Ponelopele kids in Alex are in for an early Christmas treat
ALEX – A thanks-giving ceremony will also be held to honour the selfless work of Mme Salamina with the children of Alex.
Christmas will come early for the more than 300 children who pop in for meals on a daily basis at Ponelopele Drop-in Centre which will host its annual children’s party on 12 December.
In an interview with Alex News, founder of Ponelopele, Mme Salamina Mashigo said the Marlboro Gautrain Station had again offered her the use of their parking grounds adjacent to the station for the Christmas party.
“I am delighted with the offer from Gautrain, which has been with us on this score now for several years and it demonstrates the goodwill of corporate institutions that we dearly appreciate as non-profit organisations,” Mme Salamina said.
Themed as ‘2020 Help a Child’, Mme Salamina said the children’s Xmas party had been running since 2013. She added that this year she hoped to take it to another level in her quest to treat the children whom she often referred to as the ‘future diamonds’ of this country that needed to be nurtured and polished for future prosperity.
Already two donors, McDonald’s and Nando’s, have come on board and promised to make this year’s party a memorable one in an effort to erase the hardship of this year caused by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has caused an unprecedented strain on donors who have been overstretched with demands for assistance but I am so grateful that despite this factor, McDonald’s and Nando’s could still find in their heart to offer a memorable Xmas treat to our future diamonds,” Mme Salamina added.
Ponelopele also wants to host a thanks-giving ceremony for Mme Salamina in recognition of her selfless work with the children of Alexandra over many years, and her love for them which has seen her dedicate a good part of her adult life to care for them.
Linda Mchunu, the COO of Ponelopele, said the Xmas party would start with a mini-carnival on the streets of Ext 7 which would take the form of an awareness march to raise the plight of children in the community.
As part of a display of cultural music, Mchunu said a toddler to teenage group of maskandi musicians who call themselves Amatshitshi Amahle will provide the entertainment on the day along with the Ponelopele Multicultural Dance Group.
