Under the guidance of Helen Fraser, the Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation paid a visit to 7 children’s homes and charities on the 19^th May.

The volunteers were greeted with smiles, hugs and singing from the over 100 children that the NCCF has pledged to assist. However, these joyous welcomes were tempered by the knowledge that many of these children come from backgrounds marred by harrowing tales of abuse, abandonment and neglect.

The Cradle of Hope was the first stop, where volunteers house up to 15 orphaned children at the facility, but feed 476 daily through their outreach programme at other facilities across the country. The NCCF will be doing a grocery, toiletry and educational equipment shop for them in July.

The Baby Moses Sanctuary  is a newly renovated farm house and was the second stop for volunteers who found that there was much work still to be done on this large property. Baby Moses provides much needed physical and emotional care to all of its 75 resident children- all of whom are victims of sexual abuse, making the completion of their unfinished therapy centre a major priority for the NCCF’s builder. The home also needs bunk beds, which the NCCF will provide, along with groceries, toiletries, educational equipment.

At Pelonomi Creche, the volunteers met with 105 children between the ages of 1 and 7. Under the loving care of Prudence and her team, HIV/AIDS affected and infected children, orphans and disabled children are ensured that their educational, nutritional and social needs will be met through the day care provided. The NCCF will be assisting the crèche with a grocery and educational equipment shop in August and will also offer them on-going support.

The NCCF has been purchasing groceries for the Phutanang children for the last 2 years, but with 50 children in Joyce’s care, their needs are growing. Their “cooking room”, as they call it, is a badly leaking, ill-equipped semblance of a kitchen and, as such, the NCCF builder will soon quote on the necessary repairs. The next grocery shop for Phutanang will be in July, when the NCCF will also help to better equip the newly-renovated kitchen.

Caroline’s Care Safe House and Creche is a children’s paradise with a front garden filled with playground equipment. Caroline’s houses 15 resident children and the crèche caters for 98 in total. She is desperately in need of tracksuits, takkies, socks and vests for children aged 3 – 14, which the NCCF will provide. She also needs mattresses, blankets and, of course, groceries and educational equipment, which will be purchased in August. The NCCF hopes to be able to offer at least quarterly support to this facility, something a very emotional Caroline responded to with hugs for all volunteers when they left.

At Badanisile, 45 children welcomed the volunteers with song and dance. The home is still is desperate need of extensive renovations, but due to Ekhuruleni municipal constraints, the NCCF has still not been able to assist them. While the NCCF continues to seek clearance for the renovations, the Badanisile home will receive groceries and educational equipment in June, as well as a few kitchen appliances, bath towels and such.

On the NCCF’s previous visit to Simamisa, the volunteers walked into a cluster of brightly painted zinc huts. Today, the huts are gone and a proper, tiled home with electricity and running water stands in their place. Unfortunately, the company that built the home didn’t furnish it with furniture, crockery, cutlery, etc.

The NCCF will now send our builder to quote on equipping the kitchen and fitting cupboards in the bedrooms. The NCCF will also purchase the home 10 bunk beds, as well as a fridge, a microwave and other basic appliances during their grocery shop in July. At present there are 15 resident children at Simamisa and 35 in total who enjoy the day care facilities.

The NCCF’s next charity visit is on the 9^th June.

If you would like to contribute to the Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation or any of the homes that they provide assistance to, please call 011 232 8000, or visit www.nccf.co.za for  more details.