Happy New Year! May 2021 be a blessed and better year for us all.
Without a doubt 2020 was a difficult and challenging year. We embraced the 1st of January 2020 with happiness and optimism for the year ahead. None of us could have anticipated the year that it turned out to be. We are eternally grateful and blessed that our Heavenly Father kept us safe in His arms and saw us through.
Before we officially turn the page on 2020, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that stepped forward and helped us at a time when it was most difficult to do so. Your commitment and support gave us courage, and hope for the future.
To all those individuals who continued to give whatever they could afford every month, despite the challenges, thank you.
To all those corporates that gave even though their CSI budgets were compromised, thank you.
To all the social upliftment clubs, churches and other religious groups that gave when they didn’t have much for their own needs, thank you.
To all those Trust and Foundations that relaxed their strict funding criteria to assist with the impact of Covid-19, thank you.
To all those who donated PPE’s and non-perishable food items to ensure that our children and staff were safe and fed during lockdown, thank you.
I can’t begin to express how grateful we are for the meaningful donor relations we’ve developed over the years. Amid the unprecedented challenges caused by Covid-19, we saw the value of those wonderful partnerships. You have undoubtedly been our heroes! Every contribution received, big or small, made a significant difference. “Thank you” are two of the simplest words. But they carry an immense amount of gratitude and love for all that you have done for us.
As we embark on this new year, we remain committed to our mission and purpose, to serve and protect the vulnerable children and youth who have been placed in our care. We set our sights on driving positive change for these little ones.
During 2021, we will continue to work towards our goal: To promote a sense of physical and emotional well-being, through a safe and therapeutic environment, for children who are at risk because of neglect, abuse and orphan-hood.
I echo the sentiments of Thokozani Radebe, our President, who wrote in an extract from her report in our Audited Financial Statements, “I am confident that we will face this year with the same fortitude and faith that has become an integral part of the fibre that has sustained this organisation over the past 115 years”.