Zanokhanyo Children's Safety Home
Donation protected
Through my work I've met an impressive woman named Yondi who is a manager in our Cape Town, South Africa office. She's been keeping me up to date on her work with a local (Cape Town) home which houses and cares for orphaned children. It's a bare bones operation which is dependent on donations to feed & educate the children living there. She and a few others from our Cape Town office donate their time and resources to help keeping it going.
South Africa doesn't make it easy for people to easily contribute directly so I am raising funds through gofundme and will be bringing the contributions to Cape Town when I visit our office in early September. Every $ raised goes directly to the home to pay their expenses like; groceries $400 per month and electricity $170 per month.
Thanks for taking the time to review and and thanks in advance if you are able to contribute. It doesn't take much to make a huge difference.
Thanks,
Hans
You can see more about the home on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Zanokhanyo/ or see below for more details from Yondi.
Introduction and History
Zanokhanyo Children’s Safety Home is located in Makhasa, Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa. The home was started by Nolubabalo Ndita (Nolu) and her husband Christophe Ndita, who sadly passed away in November 2015. The home was founded in 2005 at another site in Khayelitsha when Nolu, an unemployed community worker, was troubled to see children living on the streets without food,
after their parents had abandoned them or died of HIV/AIDS. She opened her heart and took the children into her home and began looking after them. Everyday her life revolves around the children and taking care of them to the best of her ability. More children were brought to her house as a temporary place of refuge for a few days or few weeks and now there are 20 children living at the home.
Tragedy struck in October 2007 when the house caught on fire and four of the children lost their lives. Zanokhanyo lost everything but their spirit was not broken. It’s been a long and very challenging road for Nolu but she has succeeded in doing so much with so little. Nolu has some help from a dedicated community volunteer who helps her with her daily tasks e.g. getting the children up every morning,
getting them washed and dressed, assisting her with the housework, ironing and cooking. Neither Nolu nor the volunteers are paid anything for their hard work and do this out of their love for the children.
Living Space
Through donations received from the local community and from a travel agency in Kenilworth they rebuilt their little home where it now stands. In 2010 the home received a donation of two containers – the one was fitted out for a kitchen and the other one into a bedroom.
The Post Office paid for and completed a home extension which provided a much needed extra space for the children. The children sleep in three small bedrooms and they have two bathrooms. Up until the Post Office renovation, which was only completed beginning of October 2011, they were all sharing one toilet and a bath (no shower) but with the renovation they now have an additional toilet and a shower.
Education
All the children go to various schools in Khayelitsha, Athlone, Woodstock and Mitchells Plain. A private educational fund was set up where we fundraise from private donors annually to cover the costs of their school fees, uniforms and school shoes, stationery and transport. The private educational fund is now running out as we do not have a consistent amount coming in the account.
Health
The children are not seen regularly by a doctor and some of them are HIV positive. They are only seen when there is something wrong and then Nolu has to either go to the local day hospital or take them into Red Cross or Somerset Hospital where they often have to wait all day to be seen.
Summary
These children all have dreams and high hopes for the future despite the circumstances they have been born into. Their openness and love is shown as you come to visit, with friendly hugs and embraces. The children demonstrate to us that as human beings all we need is love and kindness in our hearts in this world. Their home houses very few comforts that we might take for granted yet that does not keep them from smiling each day and being playful in their daily chores. When our basic bill of rights for children state that “every child has the right to basic shelter, nutrition and children are not to be placed at risk of well-being, in physical or mental health or spiritual, moral or social development”, then Zanokhanyo needs us to fulfil this need to a far greater extent than it currently is, and with your help we can together!
South Africa doesn't make it easy for people to easily contribute directly so I am raising funds through gofundme and will be bringing the contributions to Cape Town when I visit our office in early September. Every $ raised goes directly to the home to pay their expenses like; groceries $400 per month and electricity $170 per month.
Thanks for taking the time to review and and thanks in advance if you are able to contribute. It doesn't take much to make a huge difference.
Thanks,
Hans
You can see more about the home on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Zanokhanyo/ or see below for more details from Yondi.
Introduction and History
Zanokhanyo Children’s Safety Home is located in Makhasa, Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa. The home was started by Nolubabalo Ndita (Nolu) and her husband Christophe Ndita, who sadly passed away in November 2015. The home was founded in 2005 at another site in Khayelitsha when Nolu, an unemployed community worker, was troubled to see children living on the streets without food,
after their parents had abandoned them or died of HIV/AIDS. She opened her heart and took the children into her home and began looking after them. Everyday her life revolves around the children and taking care of them to the best of her ability. More children were brought to her house as a temporary place of refuge for a few days or few weeks and now there are 20 children living at the home.
Tragedy struck in October 2007 when the house caught on fire and four of the children lost their lives. Zanokhanyo lost everything but their spirit was not broken. It’s been a long and very challenging road for Nolu but she has succeeded in doing so much with so little. Nolu has some help from a dedicated community volunteer who helps her with her daily tasks e.g. getting the children up every morning,
getting them washed and dressed, assisting her with the housework, ironing and cooking. Neither Nolu nor the volunteers are paid anything for their hard work and do this out of their love for the children.
Living Space
Through donations received from the local community and from a travel agency in Kenilworth they rebuilt their little home where it now stands. In 2010 the home received a donation of two containers – the one was fitted out for a kitchen and the other one into a bedroom.
The Post Office paid for and completed a home extension which provided a much needed extra space for the children. The children sleep in three small bedrooms and they have two bathrooms. Up until the Post Office renovation, which was only completed beginning of October 2011, they were all sharing one toilet and a bath (no shower) but with the renovation they now have an additional toilet and a shower.
Education
All the children go to various schools in Khayelitsha, Athlone, Woodstock and Mitchells Plain. A private educational fund was set up where we fundraise from private donors annually to cover the costs of their school fees, uniforms and school shoes, stationery and transport. The private educational fund is now running out as we do not have a consistent amount coming in the account.
Health
The children are not seen regularly by a doctor and some of them are HIV positive. They are only seen when there is something wrong and then Nolu has to either go to the local day hospital or take them into Red Cross or Somerset Hospital where they often have to wait all day to be seen.
Summary
These children all have dreams and high hopes for the future despite the circumstances they have been born into. Their openness and love is shown as you come to visit, with friendly hugs and embraces. The children demonstrate to us that as human beings all we need is love and kindness in our hearts in this world. Their home houses very few comforts that we might take for granted yet that does not keep them from smiling each day and being playful in their daily chores. When our basic bill of rights for children state that “every child has the right to basic shelter, nutrition and children are not to be placed at risk of well-being, in physical or mental health or spiritual, moral or social development”, then Zanokhanyo needs us to fulfil this need to a far greater extent than it currently is, and with your help we can together!
Organizer
Hans Dreyer
Organizer
Arlington, VA
