses, school fees, clothing and then feeding 20 hungry mouths three times a day.
The children are badly in need of clothing so if any of your clients/friends have other clothing, I would be delighted if they would pass it on. Next time you are in Cape Town I will take you to see Maria.
Herzlia school children raised R400,000 so that the Haven could have a second storey. Now there are 4 bedrooms upstairs (tiny rooms where you can hardly swing a cat) were the 14 girls sleep and a second bathroom for 20 people. The 6 boys still sleep in two small rooms off the garage area. There is also a computer/study room without any furniture.
I have managed to get R20,000 from my Rotary Club which will be used for bedroom cupboards, burglar bars for the girls rooms and desks, shelving and chairs for the study room. I need to find more money for a lounge suite, although it will be difficult to put in two small two-seater couches but I am off there on Saturday to see how we can rearrange what is there to make it comfortable.
My other project is the Good Night and God Bless mattress which I call my Summer Range. This is slightly different to the GN & GB sleeping bag but still using newspaper, packing tape but only one of the plastic bags which then works out to R2.50 per mattress. Can buy nothing for R2.50 these days.
What I need is a holiday or a secretary to sort out my life which is getting more and more hectic. But I love it.
So Nicky please thank EVERYONE for their continued support.
Warmest wishes from a wet and windy Cape Town
Jo
Jo Maxwell
1 Norfolk Lane
Rosebank
7700
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Jo Maxwell has received 75€ from us and will be buying the fruit and Vegetables.
Thanks everyone for their wonderful donations
Hi Nicky,
I checked my post yesterday - I don’t do it every day to avoid depression as it is always full of accounts- and found the envelope your mother popped into my post box. As it was too late to phone her at work and tell her I had received it - should you read your emails before Monday - could you please tell your mother I have the envelope and Nicky, many thanks once again for thinking of the children.
I hope you will approve, but I think I would like to go off to Fruit and Veg city and see what fruit there is on special. The children hardly ever see an apple or an orange. Strangely enough when I go off to read to the children of the Fractreton Primary School on a Wednesday I offer them a bribe to keep them quiet for at least two minutes while I read. I offer them a choice of a sticker or either of the two fruits I take with me. They always choose the fruit which I found encouraging. I warned them right from the beginning that I would not bring sweets.
I will perhaps check with Jane Keen to see whether any of the crèche’s are in dire need of something else and will first see what she says.
Warmest regards
Jo
Jo Maxwell
1 Norfolk Lane
Rosebank
7700
Tel: 021 685 4517
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On 16 July 2008, we posted a large box of Teddy bears, kiddies and babies winter clothing to Jo Maxwell in Cape Town. The box finally arrrived yesterday, 18/08/08, safely in Cape Town.
Below is a copy of the e-mail of what Jo is up to and how she plans to distribute the goodies.
Dear Nicky,friends and customers,
A huge thank you once again for the parcel of clothing and toys which arrived last Tuesday. I had suggested to Jane Keen that perhaps we could distribute the gifts from your friends and customers to the children as a birthday gift. I think I mentioned previously that we now have 14 crèches and 908 children we are feeding, besides providing them with equipment, toys, playground equipment donated by the public. So I think I was being over simplistic in thinking that the birthday present would be the right course when dealing with so many children.  This is Jane’s reply, and I have agreed. We have so many foreign volunteers these days helping at the crèche’s so I know they will ensure that all the contents of the box goes to where it is most needed. a
At this stage I believe the refugees have received an ample supply of food, clothing and my “famous” Good Night and God Bless sleeping bags.
Please convey our thanks to everyone who was so generous again.
Sincerely
Jo
I am presently working on another project which is opening a School of Nutrition and Cookery in Browns Farm. The poor have a basic diet consisting mainly of mielie meal and bread, the cost of which is now very high, none of which contain any nourishment and pure carbohydrate. I wish to teach the benefits of other foods, dried beans, lentils, split peas which are high in protein and including as much fresh vegetables (of the cheaper variety - carrots, cabbage and whatever Fruit & Veg have on special) as possible. I have also bought in a stock of a soup powder containing a cocktail of 28 vital minerals and vitamins (the same as ePap) which will be added to stews or soups at the end of cooking.
Hopefully once I have changed the mind set and the school is running successfully, I will hand it over to one of the “pupils”. It can then be used for bulk cooking for the community and sold at a small profit to make it self sustainable.
Rotary are giving me a Grant of R100,000 which will go towards the purchase and conversion of a Container into a basic kitchen (for the time being or until it becomes a small business venture for someone), with seating. So far I have received a Microwave for quick preparation. Next on my wish list would be a fridge/freezer and stove. My begging skills will be tested as I approach manufacturers of these items.
Thanks Jo. We don’t have enough long term volunteers to do birthday presents – which means keeping track over a whole year…. We could take to the forum and divide there (next meeting is this Wed afternoon) or we could just give them to the newest poorest crèches and ask the volunteers there to see that they go to the most needy children with some in stock for when there is an accident and the children need to be changed. I think that would be best. Jane
Jo Maxwell
1 Norfolk Lane
Rosebank
7700
Tel: 021 685 4517
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