To mark Nelson Mandela International Day, a day widely celebrated across South Africa, The Star and Saturday Star led a donation drive of warm Aranda blankets at Oasis Haven children’s home in Randburg, spreading love, care and support to those in need.
Through the generosity of the larger community, which has also contributed to the children’s home’s continued existence, the establishment, which began as a children’s facility in 2002, has been a beacon of hope for many children.
The home’s fundraising manager, Qondani Tshuma, expressed his appreciation for the blankets at the handover, saying that it gives one hope to know that there are still individuals out there who are prepared to lend a hand.
“For us aside from it being winter and ensuring that the children can be warm throughout this period, more importantly, it just shows that we still have good faith within the community and that we are able to galvanise people to come and assist us in times of need. So it’s a show of good faith, and it also encourages us to also continue the work that we are doing because we know that we are not alone,” he said.
In addition to believing in what they do, Tshuma, who has worked at the home for almost 10 years and is passionate about community participation, adds that working there allows him to personally witness how crucial it is for them as a larger community to keep supporting those who are less fortunate.
“So my mother works for the United Nations, and while I was in university, I did a lot of community engagement. When I finished, I felt the need to impact the world in a positive way and to use these little skills I have to try and do that. So for me, the reason that I worked for nine years now and I continue to work here, aside from believing in what they do, I get to see first-hand how important it is for us as a wider community to continue to invest in those who are less fortunate. Children’s lives have been changed here, and the same can go for an old age home, a shelter for abused women; people’s lives have been changed, and I think that gets lost in translation, even on social media.
“We believe that it takes a community to raise a child, and I am doing my part, as is every other employee here. And the idea is to serve the children.”
Asked about some of their highlights with the children, he said: “A few years ago we had one of our children who was the first to matriculate, who was also then able to go into university, so it was a great moment because she was part of the children that came initially, and it was just proof of that what we are trying to do, which is developing upstanding members of society, is actually working. So she proved to us that the concept works, and that was definitely a highlight.
”Another highlight was purchasing our two homes, which is very important because paying rent is not sustainable. But luckily, through the generosity of the community, we were able to raise funds and actually purchase both homes.
“Challenges include receiving money late from the Department of Social Development, especially this year. I know there’s many other organisations, but I might as well use this moment to highlight the issue and that it really impacted cash flow and affected the employees. Either way, we have been blessed to remain open, many children’s homes having been closing, especially again this year. So the fact that we are still here is a testament to people’s generosity, and we are grateful.”
The Star