For this year’s Heritage Day celebration on 24 September, we chose the theme “AZIBUYELE EMASISWENI” (Going Back to our Roots). This gave everyone the chance to celebrate their culture.
Our children and youth were encouraged to wear traditional dress, and each unit offered a number of different activities. There was Iscathamiya, Indlamu, Zulu dances, poems, Tswana dances, and more. We never cease to be amazed at how talented our young people are. It was a joy to watch them put their circumstances behind them and enter wholly into the spirit of the celebrations.
We were delighted to have visitors from Boys and Girls Town share the day with us, and to have a wonderful guest speaker, Sanele Khoza, from the Arts and Craft filming industry.
The day ended with a variety of cultural meals sponsored by a generous donor. A special thank you goes out to all those who helped make this day so special.
The hijacking and theft of our ‘new’ school bus was traumatic on so many levels. Children and staff affected by the terrifying ordeal were supported by our child care team, led by experienced social workers. But management was left at a loss of how to move on from this blow to our operation.
Thankfully, Dr Baker and the Orphans Endowment Fund came to our rescue with a generous donation. This allowed us to make alternate arrangements to transport 30 of our children to and from school every day.
But we have still to decide on the best way forward, in terms of replacing the vehicle. Crime is on the rise at the moment, and school buses are seen as ‘soft’ targets by callous criminals who feel no guilt or shame in frightening children or robbing welfare organisations working for the good of the community.
A huge thank you to the Hollywood Foundation for coming to the rescue when our washing machines gave in.
As you can imagine, it’s not easy coping with the piles of laundry generated by 74 active boys and girls in our care. Our washing machine runs virtually non-stop every day! So when it broke down, we were devastated.
We are so grateful to the Hollywood Foundation for the wonderful donation of a brand new LG Commercial Washer. It has literally lightened our load! Thank you.
We are so lucky to be part of Food Lover’s Market Feed Mzansi initiative. Food Lover’s joined forces with popular chefs, embarking on a charitable road trip around the country, providing nutritious meals to less privileged children.
Private chef, Linda Mnikathi, arrived at our home to cook an absolute classic one-pot wonder … a delicious vegetable stir-fry that got the tick of approval from our 74 boys and girls.
“The reason I chose a vegetable stir-fry is because vegetables contain so many nutrients that the kids need,” chef Linda explained. “I served fruit as a dessert for them as well,” he added.
The children were up for seconds and even thirds of the vitamin C packed fruit.
Please watch the video of Chef Linda cooking for our Home and ‘like’ the green heart icon below it. By doing so, you stand to win a Food Lover’s Market voucher to the value of R2 000. At the end of the series, the chef with the most votes will receive R25 000 to donate to their featured child and youth care centre. With your help, that could be us!
Educators and learners from Carrington Primary School with their amazing donation of clothing for our children.
Imagine our surprise when the principal of Carrington Primary School, Mrs Kunene, visited our child care centre on Friday 16 September to hand over a substantial donation of clothing for our children.
She brought with her three of the school’s educators and three learners, who were among the many who collected the clothing as their Mandela Day initiative. We were not only impressed by the generosity of the staff and children, but also knocked out by the way the school provided the opportunity and encouraged everyone to show their caring concern for children who are less fortunate. Sincere thanks to all concerned.
At a time when the cost of living has risen steeply, and many people are struggling to make ends meet, we are so grateful for the ongoing, generous support of our local community and friends.
On Saturday 18 June, we welcomed some very special visitors to our Home from the non-profit group, Angel Paws. Two therapy dogs and their handlers spent the morning interacting with our little ones. There was great excitement as the children enjoyed petting and playing with these new furry friends.
Many of our children have had little contact with animals, and some are afraid of dogs. So this was a wonderful opportunity for them to play with well trained, friendly animals.
Pet therapy is scientifically proven to stimulate the release of ‘feel good’ chemicals – improving our mood. On top of this, the children learned about dog behaviour, how to read an animal’s body language, and what to do if an unfriendly dog approaches them.
Thanks so much to Pam Dimond, president of Angel Paws, and therapy dogs, Frankie and Edgar Allen, for an entertaining and enjoyable visit.
