future children

Stories from the classroom: 3rd Quarter 2016

As a teenager, it’s crucial to continually hear words of affirmation. Phrases like: you’re special, irreplaceable and unique. A large part of the Domino Foundation’s Life Skills lessons cover these values that help build self-esteem and raise leaders.

Recently, the Grade 6 girls from Zakele Primary School were treated to an uplifting day called “Fire and Grace” at COGS Church. This gentle time on a Saturday morning was an opportunity for learners to hear encouraging words, enjoy some fun sessions learning etiquette and enjoy some tea and scones.

A big thanks to Cox Yeats Attorneys for generously donating Subz Washable Pads and panties to the Grade 6 Girls at Zakele Primary School. They welcomed twenty learners into their Umhlanaga Ridge offices to enjoy some delicious treats and listen to a talk on adolescence led by a Domino Foundation Life Skills mentor. Cox Yeats Attorneys also shared their own career journey with the learners, introducing new careers and inspiring the learners to think beyond high school. Not only was the afternoon a wonderful time of sisterhood and bonding but it was a valuable opportunity to answer any misconceptions surrounding becoming a woman.

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The Girls Club has been busy this past term with a number of fun and educational events including a DIY day making ‘lock boxes from cardboard and gift paper and a Hygiene Day presented by two experts, Kathy (Dental Hygienist) and Thabani (Hair Stylist at Unilever). Kathy was amazing and showed the girls how to really look after their teeth and Thabani wowed everyone on his knowledge about Afro hair and how to care for it. The learners loved their hygiene packs (soap, loofahs, deodorants, shower gels) and toothbrushes and Colgate kits that were handed out too.

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The Life Skills team is always looking for gifts to add to gift bags for the Girls and Boys Club or Life Skills learners. In particular, the Boys Club is looking for soccer balls. If you can donate useful products please email us!

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CURVES: Food Drive 2012

Over the past few years CURVES Durban North has proved to be a stalwart supporter of local NPO Indlela’s feeding programme, using imaginative initiatives to collect impressive stocks of non-perishable foodstuffs which are then distributed to the needy in the community. This year, however, the ladies really upped the ante and dreamed up a scheme that enabled the participants to amass large amounts of donated food while losing mass: a food-drive fun walk!

The Colourful Teams at the Fun Walk

At 10h30 on a beautiful Saturday morning in March five teams of enthusiastic ladies, decked out in an array of eye-catching themed outfits, gathered on the DHS Old Boys’ Club field to kick off the 2012 CURVES charity challenge. Their mission was to walk as many laps of the field as possible in one hour, each participant passing the baton – a bouncing bunch of colourful balloons – to the next team member after every completed lap. Sounds simple? Well, it was a FUN walk and there were a few extra CURVE balls thrown in to add spectator value to the event. Bonus points were awarded to team members who were first to reach their partners and hand over certain mandatory fashion accessories, such as silly glasses and hats. Then there were the ‘activity heats’, which required the team members currently on the field to complete their lap walking backwards, or sideways, or dancing and hopping! And there was no sitting around for those team members on the side-lines; bonus points were awarded for team-spirit and the volume of their war-cries, as well as for their outrageous outfits. The morning’s marvellous mayhem ended with a touch of manic madness when all five teams competed in a three-legged race.After the final points tally, the PINK SMURFS emerged the victors but in fact every participant was a winner as each lady had added to the growing pile of sponsored food with every lap she completed.

The staff of CURVES Durban North handed over a hefty 1 820kg of non-perishable food stuffs to representatives of Durban North-based NGO, Indlela, which will be packed into food parcels and distributed throughout the local community over the next few months. In today’s uncertain economic climate there are a number of families who are in need of a helping hand and Indlela aims to walk alongside them, providing practical assistance in the form of food parcels until they are back on their feet financially.

For the past few years the month of March has seen a frenzy of activity at CURVES Durban North as staff and members move into top gear to collect non-perishable food items to donate to Indlela’s feeding programme. Once again, CURVES International generously waived the standard joining fee for new members throughout March, requesting instead a bag full of groceries for the collection.

If you are interested in partnering with Indlela to help our community, visit the website at www.indlela.org or follow us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Indlela/145965385440614

CURVES Food Donation.From left to right:
Back row: Dez Heathcote, Tammy Harris, Linde Lategan, Mickey Wilkins (Indlela), Shaun Tait (Indlela)
Front row: Sinaé Alberts, Mark Blond (Indlela), Clement Msomi (Indlela), Emmanuel Ndlovu (Indlela), Sifiso Luthuli (Indlela)

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Bright Beginnings for Back2School!

Traditional zulu dances in celebration

The children at an Amaoti  crèche had a bright start to the school year when Integra Scores, a BBBEE verification agency, threw them a party with all the delicious treats that children love as well as a generous donation of stationery to the value of R5 000.00. The children performed a Nativity Play and traditional Zulu songs and dances to express their appreciation – a fitting finale to a fun-filled occasion. And long after the taste of the party-fare has faded, these children will be enjoying the educational benefits of colouring-in books, paints, pencils, erasers, story-books, crayons, balls, play dough, and scissors – all the tools  needed to equip them for the challenges of ‘big school’.

Integra Scores approached Durban North-based NPO Indlela at the end of last year with a view fo throwing a Christmas party for children in the Amaoti community. As numerous parties had already been organised, it was suggested that they consider sponsoring a ‘Back2School’ party in the new year for a crèche that falls under Indlela’s ‘Bright Beginnings’ programme. Indlela’s crèche development programme is aimed at helping to prepare young children in needy communities for a brighter future through improved nutrition, early childhood education, and by upgrading the physical environment of the crèches.

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Party Babies!

The late Whitney Houston famously sang “I believe the children are our future” and if that is the case, given the plight of so many of South Africa’s children, we do not have much to look forward to.  Fortunately, however, the staff and volunteers at Fairhavens Babies’ Home and many other children’s shelters work tirelessly to ensure that the children in their care have the hope of a better and brighter future.

Children who live in care facilities are no different from children the world over – they love parties! However these fun-filled occasions, which are such a highlight of any child’s life, are all too often luxuries that many of these children have to forgo. Enter Kaveri from Kiddies WoW WoW Parties, who was inspired to throw a themed party for orphaned children.  She had the bright idea of using Facebook to publicise her plan, proving that social networks can play a positive part in our community. Within minutes of uploading her post:  “WoW WoW Parties wants to plan a kids’ PARTY for ORPHANS – an orphanage in the greater DURBAN area with limited resources and exposure would be ideal”, numerous supporters expressed their interest and party plans began to take shape.   Wow Wow Parties posted monthly updates to keep their supporters informed and the end result was that in December 2011, 25 families gathered at Fairhavens to throw a party that the children will never forget.  WoW WoW Parties spared no effort or expense to give the Fairhavens babies and toddlers the full VIP treatment and with imaginative party décor, colourful balloons, fancy cupcakes, gifts, jumping castles, and even children’s rides, the residents of Fairhavens had an unforgettable day.

It was also a special celebration as two of Fairhavens’ babies were adopted in December. Baby P arrived at Fairhavens as a prem baby, having been given up for adoption by her mother. She lived at Fairhavens for about a year before moving on to complete a special family. Baby S was found wandering around a shopping centre, having been abandoned by her mother. She arrived at Fairhavens about 10 months ago and will celebrate her third birthday with her new family here in South Africa.  The WoW WoW party added to an already momentous occasion and these special children got a memorable send-off, thanks to the people from WoW WoW Parties.

Fairhavens is always in need of the kindness of generous hearts like the folk from Wow Wow Parties, particularly in the form of financial contributions. If you would like to help in any way please contact us at (031) 563 9605 or go visit our website at www.indlela.org.za

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