Project 03/2018 Completion of a Childrens Home Safe Haven of the organization Meals on Wheels in Struisbaai, Western Cape South Africa

Since some weeks we are in contact with the South African organization Meals on Wheels, (Bloemfontain) especially the Struisbaai Western Cape branch.

The Meals on Wheels organization cares for disadvantaged, underprivileged and handicapped children. These children without admission and support of the organization Meals on Wheels are looking into a future without perspectives.  

The organization helps with feeding programmes, intensive care by social help workers and in special cases they try to give them an accommodation for several weeks, months and sometimes for several years. In this home Safehaven they will be kept safe, because most of them suffered in violence in their destroyed families. 

Such a new home is just under construction in Struisbaai by the Western Cape branch of Meals on Wheels but the house cannot be finished due to unavailable funds. Our foundation was contacted by Seloma Gouws, Branch Manager of Struisbaai Meals on Wheels organization. She asked us of urgent help and she has given us the following report (Photos by Meals on Wheels Community Services, Struisbaai, S.A., with the friendly consent of the attendees and the organization for usage)

Struisbaai is a holiday town. It used to be a fishers community, but over the last thirty years things have changed drastically. The properties were sold, holiday homes were built and the fisher community lost much of their income due to being removed and replaced and also because the fish became less and less. We do not have factories or big businesses, the main income is during December and July. The Local Municipality tries to provide 3 month projects that give the locals that are on a list opportunities to work for three months at a time.

Domestic workers are happy when it is the holiday seasons because during December and July the little town starts to live, holiday homes are opened and our local shops then have a moment of money coming into our town. l also have to confirm that the people that are suffering is the elderly, the single parents and children.  Our economy as you know is not doing well. The local Municipality projects bring relief but it is not sufficient. And then there is also those who do not want to work, do not take responsibility of their children, and many times the grandparents have to take them in and support them with a small pension of R1500 per month. Then we have people coming from other countries, the drug and alcohol abuse is growing and with it young girls that are still kids become mothers themselves.

We therefore have made it our vision and mission to establish a branch here and to do our best to address the needs where and when possible.(we have our own veggie    garden,) but we have to use municipality water, and because of our climate and the sea sand, it is quite challenging.

We are totally dependent on donations and are doing our best to market our service. Because this area is not suitable for vegetables, we have to drive far to visit farmers and to ask them for vegetable and fruit donations.

- We provide meals and serve between 8000-10000 portions per month

- These meals are made available to everybody in need. However our main focus is on children

- We serve light meals at our local clinic for people that are sick

- We serve three times per week meals at the local School in Struisbaai North. (Estimate of 350 children)

- We also provide meals to elderly underprivileged people 

At this moment we have 7 service points where people in that community can go (we serve there thick soup and bread for 200 people 2-3 times per week).

We also support a local youth club that try to take the children out of the streets. We provide meals to 25 white people three times per week. All the other meals are going to black and coloured people. We also hand out clothes, and food parcels when we have.

Our branch have expanded our service by helping the court and social workers with children that have to be removed from their homes and they have to be protected until the circumstances have been investigated and the best are then done for that child.

The time period given to the social workers is between 3-6 weeks. Then they work with the families and try to solve the problem. We opened our doors in 2008 and have supported over 90 children.

My husband and l have also fostered some of these children at our home because they could not return to their homes after the 3-6 month safety period that we helped them.

During this time of safety, we keep them safe, provide meals and clothes, and support. Make sure that they go back to school. And we have volunteers that help them with their schoolwork and once a week we have somebody that teach them arts and crafts, or just have fun with them at the sea.

At this moment we have 7 children (one is staying at our home) They are 2 Xhosa children and 5 coloured children. We are expanding our service by building a home where we can accommodate long term children under our care. we have at our home a Xhosa girl that came to us when she was 6, she is now 13years old. 

The Centre does not belong to us. The buildings belong to Mr Reed, and in kindness he has given us the use of this building. We have renovated it in such a way that we have our MOW Centre where we do our cooking and then the other part is the home for kids.

The challenge that we have that as Lele(who is with us) some can not go home, and we therefore started to build a home. This house will have a foster mom and dad, and they will take care of the kids. Every two years we have to go to court, and we have seen that some children have to stay for a year, two years and like Lele, longer.

We need to finish the building. This will enable us to expand our service for the children that have to be kept safe, will still be accommodated in the centre. And then the ones that have to stay longer will go into a home that will be like a normal home. (not a orphanage or hostel)

We are prayerfully in need of people that will adopt this children project. First to finish the home, and then to assist us with the monthly expenses. We have so many little girls that the worst have happened to them, and even the boys, their childhood have been robbed from them, we are able to climb on their lives wagon, to give kindness, love, teach them about Christ and help them to develop skills and also teach them to know that they are special, and that there are people who care.

The house is now roof high, they are busy with the roof, and windows. We are now stopping because we do not have more funds. The ceilings need to be done and then we can start with the plumbing. At present we have outstanding depts. of appr. 300.000,- R (ca. 18.000,- €). Any contribution will help us to finish the building and to start with the interior fitting. 

We want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to write this letter to you. We do not know what the outcome will be, but we know that this project can not stop, in South Africa we have so many children that are alcohol syndrome children, abused children and it saddens me. All children belongs to God and we can not walk away from this.

If you need any other information please be so kind to contact me. Please keep us in your prayers and in your hearts, and if God has given you the burden to take us under your wings, l will never be able to say thank you enough because you will be investing in the life of a child, giving hope and help".  

Greetings

Seloma Gouws

Branch Manager.

Last information: Our foundation by 2 contributions in an total amount of 6,000 Euro (1x in February 2018 and 1x in June 2018) could suppot the finishing of the new childrens home "safe haven" in Struisbaai (see our news messages dated 16.02.2018 and 09.06.2018)

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