UPDATE FOR 2020/2021
Year 2020/2021 was not a good year due to pandemic of Corona virus. The world was overshadowed, peoples were dying like flies. Nevertheless life goes on anyway. Sacred Heart children and staff are safe so far, we are observing Covid 19 precautions. During lockdown all children were kept in no one able to go for home visit in order to protect them transmission of Corona Virus. The staff worked very hard they even stay in the centre during off days, the centre provided them with accommodation during that period. It was a year of no ordinary meeting, no AGM and etc.
The centre managed to install Open view channels for children to do distance learning. Some of the teachers emailed their school work for us to help children. They spend more time also listening from TV News. They noticed that GBV was so high during lockdown that is why they came up with the programme called “NOT IN MY NAME”. They did planning and fundraising for that particular programme. Their target was the old age home for women. On the 8th of August 2020 they visited St Jude Old Age Home in Port Shepstone with different gift like flat screen TV, sanitizers, fruits and wet towels.
This was our very first programme of the year since it was a lockdown. Sisters were so happy to get these gifts from the little souls. The late sister Shezi who gave vote of thanks utered powerful words. This was a great lesson for the children to give out than to receive. Thank you for all who made this programme a successful one especially the donnors. Among those were male board members, Priests who supported the programme.
SPEECH AND PRIZE GIVING
This programme was also done internally and it was a two fold programme where we wanted to say good bye to our children who were living the centre and re unite with their families. The residential social worker worked very hard since there were no review meetings but from her efford she managed to get hold of the relevant people for the success of the dissangagement programme.
The above pictures were from the people of good will who used the period of lockdow effectively making these precious gifts for our children, beautiful teddy bears, warm wollen blankets and clothing donation. Peterson family and the crew were those people who abled to think outside the box and came up with these beautiful gifts. May God bless them all. They even prepared christmas gifts for all of our children.
BOYS UNIT CREATIVITY
My boys also created a beautiful programme during Covid 19, because to stay in one place for them was so difficult for them. They open a vegetable garden for them and what was so exciting withis project, they told me that you wont go and buy vegetable this time you will buy them from us, and that is what I did.
EDUCATION:
In spite of the distance learning all children pass their exams because of the staff dedication and cooperation with their school teachers. In believe we need to adjust ourselves to the signs of our time especially covid 19 period. Children were also taught about this Virus as an awareness when they are mingled with other children at school.
BEGINNING OF 20201:
This year also started on its pase since we are now aware of Covid 19. Our Annual General Meeting able set respecting Covid 19 precautions and it was a successful one. We were honoured to have Debby Richards as a motivational Speaker and Ms Mandisa Zulu from DSD, their imput realy means a lot to us.
Board members were also there and we were so blessed to have new members who were interested to come and donate with their time and talent for the efficiency of board of Directors. Children,s representative were also noted because we Sacred Heart believe that there is nothing about children without them.
DONATIONS:
Among the donations we received we were so impressed to get donation from Reminet technologies which we managed to buy 2 laptos and to link all the computers to the central printer. I believe it was not their first time. We were lookin at donation like this since distance learning is requiured by the situation we are facing in the world whereby children need to get use of internet do research for their school work. Acer and Lenovo.
With the balance we did fencing at boys unit. My dream at long last came through for this project to be done. My boys are now protected.
VISIT BY SODALITY OF SACRED HEART:
It was a great day when the Sodality of Sacred Heartn visited our Centre with the intention of celebrating Holy Mass together and to dress each child with brand new clothes. We were so hornoured to have His Excellents Arch Bishop Slatery and Rev. Fr Nyuswa . The Holy Mass was too high children did singing. After Holy Mass we all went to Sacred Heart Hall where the secret was revealed. May God bless all members of Sacred Heart Sodality of the entire diocese of Mariannhill.
LOOTING
This was a very difficult moment to us as the Centre because the bakery use to supply us with breads was destroyed. We need to think outside the box to ensure that children got breads. As we have a 45 loaves oven we decided to bake buns for children and breads. This created a programme for us to teach our teenagers on how to bake breads and buns. The following pictures can show how talented our girls are. With the help of Sr Cecilia and I we came up with this beautiful work.
DONNATION RECEIVED:
With the help of Give a Child a Family we were so fortunate to receive groceries for the needy people whom we are working with. It was a day of rejoicing to them. May God bless GCF for the outstanding donation? 14 people benefited from that.
Regardless of what happened but we did get support from different stakeholders. Our baking skill is the one who will make our dream a successful one to have entity as means of sustainability.