DreamHigher is an outreach initiative providing the vulnerable youth of Cape Town with Rock Climbing opportunities (registered NPO # 208-621). 

In collaboration with the Homestead Project for Street Children, we are calling for support to raise funds to help one of our most talented climbers, Obert. Obert is currently stateless (no birth certificate, no ID, no passport). Despite recently completing his schooling his status as stateless means he is unable to find legitimate employment and realize his full potential. He has been one of the most active members of our club from its foundation in 2017. His progression and incredible positivity despite his circumstances keep inspiring us and our local climbing community. 

His previous unsuccessful attempts to return to Zimbabwe and obtain documentation have exposed him to traumatic and dangerous conditions. We want to ensure that he is able to safely journey to Zimbabwe and return home to Cape Town to start his tertiary education and keep climbing!

We’re hoping to cover in priority the following with the funds raised:

• 3-week trip to Zimbabwe for Obert (ZAR 13 000 | 904 USD)
• 1-week trip to Zimbabwe for a facilitator to help him cross the border and submit his application at Home Affairs (ZAR 5000 | 348 USD)
• Emergency Zimbabwe passport (ZAR 4580 | USD 319)
• South African Study visa (ZAR 1175 | USD 82)

Sub-total ZAR 23 755 | USD 1651

• Transaction fees fundraising campaign: ZAR 2715

Total ZAR 26 470 | USD 195

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UPDATE: Thanks to the generousity of our donors, we are grateful to announce we have covered the most critical costs for Obert's trip. However we kindly ask the community to maintain their great support, there will be additional costs related to this trip and our growing initiative needs funding to keep making the sport of climbing available to vulnerable, disadvantaged youth. Any subsequent donations will be allocated toward these objectives.

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Please watch the beautiful video (produced by the talented duo BeBolder) and read the following article about his stories, support him by donating to our fundraising campaign.

Thank you for your support! 

DreamHigher | NPO 208-621 | @dreamhigher

***** OBERT STORY *****

Hi my name is Obert Makaza, I am from Zimbabwe. I ran away from my birth country when I was about 7 to escape violent living conditions. I came to South Africa illegally, looking for a better life and freedom since I did not have that in Zimbabwe.

After a long hazardous journey, I made it to the streets of Cape Town.  I was taken from the streets to move to the Homestead, where I have lived for several years now. Their social workers raised me and put me back to school. I graduated from high school last year but I cannot collect my certificate because I do not have an ID or a passport. Being stateless has been a barrier for most important things I wanted to do or to become. My goal is to work in IT but I cannot apply to IT school nor any tertiary school without legal identification documents. Next year I will have to leave the Homestead, but I will not be able to study or work in my current situation.I have attempted to go back to Zimbabwe in the past to register my birth but I was unsuccessful. I had problems crossing the border without a passport and insufficient finances to stay in Zimbabwe long enough. I have been really reluctant to try again. 

I do rock climbing in Paarden Eiland at Bloc 11 with DreamHigher. I really like rock climbing, and I am not into any other sports as I am into rock climbing. Rock climbing taught me to be patient and to face my obstacles. So now I feel like I am strong enough to go back to my birth country and try again.

I can only get these documents through your help. Please help me where you can so that I can go back to Zimbabwe, apply for my legal documents and start my life as a climber and as a professional. 

Obert Makaza