Preparing To Defeat The Giants

Cervantes’ delusional hero, Don Quixote, tilts at windmills believing they are giants. The Spanish writer may have penned his novel as a satire but was quite correct when he wrote: “Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory”. ‘Preparedness’ has become a buzzword among NPO’s and other organisations in the wake of emergencies in South Africa over the past few years, and, unlike Cervantes chivalrous fool’s imaginings, the looming giants are real and battle must be prepared for.

The second of three gatherings of faith-based NPOs was held at Anthem Church, Durban North, in the first week of November. The first took place in Pretoria in September and the third will be held in Jeffries Bay on 4 February 2023. The broad theme of each two-day conference is The Church Responding to Disasters. The aim of all three is to build relationships and networks in advance of future contingencies, the mapping of the strengths each organisation brings to the collective, understanding what has been learnt over the past three years, exploring the engagement of local congregations in the mitigation and response phases in times of emergency, and how to more effectively work together in the future.

One of the Durban conference facilitators, Ian Booth of Diakonia Council of Churches, said: “We have had very real on-the-ground experience of collaboration in this province. One example is KZN Response, a loose association of five NPOs (The Domino Foundation: CityHope Disaster: Zoë-Life; the South African Red Cross in KZN and the KZN Christian Council) which have pooled their unique areas of competence in times of disaster for a number of years. We have seen how much more effective we can be when we work to each organisation’s strengths. This conference, which was focused on our Metro, looked at how to build on existing collaborations, and at strengthening, broadening and deepening them.”

For about four years, church networks around South Africa have been looking at ways to collaborate better. Taking the lead from the Respond Network in the Western Cape, which has been in existence for 12 years, city-level disaster response coalitions of Church and Christian NPOs are emerging. These bottom-up coalitions give exciting possibilities for national alignment and partnerships to emerge.

Jacques Harley, Logistics Coordinator at one of the Western Cape organisations, Heal Our Land, emphasised that the vision is, not only to be better prepared for inevitable disaster situations through forward planning and strategic cooperation, but also to work towards building ‘resilient communities’ where vulnerable people so often affected by catastrophes move significantly from being ‘victims’ to being able to respond proactively, together with outside bodies, to their own needs.

Cathy Whittle, leader of The Domino Foundation’s Disaster Relief Unit, summed up her take-away from the two days: “The question of ‘what is in your hand?’ underlay much of the discussion. The circle got wider as more people realised that they are not alone when disaster strikes, that local communities have a lot they can do to assist neighbours well before outside agencies arrive.” She spoke of the extensive Whatsapp group which has been established for quick communication, and about all participant groups having been mapped so that, instead of a lot of travelling being necessary to assess the extent of a disaster, the ball is now in local communities’ court. “Equipping and upskilling churches and local communities will be key as we ask who has vital local data? Historically, information and directives have cascaded downwards. We are now working on a bottom-up approach with local government, councilors and leaders in the communities to ensure those communities are more resilient and can take crucial action as soon as disaster hits”.

Pastor and conference participant, Sibusiso Mtakati, pastor with the Northern eThekwini Cluster of Churches, said of the two days: “We were so impressed by the selflessness of those sharing about the work that has already been done in disaster situations. We understood that they were people just like us who have deep concern for others. Together we can beat the giants!”

For details on the Jeffries Bay conference, Jacques can be contacted on jacques@unashamedlyethical.com or 021 836 4270 and Sarah on s.montgomery365@outlook.com or 0671831631 for more information on disaster preparedness in KZN.

#disasterrelief #strongertogether

Cathy Whittle, Lead of The Domino Foundation’s Disaster Relief Unit

Power-packed peanuts for champions!

Grunts of exertion echo around the gym as Sicelo Miya, youth worker with The Domino Foundation’s Life Skills programme, puts in a sweaty session to keep in peak physical condition.

He is giving a different spin to the traditional pushup as he works out on 1kg tubs filled with peanut butter. With great ease and a sweaty grin, he explains: “We are mission to appeal for peanut butter for The Domino Foundation’s Nutrition programme. As a sportsman, I know the incredible benefits of a peanut butter sarmie after a workout session , how it provides the energy my muscles need and how it adds a good dose of protein which reduces cravings for less healthy alternatives after workouts. So, I am challenging sports teams and physical health enthusiasts to join me in donating big tubs of peanut butter to Domino.” Leader of the Nutrition programme, Cathy Whittle, says, “Scelo is health champion and hit the health nail on the head. Peanut butter is great for building stamina. We are committed to to providing protein-rich food to the learners on our programme during their school day, not only for their physical development and heart health, but also because it helps develop their brains. That’s why we call it ‘food for thought’.”

The Nutrition programme provides learners with almost 10 000 sandwiches a term…and that means it uses a lot of peanut butter! Olympic diver, Greg Louganis, declared: ”To me, peanut butter is the breakfast of champions!” Sicelo raised the bell bar to every active person and sports team in Durban North to be part of the drive, please donate and then challenge the next school, team or sports club “Together, we can nourish these young learners become champions in the classroom and on the sports field.”

Cathy can be contacted at 031 563 9605 or nutrition@domino.org.za

Scelo workout

Caption: Life Skills youth worker with The Domino Foundation, Scelo Miya, challenges fellow athletes to join the drive to collect peanut butter for the foundation’s Nutrition programme.

#peanut power #foodforthought

Door to freedom is a partnership

“With its heart to “set the captives free”, Red Light has needed a physical safe space in which the survivors of human-trafficking can be debriefed and learn to step into spiritual, psychological and physical wholeness. Domino’s joint vision with Joyce Meyers Ministries for a shelter for survivors of the sex trade in Durban has taken on reality with the lease on safe, secure premises having been signed. The shelter then needed to be furnished and Red Light saw great favour with several suppliers either donating items free of charge or giving significant discounts. An acting Safe House manager and two assistant house-mothers have been appointed and the shelter is set to be a place of healing and nurturing where women who have been rescued from the sex trade can learn living to live with dignity, love, freedom and purpose.”

Making a difference … being the difference

“Teach us, good Lord…to give and not to count the cost,”…part of Spanish theologian Ignatius of Loyola’s well-known prayer sums up the true heart of what it means to be a volunteer. In a nutshell, a volunteer is someone who is willing to give their time or their talent for the benefit of others, with no thought of personal gain or pay-back. There are others not in a position to do either of these and so dig into their ‘treasure’ to be a vital part in the relieving of the suffering of others.

The spirit of volunteering has been on jaw-dropping display over the past few months as literally thousands have flocked to lend a proverbial hand to lighten the plight of those whose lives were devastatingly interrupted by April’s flooding.

One of the many established disaster relief collaborations, the KZN Response Unit, (a partnership of NPOs: The Domino Foundation, Zoe Life, City Hope Disaster, The South African Red Cross and The KZN Christian Council) once again rallied to alleviate the dire consequences of the calamity. The partnership operated like a well-oiled machine, having together adapted and navigated the Covid-19 pandemic, the destruction caused by the July 2021 KZN civil unrest, as well as many other disasters – shack fires, xenophobic unrest, tornados and other natural and man-made crises. Its impact on all of these has been significant. However, it was the willingness of volunteers to roll up their which ensured that much of the help and relief aid was able to reach those most desperately needing it.

The statistics of what was donated, packed and distributed in the weeks after the deluge tore through communities, were staggering. Esther Madikane, The Domino Foundation’s Volunteer Manager, listed 6,135 food and hygiene parcels, 184 tonnes of food aid, 40,385 litres of drinking water, 212 bags of clothing, a tower of 2,633 blankets and an even bigger mountain of 2,326 mattresses. “But,” she adamantly said, “we would never have coped with moving it all out of the various national superlinks and partnering vehicles, with manoeuvring forklifts to shift laden pallets, packing dried foodstuffs into relief hampers, without the small armies of volunteers who appeared every day to serve at the Domino offices in Durban North and Amazimtoti.”

Esther shared countless stories of homegroups from churches who came in to serve, corporate businesses rallying together as community outreach activations, staff who took leave to lend a hand, many young and energetic school learners who took the opportunity to put tangible meaning to their community service hours, and the elderly folk who abandoned their morning tea times for the hive of humanity working to bring aid to those in need. “We were seeing between 12 and 30 volunteers every day receiving donations and sending them out within the day.”

It is really a double win when a volunteer responds to the call to serve in an emergency, and then signs up to be committed for the long haul. All of the partnering NPOs in the KZN Response Unit have opportunities for volunteers to get involved in their ongoing community work. Built on what we read in Matthew’s gospel that we will always have the poor, needy and destitute with us, Domino’s programmes provide many opportunities for people wanting to give of their valuable time. The Babies’ Home welcomes volunteers who like to get down to the little people’s levels to play, sing and read stories – all vital input into the formative first 1,000 days of a vulnerable child’s life, many of whom have been abandoned and who crave gentle loving one-on-one attention. The Nutrition Programme, in its regular routine, hosts shifts of sandwich-makers to ply their peanut butter knives to assemble the thousands of high-protein ‘sarmies’ which go out of a daily basis to partnering primary schools, ECD centres and other learning establishments. With many young Ethekwini citizens, whose homes and schools were damaged or destroyed by the raging waters, and now sheltering in community halls, small tummies are still hungry and need to be fed. Whether it’s a time of predictable routine or a contingency like the present one, Cathy Whittle and Cheryl Dann, who head up the Durban North and South Nutrition teams respectively, are always keen to have would-be makers-of-sandwiches contact them.

Domino’s Marketing Storyteller, Karen Brokensha, spoke about how the #everyONEaddONE campaign rolled out earlier this year has had an unexpected and extraordinary boost from the post-floods call to action: “We have been asking all existing Domino’s friends and supporters to refer just one friend, family member, colleague, church, business or local/international funder to the Foundation so that we could double our impact this year. What has happened in the space of two months is that we have had a number of new volunteers, people who have never been involved with Domino or been on our property before, or weren’t previously active in making a difference in the lives of the people we are working with. We welcome them as they stay on as Domino ambassadors as volunteers in one of our programmes.”

Karen went on to describe how people with specialised skills have also been offering their talents as well as their time: “We had a medical student who took time out from her studies in Tshwane to travel down to Durban, and an optometrist who offered her services. A group of avid artists in Cape Town are putting their creations up for auction to raise money for us to help beneficiaries, and a Health Science and Social Services graduate specialising in community and health psychology has come forward to be a part of the Foundation’s work with survivors of human-trafficking.”

What about people using their treasure as part of volunteering ? Crowded schedules, and to a degree, for many local and regular volunteers, physical city logistics and water-damaged roads made it impossible for many to be hands-on volunteers. Instead, they dug deep into their pockets or reached out to their extensive networks to link in so that community needs could be met. Again, generosity of hearts was the key. A Johannesburg coffee outlet sent out the appeal to its faithful tribe of caffeine addicts who donated 8 tonnes of relief aid which was sent to KZN…and they were only one group out of many that reached out and sharied their storehouses to be part of the band of helping hands.

All too often, self-interest often takes precedence over all other considerations. However, there are over one billion people who volunteer in one way or another across the globe. These volunteers (in whatever way they may be giving of themselves) are showing compassion and demonstrating humanity at its best. They are also finding that, in giving, they are receiving: their volunteering connects them to others, making them diverse new friends and sharpening their social conscience skills. Another added benefit of volunteering is that the mind and body are positively impacted: stress, anger, anxiety and depression are reduced, and research, which has measured hormones and brain activity, has shown that going beyond oneself to help others gives a deep sense of satisfaction.

Esther gave a call to would-be volunteers when she said: “Every NPO in the post flood-relief is grateful for all the individuals who have given in any way over the past weeks.” She encouraged them to consider volunteering on an ongoing basis. She emphasized the fact that, as lives are rebuilt, it is easy to think that all is now well, but great needs remain. She said that each of the partnering NPOs in KZN Response would welcome willing hands looking for ways to carry on reaching out and being agents of change.”

KZN Response partners can be reached on:Domino Foundation 031 5639605 or volunteer@domino.org.zZoe Life 031 267 0080 or info@zoe-life.co.zaCity Hope 086 11 22 331 or admin@cityhope.co.za

Photos from Left to Right. Top to Bottom.

Mrs South African finalist Nadia Aboud, helping with the babies in the home

After the looting – cleaning up the streets

Meals for those in need – buckets for distribution

#everyONEaddONE – the power of our building a bigger network of helping hands and hearts

School girls making sandwiches for Nutrition Programme

Spread the bread to meet the need

It was a flurry of activity as the young men of Grades 10 and 11 involved in Durban High School’s Community Engagement class deftly wielded knives to produce a small mountain of peanut butter sandwiches. Each morning, during their daily Elective Period, pupils engage in various activities ranging from sport, language studies to robotics, amongst others. The Community Engagement elective provides the students an opportunity to learn the importance of community-building and how to make a worthwhile contribution as part of their social responsibility.

Several years ago, Drama and Art teacher, Giselle Joshua, who is in charge of any community service-related aspects at the school, made contact with The Domino Foundation, the Durban North-based NPO which impacts some 13,500 beneficiaries each day. She directs this elective, having initiated an ongoing relationship with the foundation’s Nutrition Programme which provides a daily meal to over 7,000 children in ECD (Early Childhood Development) centres, primary and secondary schools in several Ethekwini communities.

The DHS young men have exercised their culinary skills several times since then and Giselle’s plan is that this will become a monthly activity at the school. Those involved in the bread-and-butter activity source all the components of the sandwiches needed and have a planning session before the actual day of manufacture so that all their commitments are met. One of the sandwich-makers, Grade 11 pupil, Saharsh Rambaran, commented, “I think all of us are aware that every sandwich we make will make a difference to a fellow pupil at a school we may never visit.”

He went on to challenge other schools in the Berea/Musgrave and Glenwood areas to join in DHS’ effort to meet the nutritional needs of children who might otherwise have nothing to eat during their school day.

For further information on how schools are able to use their community service hours to benefit the vulnerable members of Durban’s communities, interested people may contact Domino’s Volunteer Co-ordinator, Esther Madikane on 031 563 9605 or volunteer@domino.org.za.

#volunteerheroes #sandwichsupermen

Caption: DHS pupils on the school’s Community Engagement elective busy making sandwiches for The Domino Foundation’s Nutrition programme (left to right: Wyatt Rose; Avela Gwala; Hariv Pillay: Tarao Naidu; Keshan Pillay).

English student spends time giving back to the community!

The gentle English accent might fool you, but Theo is fluent in Afrikaans. In fact, he and his family speak nothing else when they are ‘home alone’ in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, north of London. His surname is the giveaway: the Bredell family hails from Bethlehem in the Free State and moved to the UK in 2009. Theo did all of his schooling in England and has been accepted to study medicine at St Andrew’s University later this year. Fellow congregants at the local church in Sharnbrook are South Africans and it was through the wife’s parents, Morningside residents, Gary and Sandy van Vuuren, on a visit to see their family, that Theo came to hear about The Domino Foundation. The aspiring medico was planning a trip to visit family in South Africa and was invited to stay with the van Vuurens in Durban. There Theo met Shaun Tait, Domino’s CEO, who suggested the young Englishman spend time as a volunteer with the foundation.

He has landed himself a heavy schedule working with several of the programmes at Domino, taking part in many aspects of Domino’s work: sandwich-making; food deliveries; preparation of hygiene kits and emergency relief hampers; data-capture and even visiting the Babies’ Home to spend time with the infants and toddlers! “Perhaps this is where my ambition to become a doctor is showing?” he said. “I want a career with a dynamic balance of academic challenges and helping people from every walk of life. Interacting with these little people and seeing their response when someone takes an interest in them really has gladdened my heart.” Theo joined Domino’s Disaster Relief Unit in a trip to Jozini to distribute hygiene supplies to local communities. Commented Cathy Whittle, DRU’s team leader: “Theo’s participation in this distribution was greatly appreciated by the team and by the beneficiaries.”

When asked whether there might be an ongoing Domino/Sharbrook connection, Theo enthusiastically said: “I really hope there will be!” The van Vuurens echoed that: “Theo has been a delight and his heart to make a difference in people’s live is very evident!” said Sandy. A report-back is on his schedule when he is back home and he said he will definitely be recommending The Domino Foundation as an excellent and rewarding organisation to do voluntary work with.

Esther Madikane, who manages Domino’s volunteer programme said: “We have had a number of international volunteers spend time with us. They always go home deeply impacted by what they see and do here and are always our greatest ambassadors.” She invites anyone, either local or from overseas, who is interested in volunteering with the foundation, to contact her on 031 563 9605 volunteer@domino.org.za.

Caption: English volunteer, Theo Bredell with Domino’s Volunteer Co-Ordinator Esther Madikane.

RESCUE, RELIEF & RECONSTRUCTION

Business magnate, Steve Jobs, said: “It’s not the tools you have faith in…It’s the people…”

The Domino Foundation realised its Enterprise Development Programme was a powerful tool to meet critical needs exposed by last July’s civil unrest. Small and micro enterprises desperately needed assistance to resume trading. Domino Foundation and Domino Business Development adapted the programme, and the latter’s Khulisa Business Development Programme for Small to Medium Enterprise Development (SME) to meet the contingency plan.

Domino Foundation, CEO, Shaun Tait, commented: “We worked with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, VumaFM and Tencent Africa to support these SMEs. Through assessments, site visits, mentor-coaching and financial grants, we aimed to get businesses trading as quickly as possible.”

The programme used leads from the community and other NPOs in affected communities. Ten businesses were identified as potential recipients of grants of between R20,000 and R50,000.

Pre and on-site assessment, Domino Business’ Mickey Wilkins explained, validated the businesses as legitimate enterprises. The damage and what was needed to resume trading as soon as possible were assessed. Validations, timelines and projected areas of expenditure were signed.

Funds were released in two tranches. The first permitted businesses to start re-establishing themselves. With invoices paid, stock ordered, agreed repairs completed and security in place, the second tranche was released. Mentoring sessions and surveys over 6 months ensured ongoing development.

Recurring themes called for ongoing mentorship and a development programme. Some asset-rich businesses located in high-risk areas were uninsurable. and owners had little understanding of insurance. Domino’s business-training workshops provided information and network-support bases.

The programme grew into 10-weeks of coaching/mentoring with focused videos and professional think-tank input-sessions. Steps to be taken emphasised grant-income-generation and investment. A workbook series was developed for the entrepreneurs to reflect and update on the changes to their businesses.

The ability to pivot was critical in the process. Mentoring helped owners rise to new entrepreneurial levels, identifying unsustainable business operations, jettisoning muddled business practices, unclear target-market understanding and unhelpful branding.

At the end of 2021, Old Mutual contacted the Durban Chamber of Commerce about the group’s support grants project. With Shaun chairing DCC’s NPO forum, Domino’s relationship with the Chamber was strong. The DCC knew of businesses struggling long after the unrest eight of which received Old Mutual grants.

Many immediate needs had been met, but Domino saw the violence had severely traumatised entrepreneurs. Before payment of the second tranche, Old Mutual added the Centre for Mental Wellness’ 3-day trauma-processing workshop to help entrepreneurs deal with personal trauma and its impact on their businesses.

Domino is looking for partnerships to extend the project so more SMEs can re-establish themselves and come back better-equipped to face the future.

Photograph: Gavin Simpkins, Theo Brown and Mickey Wilkins, facilitators of the Khulisa SME Relief programme.

Bread and Butter Champions from Toti

There’s a gentle hum of happy industry in The Domino Foundation’s Nutrition Programme kitchen in Amazimtoti. The five volunteers who have gathered for the weekly buttering-spreading-wrapping routine have it down to a fine art: 1,200 peanut butter sandwiches ready to be delivered to 13 schools, ECD (Early Childhood Development) centres, churches and a community centre, some well beyond a 20 kilometre radius of the kitchen which is situated at Kingsway Church International, Doonside.

Team leader, Cheryl Dann, proudly exclaimed: “These are my champions! They faithfully give of their time and energy to ensure that 1,000 children on the sandwich programme and the 3,000 on porridge programme get some nutritious food. We call this the learners’ ‘food for thought’ because studies have shown that healthy food isn’t only for good physical growth. It is also essential for the way children’s brains develop. And these generous people are making sure that the children get it.”

Two of the volunteers, Lizzy Cullen and Pat Manton, have been regulars since 2016 when the kitchen started operating. Lizzy said: “Besides the fulfilment and reward of knowing that we are helping to feed desperately hungry children, it is also helping us as individuals. Being a volunteer at the Toti Kitchen enables us to join a ‘sandwich family that cares for the community and for us as individuals”. Pat added: “It keeps us young and our minds busy and we have amazing fellowship and made so many friends! My favourite is when we visit the schools and get to love and care for the children!”

The preparation of the “sarmies” isn’t the exclusive preserve of the gentler sex. Andre Botes, a retired Seadoone Mall car guard, was adamant when he said: “A real man can rustle up a mean sandwich!” When Andre first got in touch with the Nutrition team, he was helped with food hampers until they were able to get him into a retirement home. Making sandwiches is Andre’s way of giving back to the community. Cheryl said: “We have ‘adopted’ him at Domino and this is really a picture of the saying that God sets the lonely in families. We are thrilled that Andre is part of our ‘extended family’!”

Cheryl said that the Nutrition Programme would love to give other members of the communities on the South Coast the chance to also be part of the answer to keeping children in school and developing well both physically and intellectually. Anyone who is interested in donating peanut butter for these sarmies or finding out the roles they could play are welcome to contact her on 083 201 0554 or nutritionsouth@domino.org.za.

#lonelynomore #menspreadingbread

Caption: Male volunteers spreading the peanut butter at The Domino Foundation’s Nutrition programme’s kitchen in Toti: (lleft to right) Tim Dann; Calvin van der Merwe and Andre Botes.

The lens of a lady with a big heart

While she was scrolling through Facebook, a post on Amanzimtoti Trader’s page caught Thandeka Duma’s eye. In the post, a group of ladies who had volunteered to help The Domino Foundation’s Nutrition programme in the South Basin area were being thanked by the programme’s project leader, Cheryl Dann. Thandeka seized the opportunity and commented that she would be keen to see if Domino could help her with her initiative to feed hungry young members of her community in Illovu Township. So began a relationship which has flourished ever since.

Back in 2015, Thandeka was very concerned at the number of children passing her house each morning on their way to school without having had anything to eat before they had left home. She discovered that some of the children had sometimes not had a decent meal for several days and yet were determined to get to school. She couldn’t ignore their plight. Initially, she started feeding about fifty of them from her own kitchen. Inevitably, the news got out and it wasn’t long before Thandeka was inundated with hungry schoolchildren. Now she couldn’t cope on her own and needed assistance to help these young community members in desperate need.

The Domino Foundation’s Nutrition programme was the answer to her prayer. With the help of the programme’s Amanzimtoti’s kitchen, Thandeka is now able to feed as many as 150 children, providing them with protein-high sandwiches. Food hampers provided through the Nutrition programme also pass through Thandeka’s hands to fifty gogos caring for abandoned and orphaned children, and to other destitute families.

Her operation has grown so that, with the help of some ladies from the community, she is now able to provide a safe space for some of the children who come in the afternoon after school. Some extra mural activities are laid on for the children and they are helped with their homework. Thandeka creates an informal atmosphere where casual talk can take place while the children eat their sandwiches and chat with this wonderful mother to the community about vital life issues. This operation is now formally established as the Young Stars Nutrition and Development Centre and is a beacon of hope to many in the Illovu Township in Amanzimtoti.

Thandeka is adamant about how her life has been impacted by the relationship which has grown between the Centre and the Domino Toti programme: “My life has changed and so have the lives of so many children in this community… they have hope and a sense of purpose.” She notices how, with full tummies, the pupils happily go off to school and are able to apply themselves to their work. Absenteeism and truancy have lessened significantly at the local schools because the sandwiches Thandeka provides are a great incentive first to get a meal and then to go on to their classes.

The Young Stars Nutrition and Development Centre has become a haven way beyond merely being a feeding stop-off. The children feel secure there and Thandeka and her team are able to encourage good habits and community-mindedness and to help the children build dreams for their futures. Many of these young people come from homes where the lifestyle is very much hand-to-mouth and where there is little thought beyond today’s challenges. “I help them see that there is a future for themselves and how their prospects are improved if they develop good study habits now.”

Never one to feel that she has ‘arrived’, Thandeka has opened a take-away called ‘Good Shandis (or ‘Vibes’) Kitchen’. This provides home-cooked meals which can be bought and frozen. From her profits, she has been able to buy a freezer and to add a room to her house to serve as a kitchen for cooking and baking, enhancing her ability to reach out and help vulnerable members of the Ilovu community.

This extraordinary woman combines her passion for her community and amazing entrepreneurial skills to impact many lives. She is very humble about how it is God’s hand which has opened the doors for her enterprises in Illovu Township: “God has always looked after me. I pray for this very poor community and it was Him who led me to see Cheryl’s post on Facebook and to our establishing our wonderfully fruitful relationship. He is always there for me.”

Caption: Thandeka Duma featured with the Domino Amazimtoti Team – Cheryl and Purity.

Seeing a brighter future

A line in Art Garfunkel’s song of the late 70s, “Bright Eyes” has the line, “There’s a fog along the horizon”. For some children, blurred vision is something they accept as’ normal’. Durban non-profit organization, Bright Eyes, is dedicated to the care, education and support of visually-challenged children from birth to 4 years. Says Managing Director, Carron……., “We want to help clear the ‘fog’ hampering so many little people’s early learning. Our interventions prevent low-vision-associated developmental delays in young children”.

As 80% of visually impaired learners’ families are not able to pay for the assistance given, Bright Eyes offer their services to those who need help, no matter their financial abilities. The Domino Foundation works with over 60 ECD centres where few of the parents would be able to afford treatment of any visual challenges detected in their children. The two NPOs have come together to implement a programme of testing every learner in the centres to detect common vision problems affecting children such as myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness) and astigmatism (distorted vision) in addition to other sight-related conditions. Usually, these problems are easily corrected if identified early.

Zanele Nzimakwe, leader of Domino’s ECD team, commented, “If we can identify which children are having problems with seeing, we can work with Bright Eyes to ensure the learners’ visual impairments do not hinder their education.” Carron agreed: “Vision is a critical factor in a child’s education, whether reading and writing, seeing the board clearly or taking part in recreational activities. Untreated, the problem could easily mean the child falls behind and won’t catch up.”

Carron described what the roll-out of Bright Eyes’ screening the children will entail: “Over the course of three months, we will visit 6o ECD centres. If we detect a problem, we will work together with the centre and the learner’s parents to put a corrective plan of action in place”. She explained that follow-up will be done and support given to increase the children’s possibilities of truly bright, fully balanced futures.

Zanele said she would welcome enquiries from other groups who would like to offer their assistance in ensuring the young learners are put on a firm educational foundation. She can be contacted on 031 563 9605/ecd@domino.org.za.

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