Sleeping Children has returned to South Africa for our second distribution after four years away due to Covid. As the volunteers from our Overseas Volunteer Partner, the Rotary E-Club of Eagle Canyon, are all new to the project we started off with two smaller distributions.
South Africa OVP and SCAW
Our morning was at Mampudi Public School in Vosloorus, a school with 1000 students in a southern suburb of Johannesburg. Three children were ill with chickenpox and were unable to attend; however we made sure they received their bedkits. During a pause in the distribution, I was able to chat with some of the Grade 5 and 6 students, who spoke English well. I explained Sleeping Children’s mission to provide a good night of sleep to children around the world. We examined each item of the bedkit. When the girls in the front row realized that they would each be taking a bedkit home, one of the girls clutched her friend’s hand and remarked “She is going to cry”. When I said I hadn’t wanted to make her sad, she corrected me: “tears of joy”. She was not the only one with tears, although mine were from a mixture of emotions. The children were truly grateful and looked forward to testing the bedkit out that night, especially the warm blanket.
After a successful morning, we drove half an hour to the Ebenezer Hannah Home, a unique community operated by pastor Thomas Merime and his wife. This nonprofit provides housing, food, and social services to children who are orphaned or neglected and seniors living in poverty with no family support. It also provides subsidized housing for community members in need of support, who then work at the centre in exchange for the lowered rent. The Home operates a preschool and a bakery and sewing centre, where residents and community women are trained in skills that can benefit the Home as well as provide outside income. We had the privilege of joining this community for lunch, and it was a pleasure to watch the adults and children enjoying a healthy lunch together. The seniors fill the role of grandparents for the children, and one couple have helped raise almost 100 children while living in the community. They truly have built a family here.
Ebenezer Hannah Home
Before we distributed the bedkits, we were entertained by an impromptu concert by the children, led by our team member Jan. The children energetically participated in typical English action songs like “Old Macdonald” and “Twinkle Twinkle”. When it was their turn to choose the songs, our team was in awe of the beautiful harmony of the children singing gospel songs in their local language. We have no doubt that the bedkits will be put to good use in this family community.
While the number of bedkits may have started small, the impact for these two communities was large. Congratulations to our Overseas Volunteer Partners on a successful first day.
Team South Africa
Rotary E-Club of Eagle Canyon 🇿🇦 and SCAW 🇨🇦