New Beginnings foundation changes its name to Aruka foundation

New Beginnings Foundation has changed its name under the new management to Aruka Foundation.

This organisation has been providing food and shelter and giving underprivileged people opportunities to be employed since 2006.

According to the chief executive of Aruka Foundation, Jean-Paul Goris, they changed the name of the foundation to start afresh and use a name that represents them as the new management.

“The word Aruka is a Hebrew word that means healing and restoration. We chose it to be our new name because we aim to heal and restore people’s lives.

“We have implemented a lot of changes in the foundation. We offer qualitative care instead of quantitative care,” explained Goris.

He added that the care centre used to shelter 800 to 900 people, but now it’s going to shelter 250 people.

“The reason we reduced the number of people in the shelter is to ensure that the staff doesn’t get overwhelmed by work and they provide the best care possible.”

He added the foundation doesn’t own the building where the centre is situated. They are planning to get their own property.

“We want to buy a plot by 2025 that we will use as a shelter. We changed the care centre’s name to Aruka Village because we aim to form a small village on the plot we are planning to buy.

“I took over as a chief executive in 2021 after Paul Meyers resigned towards the end of December. Meyers took over from Stephen du Plessis, who resigned because of a terminal illness, in 2020.

“People should expect more changes in the foundation because this is the right time for a change,” concluded Goris.

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