School for the disabled appeals for funding

A SCHOOL which looks after 68 disabled children in Molweni is hanging on thin thread as funds are running out.

Molweni Zimele Centre used to receive funds from the Lottery, but the funds were cut in 2014.

Founder of the school, Bongekile Miya said they look after 68 children ranging from three years, but they only have two classrooms and they have a number of applicants on the waiting list.

“That really makes it difficult as each child needs special attention,” said Miya.

Miya said her sister had a disabled child who she looked after. “My sister and other women who had disabled children used to carry their children on their backs and take them to Botha’s Hill for an assessment. It was discussed that maybe there should be a school in Molweni so that they won’t have to travel the long distance and doctors can come to the school. I started looking after six children. We then went out to the community to plead with the parents to enrol their children at school. It was hard at first as some parents hid their children with disabilities as some of them were ashamed and others wanted to protect them from the outside world,” added Miya.

The parents do pay school fees which is not enough to cover the costs.

“We have 13 staff and children receive three meals a day and a school bus which transports children to and from school. We also require training for staff who are not skilled to look after children with special needs, but they all do their best to help these children. We have applied for funding from the Department of Social Development, but they do not even know if it is going to be granted and when. We are really appealing to people and businesses to assist us as we really do not know how we are going to keep the school running,” said Miya.

The Zimele Children Centre also teaches children bead work and vegetable farming and they have received trophies for their garden.

To assist contact Jabu Zulu on 031 776 3474, 073 223 5078 or email zimelecentre@hotmail.com.