Father Christmas visits special needs children in Masoyi
The Masoyi Special Care Centre was filled with with peals of laughter and squeals of delight as Father Christmas and his team visited the children for a special Christmas party.
A team from the Rotary Club of White River, supported by Uplands College learners, entertained 70 youngsters with varying needs and disabilities with singing, decorations and face-painting, while Father Christmas enthralled the adults and children with his cheery antics.
Every child received a specially wrapped gift from Santa while large quantities of iced cake were served by the pupils.
“It’s so humbling to watch the way in which the children accept and treasure the presents which are donated by Uplands parents,” said Rotary Club project leader Ms Liz Mackintosh. “There is no rush or pandemonium nor tearing of paper and discarded gifts. Each child received their designated present and sat quietly. Their dignified attitude actually brings a lump to your throat and tear to the eye.”
Santa was a carefully disguised Rotarian, Mr Netto Maluka, who addressed every youngster in their own language and made each one feel special before also handing gifts to the children from neighbouring Uthandu House (orphanage and safe haven) and all the adult carers and helpers.
The Masoyi Centre is a privately run day-care centre which caters specifically for young people with mental and/or physical impairment. Established 15 years ago by a delightful woman called Lucy Marsh, the centre caters for a range of young children and teenagers with disparate disabilities ranging from severe (bedridden) to relatively mild (mobile). Some children have no disability at all; they may have been abandoned or come from homes with problems.
The children are cared for during weekdays and are mostly collected from a radius of 10 kilometres.
Some are brought by parents or families, but more often they are transported to and from their homes to the centre where they are fed, cared for, entertained and motivated.
Rotary Clubs, schools and individuals from different parts of the world and local sponsoring companies have assisted with the construction of purpose-built buildings with storage and basic facilities such as kitchen and toilets, a classroom and a large tree-shaded area with play equipment. A sick bay and further toilets have recently been completed.
The remaining land is used to grow crops which are used to feed the children and raise funds. However, the funding falls short as there is little concentration on specific needs, teaching material is limited, transport is inadequate and sometimes the dedicated team remains unpaid.
Read more about the Rotary Club of White River:
Rotary brings health services to the community
Rotary helps school strike water
Rotary brings joy to young cancer survivors
