Organization History
MASICORP started in 1999 with annual expenditures of nearly $40,000. Our first projects included supporting a day care centre, starting a local block-making initiative to provide blocks to township builders, and running a feeding scheme for children at the local primary school.
By 2005, our annual expenditure reached $215,000 and we focused on providing
bursaries for promising township students at nearby colleges and High Schools,
building housing for low-income families, supporting AIDS education and care,
building a new library, and providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
Since then we have continued to grow and develop – 2009 will see the
hugely successful Library extended for the second time, more students attending
universities, more entrepreneurs helped with their businesses and most of our
other activities expanded. We now have a team of over 75 volunteers who work
with us on our projects and programmes.
We are about to embark on a new fund-raising initiative aimed at South Africa
and the UK which we hope will supplement the continued donations we receive
from our USA sponsors.
The Founders
After more than 10 years work founding, fund raising and managing MASICORP, John and Carol Thompson have ‘retired’ from active duty in SA. They continue to lead our fund-raising in USA and they remain Directors and a source of help and inspiration for us all.
They are two very remarkable and generous people. Through their work and leadership
with MASICORP, they have made a very positive difference to the lives of
many people in Masiphumelele.
They made their home and raised their family in America and so the following
quote, from another good person, are appropriate words to describe them both;
There is not a man of us who does not at times need
a helping hand to be stretched out to him, and then shame upon
him who will not stretch out the helping hand to his brother.
-Theodore Roosevelt