Hope blooms for women at Witkoppen Clinic
FOURWAYS – The Dadewethu Foundation was recently launched and aims to help underprivileged women in the Fourways area.
As Women’s Month came to a close, the fight to improve the lives of South African women has gotten another ally.
On 29 August, the Dadewethu Foundation was officially launched at Witkoppen Clinic. The non-profit organisation was started to address the plight of underprivileged women who struggle to put food on the table, keep their children educated and healthy and break the cycle of poverty. MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun, was invited to give the keynote address at the launch.
Women who are part of the foundation are taught skills which will help them earn their own living, earn a monthly stipend and are connected with Early Childhood Development centres in Diepsloot so that their children can get the best foundation for future education.
“Our aim is to support women and children, for now locally, but we would like to expand our reach,” explained founder Natasha Reuben.
“It is less about how many women we reach, and more about creating a meaningful difference in their lives.”
The foundation’s first initiative is the Bouquet of Joy Project, which takes flowers donated after events such as weddings and transforms them into beautiful bouquets which are then distributed to women’s shelters, hospices and clinics with a personalised message for women in need. The flowers that are too wilted to be given as gifts are instead used to make compost which can be sold, meaning that the project is sustainable.
“To me, it’s about giving women their dignity, something a lot of us take for granted,” Reuben said.
“The bouquets will say to women ‘you are cared for, loved and appreciated’.”
During his keynote address, Sun said he was a great supporter of the foundation’s work. “I think the work [the Dadewethu Foundation] is doing is incredible.
“It’s a reality that our young mothers and our elderly are unemployable because of the current financial situation [in South Africa].
Sun concluded, “I think any initiative to help the vulnerable should be supported.”
The Dadewethu Foundation needs the public’s help to continue its work – donations of flowers from events are welcome, as are cash donations, and volunteers are welcome to offer their help as well.
Details: Dadewethu Foundation: info@dadewethu.co.za or go to www.dadewethu.co.za
