GEORGE NEWS - A new non-profit organisation with ambitious plans for community upliftment, starting in Thembalethu, was officially launched in George on Sunday 26 October.
Tratic Foundation International is an initiative of Tracy Tichivangani, last year’s Miss Pearl Ambassador 2024 at the Knysna Oyster Festival.
The vivacious Tichivangani, general manager of the Oakhurst Hotel, was also the first runner-up in the 2025 Miss Dream Girl South Africa.
She has a passion for the community and is over the moon with the organisation’s launch. “Our first empowerment programme, which we launched in Thembalethu, is already up and runnng. We’ve trained and equipped 19 unemployed people to sell fresh fish, sourced from Mossel Bay, in the community,” she says.
“My vision is to promote healthy and peaceful communities and healthy families, to reduce crime and to see a drastic reduction in teenage pregnancies.”
Tratic will also provide mentorship programmes for struggling small businesses and assist potential entrepreneurs with start-ups. Health awareness programmes are to be run in Thembalethu to create awareness of free service providers available to the community, such as Famsa (Families SA) and Sahara (support in case of harmful substance abuse).
“We also plan to run teenage pregnancy campaigns in schools, promote the welfare of the elderly and children, and to tackle mental health issues in the community through, for example, seminars to help not only women, but also men to deal with mental health problems," says Tichivangani.
“Another terrain on which we want to make a difference is with immigration matters, where we aim to invite officials from various consulates to come to George to assist undocumented persons get their documentation in order. To this end, we have already invited the Zimbabwean Consulate to visit us. The more people are documented, the better the local community is also protected.”
The organisation already has some 30 volunteers who are available to help roll out the various projects following the launch.
If you would like more information or get involved as a volunteer for Tratic Foundation International, call Tracy on 081 822 8917. The organisation is in the process of registering with the Department of Social Development.
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