We’ve kicked off to a great start

Looking smart and off to school

It is such a special thing seeing a child proudly put on their new school shoes and uniform and swing their suitcase onto their backs, feeling ready and excited for the start of the year. While there’s always some anxiety too, our children and young people have started the year feeling like they belong, are loved and supported. And this is because we have amazing donors who have stepped up and generously answered our appeal to help get our children school-ready. Thank you. We are so grateful.

We are very proud of our children and remember the resilience journey that children in care are on. Well done to all the moms and uncles for getting the uniform ready, books sorted and the kids off to school on time. Thank you for the packed lunches and the welcoming smile with “how was your day?” when they all came home. Ordinary efforts for extraordinary children who are resiliently building their lives in a safe space so that they can learn and build a future.

Our family is large and costs are high. If this is the year that you could contribute to the schooling needs of the children, please get in touch. We would be grateful for contributions of any amount – even R100 or R 200 a month builds new opportunities for children. Email us on hello@kidshaven.co.za or click here to donate.

Celebrating academic achievements

Two of our young people passed their Matric exams with Diploma passes and we are so thrilled. Our student at Rhodes also successfully completed year one in Journalism and is excited for year two. We also saw beautiful results and comments on many of our children’s year-end reports. This particular one we wanted to share…

It is not easy when your early years have been challenging. We never forget that the start does not have to define the end. When a child is scared, not safe, hurt, neglected, unhappy … then learning, concentration and coping at school are some of the hardest things to do. When a young girl gets this kind of report, it is because she feels safe, she can focus, she is happy and able to learn.

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” Maya Angelou

A little love goes a long way – Join our Valentines Day heart campaign today!

Chocolate hearts are sweet but fleeting – enjoyed now and gone tomorrow. We need hearts that keep on giving.

This Valentine’s month sign up as a monthly donor and your name will be put onto a heart on our Wall of Love. Because you matter and we love our donors very much.

Monthly donations make a big difference because we can depend on that steady flow of income, budget properly and provide our children with the love, care, protection and the education they need.

Tax year-end is almost here – last chance to make a tax-deductible donation

February 28th is tax year-end so why not make a donation now to Kids Haven? All donations are tax deductible in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act. What a smart way to end the tax year – and we would be so grateful for your support. We will issue you with a Section 18A certificate once your donation has been received.

Christmas fun!

What a fun and special Christmas season we had at Kids Haven. It started with a visit from the angels, the wise men, the shining star and all the shepherds and their sheep at our pre-school’s nativity play and graduation. They sang their little hearts out. Well done little ones and Teacher Busi for making it a super day of celebrating.

Then Father Christmas popped in at various events both at Kids Haven and other venues and handed gifts and hugs out. Always a hit!

Our children also received beautiful Santa Shoeboxes on Christmas Day. Many thanks to Singapore Airlines who provided additional boxes for our new children. There were smiles all round as they peeped inside.

So many donors volunteered, visited and gave generously and our staff and children celebrated the season as a family should. Thank you for making it a truly magical time for all.