Emigration help for my family

I live in beautiful, scenic Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa with my husband and 2 kids aged 5 and 10. We enjoy(ed) living here as we have the best of both worlds with the most amazing mountain views as well as living close to the sea. Most days you can hear the waves breaking and the seagulls. The view we have every morning driving the kids to school is absolutely breath taking. We really love(d) this place we call home. My husband loves fishing and we use to take the kids down to the beach all the time. We could visit playparks, visit friends and drive back at night, go to the shops safely and go for a walk in the neighbourhood. We could leave our windows open and if you get stuck along the road there was always help. We enjoyed lots of meals in restaurants and just like tourists we also liked to explore our town.

Then everything changed . . . . . It didn't happen overnight although it feels like it. The one day we were fine and now we are not but in actual fact the deterioration started many years ago. In the beginning things went downhill very slowly so slowly that you would hardly notice. You heard about a rape here and a murder there and a break-in now and again. Unfortunately, in the last couple of years things became more noticeable a little faster. More murders especially farmers, hijackings, rape (South Africa rape capital of the world). Eventually crime has become so rife that half of it doesn't even make the newspaper or tv anymore. In South Africa it is just as normal as going to work. Suddenly, we can't go to the beach anymore as thugs are hiding in the dunes waiting on their prey. We can't drive at night because of gang violence and hijackings. We can no longer leave our windows open and if you get stuck along the road you are screwed. Many people have been murdered like this. In one case a guy was changing his flat tyre and was killed. Fishing is no longer possible unless you go in a big group. I have a fear of going to the shop and mall as you never know when there will be an armed robbery. There is no more walking in the neighbourhood or taking the kids to the park. Suddenly you must look over your shoulder all the time.

All of a sudden, your life is worth nothing. People get killed for a cell phone. Houses get burgled and they do not just take the earthly possessions any more they also kill the people or torture them burning them with irons etc. An acquaintance was held at gunpoint on the train for a cell phone and to steal $2 from her purse. Innocent people are thrown off moving trains. Cars get broken into because maybe they find something valuable. We are no longer safe anywhere - not in your house, not at work, not in the shops and not in public. I stay in a gated community with an electric fence and 24h security guards. All of this means absolutely nothing as neighbours have had break-ins. We have burglar bars and gates, yet we still don't feel safe.

This year has been very tough with first a water shortage as our government didn't make provision for the constant growing population. We have lots of people coming to South Africa from other African countries hoping that this will be the land of milk and honey. There is not enough work for everyone and the police is outnumbered by the population. Drugs causes havoc and the courts are far behind and the prisons are all over capacity. Secondly, we stay about a mile away from a community that causes unrest every couple of weeks. They burn tires, throw petrol bombs, loot stores and block road hereby putting our lives in further danger. This has become a place where we as parents no longer want to bring up our kids. Our kids don't know what it is to play outside (in our gated community) unsupervised. We don't go on educational outings for the fear of something happening either on our way there or while we are there. We need to feel free again. We need our kids to be free. Just to build sandcastles, ride their bicycles visiting friends etc. We need to just feel normal again and safe. Sleeping for one night without waking up constantly because you think you heard something. I feel depressed because of our situation and not having the funds to get us out of this. My whole family will benefit from this as my kids could go back to being kids again. We as parents could live without stress and fear and contribute to a new country. We have many working years ahead of us. My husband is in demand in a few countries due to the trade (electrician) he has.

We need funds for:
Sending away my husband's qualification for accreditation and a license which alone is already over a $1000
IELTS Tests
Medicals
Flights
Accommodation
Visa's
Taking bare basics and sentimental belongings with
Hopefully relocating our dog as well

I will be forever grateful to anyone that supports my campaign. I know there is a lot of other people that need help that is worthier than helping my family but to me this is very important to secure our future. I don't want my family to become part of the statistics and I will never forgive myself if I didn't try this to see if it could help us to move to a safer place and better future.

I am very involved with community projects and giving back. I have decided that if we achieve this that I will pay it forward. I will help another family with a financial contribution and to set up a campaign. I would like to see that we help as many other South Africans as possible. The next family must pay it forward again to a next family etc.

Thank you so much for reading and your contribution. You are making my family's dream come true!!