SBL staff visited the Ikageng Creche in Ivory Park on Mandela Day to give out gift packs and t-shirts and spend time with the children.
“Most of these children come from very poor households and are in need of community support for a better life” says Mrs Elizabeth Mjadibodu, principal of the Ikangeng Crèche located in Ivory Park. As part of the 67 minutes of giving back to the community initiative, SBL staff donated food, toys and clothes to the crèche and spent a few hours at the facility to meet the children and participate in some of their activities.
The crèche is attended by 85 children with ages ranging from 3 to 7 years. The children get 2 meals per day and also have snacks at 10:00 and 15:00. Says Mr Richard Moutshekwane, acting Chairperson of the Midrand Child Welfare Organisation: “Although state funding is available, we have embarked on various projects to assist in making life easier for our children and the community in our area.” A vegetable garden was planted to provide the school with fresh vegetables. The organisation has also erected a mini-fruit juice plant on the premises, but the project is not fully functional due to the fact that some equipment still needs to be acquired.
Upon arrival the 20 SBL representatives were entertained by the children. They sang various songs about their love for Mr Nelson Mandela and wishing him a happy birthday. One student also recited a poem about the impact that Madiba had on them and the future of our country. Each child received a SBL t-shirt and a gift pack, over and above the boxes of food supplies, clothes and toys that were donated by SBL staff members.
The social worker of the school, Mr Hendrik Venter reiterated that the school is also in dire need of educational material. None of the classrooms have black boards and educational posters and other material cannot be afforded due to the high cost of the commodities. Mr Venter also mentioned that the principals and teachers of various crèches in the Ivory Park area were in need of training focussing on leadership and managerial skills as well as early childhood development.
The SBL envisages becoming a more prominent role player in projects like the Ikageng Crèche in order to establish a more sustainable impact on the communities in need in the Midrand area.
