The charity operate in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa. Our current project is called Ithembalihle, which means place of hope.
We have two main components at the project; a dormitory building and a creche for pre -school children.
The creche was constructed in 2013 in association with another charity, GAGA, and provides pre-school education for upto 40 children. Since 2021 the running costs have been funded in full by the South African Government.
We currently have upto twenty children at any one time staying on the dormitory, which was extended in 2022 to provide seperate accomodation for boys and girls.
A housemother, and Thandiwe Sibya operate the project, under a South African registered NGO, and care for the children. Some of our children stay with us permanently and are orphaned. Other children do visit, on occasions, a family member during the school holidays.
The children go to three separate schools. When they come to stay with us If at all possible: we keep them at the school they were already attending. We have our own vehicle, which we managed to buy only because a kind supporter provided us with an interest free loan in 2018.
.All of our children either attend the pre-school at Ithembalihle or attend other local schools. The charity pays for all uniforms and school fees.
The charity pays for all the staff that look after the children staying in the dormitory. The housemothers live with the children and are also provided with all meals.
Education, food, children’s clothing, general maintenance, gas, electricity etc. is paid for by the charity. We believe all children have the right to have a home, a safe place to live, and good health care, access to education and to be loved.
