In 2014, the R16,500 raised went to building much needed toilets for Mom Batha's daycare centre.
Before this, the children had to use buckets placed in the corner of the room.
Mom Batha is an elderly lady based in Dube, Soweto. She runs the Siyathuthuka centre from two rooms in a recreation centre which is part of an old hostel. She receives a disability grant of roughly R 1,400 per month. With this money, she feeds 96 orphans (not including herself and any staff she has helping her).
The one room is used as a "Kitchen" to cook food
and doubles up as the "Bathroom"for the kids. The
"Bathroom" consists of a bucket in the corner of the room (half
filled with water) which is used as a toilet. The other room is used as a crèche
for the children.
It goes without saying that R 1,400 does not feed 96 growing children a month.
Out of that money mom Batha has to buy nappies, toilet paper, groceries and
utensils. She cooks on a one plate mini stove top, which looks like it might
stop working any day now. It is not nearly adequate enough. There are many days
where mom Batha hides in her house as she doesn't have money for food and she
can't face the kids. They have nowhere else to go. These orphans have no family
and depend on mom Batha for what little food they can get.
There were roughly 15 children between the ages of 1 and 6
at the creche during the day while the other children are at school. The older
siblings drop their younger brother/sister off in the morning, where all 96
children get breakfast (which is always mealie meal) and then the older
siblings go off to school. In some cases a 7 year old child is the head of the
household, looking after their 3 year old brother or sister. After school the
siblings come back to fetch their brother/sister and everyone gets lunch. After
that everyone goes home. There is no food at home for these children. They go
to bed hungry almost every night of their lives.
After chatting to mom Batha and having a look around, we have come up with a
list of what she needs:
- Food - mealie meal, beans, vegetables, long life milk, oil, non perishable items, tinned foods, pilchards etc.
- Tin opener
- A two plate mini stove
- Pots, pans.
- Toiletries - toilet paper, vaseline, toothpaste, toothbrushes, face cloths, shampoo, soap etc.
- Blankets, pillows, mattresses, towels.
- A lock up cabinet/cupboard
- Toys
- Clothes
- Educational books, charts, stationery, basically everything that a crèche needs.
- Plastic cups, plates, cutlery, water jugs, plastic containers (Ice cream containers are a good idea). We need containers so that the children can take food home for dinner.
- A portable toilet.
- They have an outside tap from which they get water, but it needs to be fixed.
- Glass - the rooms have numerous broken windows and it was quite chilly in there, it must be freezing in winter.
- Heaters, multiplugs, extension cords.
- Carpets
- Nappies for the little ones.
- Zulu Bibles and kids Bibles
