BMi Research puts building blocks in place for a better future

BMi Research staff enjoying the day in the sun while making bricks for Ubuhle Day Care Centre

The bricks will be used to build a house for the child and her family who had been identified by staff at the Ubuhle Day Care centre as needing urgent help.

After the young girl's mother died in 2009, she and her two older brothers were forced to move in with relatives, including their elderly and sick grandparents, on a farm nearby. Not only were they traumatised by their mother's death but they were also undernourished and as a result constantly unwell. Consequently because of their erratic attendance at school, they were doing poorly academically - but everything changed after Ubuhle intervened.

The volunteers at the centre arranged medical care for the girl's grandfather and helped him get a disability grant and ongoing treatment for his kidney disorder. They also organised a job for one of the uncles.

The little girl and one of her brothers now attend the Ubuhle Centre for counselling, meals and help with homework - and she has transformed into a happy, healthy and secure little girl whose school performance has improved remarkably. The farmer's wife has also taken the child under her wing and she visits the homestead regularly on weekends.

And now, with the help of the BMi Research team and the bricks they built, she and her family will have a home of their own.

As Gareth Pearson, CEO of BMi Research says: "The resilience in spite of severe personal hardship has been inspirational and we're grateful for the opportunity to once again work with Ubuhle in putting the building blocks in place for a family to build a better future."

This story is typical of the work that the volunteers of Ubuhle have done since the charity was founded in 2008. The centre helps orphans and vulnerable children in rural communities, offering social care, pre-school and an English primary school up to level 3, after-school care, workshops and courses for adults. Ubuhle also assists the local community to develop new income sources.