Tears of joy shared at Ntshongweni crèche launch
The delight and excitement from the littlies who saw their new refurbished crèche was touching.
SEVEN months of communal effort culminated in the completion of the Siyanda Crèche in Ntshongweni. The creche was officially launched on Friday, 20 October.
With the help of many generous sponsors, the barren little house has been transformed into a bright, modern, fully equipped crèche.
Also read: Devastating storm leaves Molweni creche in dire straits
The hard work from everyone who made this a success was rewarded by the delight and excitement from the children who were introduced to their new school.
Emotional owner, Queen Khuzwayo, whose dream was just to have a bigger space with proper and safe facilities with learning equipment for the children, was speechless as it had still has not sunk in that she now has the appropriate facilities to teach children and that here are so many generous people.
“It still feels like a dream, I have no words to express my gratitude,” she said.
She thanked the Robin Hood Foundation (RHF), the sponsors and the Christian Social Services who introduced her to RHF. The crèche now has proper ablution facility, books, toys, camp-cots, mattresses, tables, chairs, a kitchen in a converted container, jungle gym, a bike track, a new classroom, a veranda and a safe play area. The children were all given T-shirts as well.
After visiting 25 crèches during their Love to Read campaign, Robin Hood Foundation (RHF) chairlady, Cindy Norcott saw that the crèche was in desperate need of a structural building as well as safety and educational elements and proper ablution facilities for the children who attended.
What touched Norcott the most was the incredible story and passion behind the young woman who owns the crèche, Queen Khuzwayo.
“On behalf of The Robin Hood Foundation, I would like to express our most humble and grateful thanks to each and every person and company in our community that contributed towards our Buy-a-Brick campaign. Each and every minute of time, items and funds donated are so greatly appreciated and have helped us to make such a difference to the children in this community with this self-sustainable little hub of learning and activity,” said Norcott.
Khuzwayo, who had a dream of making a difference to at least one child, started the creche in 2007 after seeing that there were many children who needed to be in a safe place while the parents were at work. When she started, she was looking after five children but as the year went by, more children were left under her care and her brother offered her his one-room RDP house and built a shack which she used as a kitchen and an office.
Co-ordinator, Kim Griffith Jones thanked everyone who partnered with them in this project.
“The overwhelming support we always get is appreciated. It really shows that it takes a village to raise a child,” she said
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