NUTRITIOUS BOOST FOR ITEMBA LABASHA CHILDREN
World Health Day fell on April 7 this year, with activations taking place around the world – all focused on a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Closer to home, the children at the Ithemba Labasha Community Centre in Shakas Head were given a warm, welcoming nutritious boost with a huge pot of soup from Hirsch Ballito PRO Danielle Dalton, and large supply of healthy vegetables and general groceries from
Tamsyn Ferreira, CEO of Alifurn (Brooklands Business Park) who has committed to help the children on a regular basis.
Ithemba Labasha (Hope for our children) needs as much help as it can get. It is a non profit organisation that runs a full day care facility for 45 toddlers who get fed breakfast and lunch daily.
In the afternoons after school, a further 100 children come to the Centre for a hot cooked meal daily, Monday to Friday. In total 145 children are fed daily. For the majority of the children, this is their only meal of the day. The centre does not receive any government funding at all.
It is through the amazing kindness of project leaders, Debbie Joubert, Elna Rootman, Gladness Banza, and their able assitants, Felicia Zamile, Doreen Yengwa and Sylvia Gwayi, that the project runs at all. They work on a voluntary basis – some receiving a minute stipend, and would welcome any support from the public, with the children, or with donations of any sort. There is, for instance, a shortage of cot mattresses and sponges for the children to sleep on during break time. Regular supplies of good nutritious food is also high on the priority list, as these children are in their formative years and their little bodies and brains can’t develop to their full potential if they are undernourished.
If you can help in any way, contact Debbie on debbiej2@telkomsa.net or Elna on elna.rootman@gmail.com. Visit the Ithemba Labasha Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/ithembalabasha.
www.hirschs.co.za