Local lasses honour an amazing woman

NICOLE Currie, a student at Varsity College Durban North, and Michelle Currie, a Grade 9 Danville Park Girls’ High School pupil, were invited to the Zulufadder project for children in Eshowe, to honour Aurelia Mhlongo and what she has given of her self in the plight of orphaned aid children.

In November 1998, Aurelia, retired nurse, established a vegetable seedling nursery, in her home in Eshowe, Umlalazi Reserve. She now, with help of friends, feeds more than 1 000 children.

Nicole started helping out at Zulufadder more than five years ago as part of her service award at Danville. At the time her sister, Michelle, was very young, but was so touched by these young children, that between the two of them they have continued to do what they can to assist.

They have, over the years, done collections for winter and for Christmas and have also collected items such as buttons and beads for the young beaders so that they can earn extra money among other things.

This year, Michelle is going all out for her president’s awards and she is contacting big sponsors for the young teenagers and trying to get toiletries and re-usable sanitary towels for the young girls.

The girls will again visit the project before Christmas with what they have collected, but said this last visit was amazing as the whole community came together with small tokens of gifts, for the now very elderly Aurelia.

Present at the last visit was Rung Button, the Norwegian Consul, community leaders and various Norwegian Guests.

About Zulufadder

ZULUFADDER is an organisation established by Mari Maurstad and Ragnhild (Rung) Button in March 2005.

The word Zulufadder is Norwegian, meaning Zulu godparent. Mari Maurstad is a Norwegian actress and author. Rung is Norwegian-born, Norwegian consul for

KwaZulu-Natal, and a tour operator and guide in Durban, South Africa.

The organisation’s aim is it to help as many children as possible in Eshowe.

Many of the children are orphans.