Kids Haven gets help from Ombudsman
Kids Haven protects and cares for vulnerable children and families living on the streets in the Ekurhuleni region and in Johannesburg.
The office of the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) recently donated essential items to Kids Haven, a registered child and youth care centre based in Benoni.
The donation included disposable masks, hand sanitiser, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, face cloths, sanitary pads, deodorant, nappies, school exercise books, colouring books, crayons, pencils, pens, maize meal, sugar, tea, coffee, spices, oil, salt, samp and various canned foods.
This donation is fantastic, as OSTI went beyond what is a standard response.
“They recognised that there was a whole lot of need and met these needs through a variety of products,” said Susan Daly, fund-raising coordinator and executive management committee member at Kids Haven.
“They did more than what is typical.”
People think that everyone needs food, but it’s not just food.
“They respected the idea that we are in a crisis and relieved family needs as you would when you go to the supermarket,” she noted.
With the assistance of OSTI, Kids Haven was able to not only care for the 151 children that fall under their in-house care, but was also able to assist 260 families in the community.
“As part of our mandate at OSTI, we embark on quarterly initiatives to reach out to our local communities and contribute where we can,” said OSTI CEO Edite Teixeira-McKinnon.
“We look forward to visiting Kids Haven and meeting the children and volunteers during a future donation.”
With its main centre located in Benoni and community teams addressing the needs of children in families within the region, Kids Haven focuses on the protection, care, health, and education of the children, mainly aged between 16 and 21.
