SANParks staff visit community development centre for Mandela Day

The centre which is run by a group of volunteers supports 60 destitute children from the ages of six to 18 years old and takes care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and HIV/AIDS infected and affected people.

Established five years ago, the non-profit organisation saw the need to establish a drop-in centre for children, to assist with school homework, nutritious cooked meals and skills development. Motheo wa Katlego Community Development actively engages the wider community within impoverished areas, raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic and helping facilitate their active participation in its future prevention.

Charitable initiatives

Although the centre has no electricity, they offer programmes such as OVC, HIV/AIDS, TB awareness campaigns, psycho-social support, life skills, and basic counselling. Paul Daphne, head of Communications at SANParks said that our children are our future and Motheo wa Katlego Community Development is helping protect our future by giving them food, love and care on a daily basis: "We wanted to show our appreciation for all that they do and try help make it easier." SANParks staff spent time with the children and made a donation of a much-needed gas fridge, generator and a gas stove to the centre.

"As the country and world celebrate Mandela Day by giving 67 minutes of their time, all of our parks will be spending time with their chosen communities," said Daphne. Some of the initiatives include Golden Gate Highlands National Park refurbishing the local Mojalefa Primary School, Table Mountain National Park planting 4000 Silver Trees in Kirstenbosch and Augrabies Falls National Park giving a preschool from Haasdas community an interior 'facelift'.

SANParks is also supporting an initiative of the deputy minister of Environmental Affairs for Mandela Month celebrations with a contribution of school desks for Boitumelo Special School in Kimberley, as well as small beds for Siloe School of the Blind at Thokwaneng, Polokwane. SANParks staff contributed further time to make bedding for the beds at Siloe School.

For more information, go to www.sanparks.org.