Mams centre supports vulnerable children
Entokozweni Centre looks after children who were left on their own without support, love, adequate food, basic hygiene or parental assistance.
A local church organisation is responding to the growing need to assist orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) with homework and provide them with daily meals and food parcels.
Entokozweni Resource Centre is a non-profit organisation operating at Mamelodi International Assemblies of God (MIAG) in Mamelodi East Section SNS.
Manager Mongezi Thabethe said the centre was established in November 2004 and provides much-needed support for vulnerable children and makes sure they are not left outside of society by providing a better life for them.
“In many instances, these children were left on their own, without any support, love and adequate food, basic hygiene such as sanitation and parents’ assistance,” said Thabethe.
He said “entokozweni8 is a Nguni word that means a place of joy and support for a child who is learning to crawl, eager to take the first steps in life.
“This symbolises Entokozweni’s vision of a caring community that provides support, love and human dignity to the destitute and marginalised families, irrespective of colour or religion.”
The initial aim of the centre’s core business has been to provide children who are vulnerable with school work support, to reach out to their families by assisting with food parcels and spiritual support, and to provide care to HIV/Aids-infected and affected persons.
He said they further focus on providing counselling and bereavement support to patients’ families, including life-skills development and training for HIV/Aids affected homesteads, as well as caring for HIV/Aids orphans and child- or granny-headed households.
The centre has co-ordinated youth development programmes related to the moral regeneration programme referred to as Missionettes.
He said it is a programme targeting young girls by providing them with skills to make better choices about their lives, behaviour and educational endeavours.
“These girls are taught the importance of looking after their bodies, abstinence from sexual activities and personal development,” he added.
Since its early beginnings, the centre has grown by and large, and as a result, has delivered the following:
– Provided psychosocial support and counselling to more than 600 children from schools around Mamelodi.
– Provided home care support to families of children under its care.
– Facilitated the provision of school uniforms and educational toys and aids to children cared for.
– Provision of daily meals to destitute families.
– Youth trained in skills development and entrepreneurship.
– Youth exposed to income-generating activities.
– Youth accessing learnerships and bursaries for higher education.
The centre operates from Monday to Friday from 0900 to 16:00.
For more information contact Thabethe on 081 453 9259.
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