April 2024
Our moms make all the differenceMonthly news from Kids Haven
Our house mothers are the mothers we never had
Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. – Marion C. Garrety
Kids Haven would not exist without the hard working and dedicated mothers who work here. These are the words Angelique, a former Kids Haven child, recently shared with the team.
“You might call them childcare workers, but for us, the children growing up in children’s homes, they are the mothers we never had. They feed us, help us with our homework, give us advice when we need it, gather us in their arms when we cry. They are mothers who never tell you that you are not their own children because to them you are. So, they celebrate your successes and help you become who you need to be in life.
The mothers in Kids Haven pulled me out of severe depression and showed me the world I need to make better. They comforted me through my anxiety attacks and reminded me to stay in the moment and look ahead. Never behind. They taught me that being a woman in this world is hard, so you need to be tough and strong to make it. And they gave me love even when I didn’t want it.
They nurtured the broken soul I had and made me the strong and capable woman I now am.
If ever given the opportunity, I would crawl straight back up into their open arms, because a mother’s love is like none other.”
With Mother’s Day just around the corner we want to honour our house mothers. Thank you for loving our children, for protecting them and healing their hurts.
Angelique is now living independently, holding down a good job (with a recent promotion) and completely at ease with herself and the world.
She is one of many children who leave Kids Haven with hope and opportunities knowing they will always have family at Kids Haven.
(Caption) Angelique (left) enjoys a special moment with house mom, Penny.
Mothering is a full-time job. By donating as little as R100 a month you can ensure Kids Haven continues to be a place of safety and love.
Parenting programmes empower and inspire
Our Precare team has been busy running several parenting programmes during April. We do three types of programmes. These include:
- a once-off workshop on the 3 L’s of parenting: Love, Listen and Lead.
- Sihleng’imizi – a University of Johannesburg relational parenting initiative for parents of young children. This programme focusses on nutrition, parenting support focused on young children, budgeting, and health, among other topics.
- Connect – also in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg this programme is aimed at parents with teenagers. Its focus is a relational model of parenting rather than a consequence model of parenting.
“Our Precare Pillar of Care is all about providing support for families so they can make homes that are safe and nurturing and in turn communities that are safe and caring. Parenting is tough at the best of times so all our programmes aim to educate, empower and inspire parents. These programmes run throughout the year. We build relationships with the attendees and learn so much about their lives and needs,” says May Seshoene, Precare Manager and mother to a 19-year-old son of her own.
If you would like to get involved or can assist in any way with our parenting programmes please contact Kids Haven at hello@kidshaven.co.za. We need food support in the form of meal-in-a-bag supplementary meals for the families. We also appreciate cash donations towards maintaining these workshops and reaching more families, including fathers.
Your company may have CSI budget or be able to make a donation to the parenting programmes. Kids Haven can provide Section 18a receipts, impact reports and details of participants reached and their responses to the workshops. Growing up in a loving home with nurturing parents is the very first step to combat Gender-Based Violence. We need to prioritise families and support parents to build strong relationships with their children, leading by example, listening to each other and loving each other.
Kids Haven is also exploring introducing community savings groups to the parent groups who connect during training. This will take a significant investment and is a two-year project to introduce a tried and tested excellent programme with well-established monitoring and proven results. It would suit a company interested in developing financial literacy and savings in marginalised communities. Contact Susan at hello@kidshaven.co.za for more information.
Easter was a hopping, happy time at Kids Haven – thanks to you!
Our children woke up bright eyed and excited on Easter morning to see if the Easter bunny had visited and indeed he had! But our Easter bunny doesn’t have a fluffy tail and long ears – he has the warm heart and smiles of all those wonderful people who so generously donated eggs and bunnies for our children.
We received more than 150 boxes of marshmallow eggs, 100 bunnies, 100 chocolate eggs, lots of loose eggs and treats of various sizes which were shared amongst our Incare children, our pre-school children, our Teen Hub and our community. We even received cute cuddly bunnies and other special easter gifts. What a delight!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you who so kindly gave so our Easter could be a special time for everyone. Many, many thanks. Here are a few moments we managed to catch on camera…
Winter is here and we are calling on you to help us keep our children and community warm.
Can you donate any of these in-demand items?
- Blankets for families in the community
- Tracksuits, jackets, socks, sneakers and long pyjamas for all children ages 3 to 20.
- Jockey underpants size Medium for older boys ages 13-20.
- Dressing gowns for small boys (age 3-12) and girls (age 3-20).
- Closed slippers for boys and girls – kiddies size 12 to adult size 6.
- Long sleeve vests and shirts for boys ages 3-12 and girls ages 3-13.
- Rooibos and ordinary tea bags
- Cremora or long life milk
- Cup a soup
- Meal in a Bag
- Toiletries especially body lotion for the dry winter months
Kids Haven appreciates donations of these items. We are also grateful to receive your cash donation – please mark it for ‘winter’ so that we can spend it to buy these much-needed items.
Bank details:
Kids Haven, Nedbank, Account number: 1948063824; Branch code: 198765; Swift code: NEDSZAJJ
Please contact Connie on connie@kidshaven.co.za or drop off at one of centres:
34 – 38 Cranbourne Ave
Benoni
Johannesburg
TEL: +27 (011) 421 4222 or WhatsApp 0693458034
Shop 24, Cramerview Village Shopping Centre, 277 Main Road, Bryanston
TEL: +27 (011) 706 7959 or WhatsApp 071 860 0505 to reach us
Monday – Friday 8 am – 4 pm daily
Saturdays – 9am – 2pm
Can you sponsor a prize for our Golf Day?
Our annual Golf Day takes place later in the year and we are looking for prizes for all our players. If you could assist with any items or vouchers we would be most grateful. Items such as shirts, wine, umbrellas, meal vouchers, 4-ball vouchers, holiday getaways, non-perishable food items for hampers, are all well-received. We will gladly come and collect or you can drop them off at our offices in Benoni or Bryanston. Please contact Connie on connie@kidshaven.co.za; +27 (011) 706 7959 or WhatsApp 071 860 0505. Many thanks for your support.
If you are keen to join us with a Fourball, please let Susan know on sued@kidshaven.co.za
Get Involved
You can get involved by volunteering, donating money or second hand goods.
If you think your company could help make a difference please contact us.