The Department of African Language’s Toy Drive initiative, which took place late 2012, was part of the Unisa Window Project, put a lot of smiles on children’s faces during the festive season.
Prof Sekepe Matjila, Muofhe Ravhura and Aletta Harcombe, all from the Department of African Languages, took time out of their busy schedules to visit the burnt unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on 18 December 2012. They donated boxes of toys to brighten the children’s stay in hospital. Due to the nature and sensitivity of the unit no cameras were allowed into the hospital, however Unisa Radio’s journalist Jennifer Mulder was able to interview the nurses, click here to listen
“We heard about the Baragwanath Paediatric Burns Unit and their need for help and immediately signed up. Considering the fact that most of the donated funds would go directly towards much needed necessities for the unit, such as burn dressings, new equipment and added staff, the idea came about to donate non-essential items that could brighten the lives of these unfortunate young victims. Donating toys to the unit stands out as one of the highlights of 2012. It was a slightly emotional occasion, meeting the staff and patients of the unit, especially the young children who have been affected by fire-related accidents at home. It was a pleasant experience to see how well-organised the unit is, in spite of the challenges it faces on a daily basis. The friendly and kind nurses and doctors serve as angels in the lives of these children,” said Harcombe. Listen to how the idea came up
Nurses were grateful for the gifts and Dr Faye Morar greatly appreciated the Unisa staff members’ visit. “We are truly delighted to have you here, and are grateful for the presents. This will really put a smile on the children’s faces,” said Dr Morar.
Nurse Asnath Churu explained that nurses need support from the community in order to fulfil their function effectively and efficiently. “Working here, one becomes very emotional because these kids do not have control over themselves as a result of their injuries and this badly affects them. Nurses need so much support from the community as this affects us as well and not just the kids. The community must really appreciate what we do,” said Churu.
Prof Matjila, Manager of Unisa’s Centre for Pan African Languages and Cultural Development, emphasised the importance of taking part in such initiatives and giving back to the community. “The Unisa Window is a strategic project of the College of Human Sciences, and our aim is to run a number of similar initiatives during 2013. Although we would gladly support the burns unit again in 2013, the project team feels that we should identify different charities for each project so that our positive impact on society can be more wide-spread. Because this project is a collaboration between the CHS and a number of different academic departments, we are open to any suggestions. We encourage staff to identify charities which could benefit from our involvement and to support future initiatives run by the Unisa Window Project, and community outreach and engagement projects in general, which aim to better the lives of disadvantaged individuals and communities,” said Prof Matjila.
It is projects such as these which truly demonstrate Unisa’s vision of being the African university in the service of humanity.
By Mercy Bvuma
