House Gracia children will each have an extra special day on their birthday
“So for me, a birthday is very important - to show them that we need to celebrate them and how blessed they are to be here. The Lord has a plan for them and they need to know that there are a reason for them to be here.”
House Gracia child and youth care centre once again launched a birthday project to spoil the children in their care and reached out to the community to make this initiative possible.
The community could sponsor R500 which will include a cake and cupcakes, cooldrinks, chips and a present, or one could buy the items themselves.
“A message was sent out last week about the project, and the 76 children in our care all got a sponsor for their special day.
“It just once again showed us how the community are always willing to lend a hand in whichever way they can for our children,” said Anna-Marie Laubscher of House Gracia.
She said that it’s important for them to make their birthday a special one and a day to remember.
“Our children here at home Gracia do not stay a home like our own children where they can be spoiled regularly.
“When Christmas comes, it is the only time they get a box with their name on with a brand new gift,” she said.
Laubscher said that some of the children ask why they were born as they do not have their parents close by.
“Why did my mum or dad throw me away or why was I taken away from them?” are some of the questions Laubscher are confronted with.
House Gracia started in 2009 with one goal in mind: to create a safe haven for underprivileged kids and kids coming from broken families.
“We want to provide these kids with a safe place to stay and while doing so, teach them true life values and give them an opportunity to receive proper education. At House Gracia we want them to feel at home,” she said.
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The children in their care, come to House Gracia after being abused at home, or after being taken from families that cannot look after them anymore or after living on the streets.
“When these kids arrive, they are hungry and in urgent need of love and attention.
“We are committed to giving all the children a safe environment where they can feel at home, loved and taken care of,” she said.
“They deserve at least the very basics of life and with good funding, we can continue and improve the service we offer to them.
“Our aim is not to only help the kids now, but to help them in such a way that it prepares them for their future as young adults and to ensure that when they leave the house one day that they will be able to take care of themselves, find a good job and sustain not only themselves but also their family to be,” said Laubscher.
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