THE Ray of Hope Babies’ Home in Durban North is not only a safe haven for abandoned babies while they wait to be adopted but also a place where each baby’s foundation is laid.

For this reason, crisis mother Rachel Uys said providing an early start to a good education for each child in the two-year age group is extremely important to her.

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“We currently have three children in this age group, however, I feel that two of them are ready for school as they are closer to the three-year age mark. These children are born with trauma from the womb in most cases, and it shows in their learning abilities and how long it sometimes takes them to reach milestones,” she said.

While the home does have an educational programme which she and the staff do with the children, she said they were not professionals and it was sometimes difficult to follow through due to other duties that had to be fulfilled at the home, and the language barrier.

“We are not professional teachers, but we do our best. My staff also don’t know English very well, and the majority of our children in this age group are placed with English-speaking families so they have to learn from someone English-speaking,” said Uys.

Uys is currently looking for a school or early childhood development centre that will take on the two toddlers pro bono or at a reduced rate to provide them with the age-appropriate education that they require.

“Even a student who is close to graduating could come to the home and teach them here. We did have someone volunteer their time in the past, and it worked well as the classes were done one-on-one. These children often have difficulty in learning so it may sometimes be a challenge for the volunteer teacher,” she added.

Uys said she believes education starts at a young age as she saw the difference it made in one of the children’s lives who was placed at the home a few years ago.

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“The mom was an alcoholic, so the child was born with many medical conditions, but now, he is doing so well. He was one of the children whom the volunteer teacher sat with three times a week. She taught him counting, colouring and puzzles, and it made such a difference in his life – all because he started learning at an early age,” she said.

The boy was adopted by a family in Nepal, and the mom regularly sends videos of him to Uys.

With Nelson Mandela Month on the horizon, Uys said a school could either sponsor two spaces for the toddlers, an almost qualified or retired teacher could devote their time to teaching the children or a sponsor or two could sponsor crèche fees for the children.

“I really think these children deserve any chance of living life as normally as possible,” she added.

Also on the topic of Mandela Month, she said the home was concentrating on the caregivers and the upkeep of the home this year, however, any donation was still welcome and appreciated.

The list includes warm, navy jackets with hoods for the staff; two beds for staff rooms; repairs to gutters which are leaking; replacement of a fence and the construction of an enclosed veggie garden.

To make a donation or for more information, call Uys on 084 924 3100 or email info@roh.org.za.

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