OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF IKHAYALETHEMBA VILLAGE, NOMZAMO - June 2008

SPECIAL MOMENTS
We have been so fortunate to have experienced a number of very special moments at the Sanctuary from the beginning of this year. One of these was a donation from the BATSA Signature Trust, which included a brand new vehicle and substantial additional funding. These, together with all the other donations received, are such an encouragement to all of us involved at the Sanctuary. The vehicle is bringing much joy to Wellington and Mama Lumka as they can now safely transport the children to the hospital or clinic and run all their other errands on a day-to-day basis. We had a wonderful, festive day including all the children, when the car keys were handed over to a very proud Wellington. Our heartfelt thanks to all the caring folk at BATSA.

The children, Housemothers and Caregivers were sponsored by “Distance 4 Difference” to spend a weekend at Ceres. The children had a truly great time swimming, playing and staying up till late at night. The break away from the daily concerns of life was like a breath of fresh air for Mama Lumka who is still having problems with her shoulder. Thank you so much to these wonderful people for making this possible.

OUR CHILDREN
Sadly, Spenathi, the little girl we mentioned in our Christmas Newsletter, passed away in February 2008. We are so thankful that her last days were spent in a warm and loving environment where she was well cared for.

These little ones, each with their own special personality traits, creep into one’s heart. Emihle, a lovely little waif of a girl, is a mischievous and endearing little character who is developing such self-confidence in this environment. It is a delight to watch her flit around – a happy, smiling imp!

We would once again like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr Marius Wahl and Nurse Maria Damstra (from the Netherlands), whose services and care have been invaluable. Maria will soon be returning to Holland. She and all the other Dutch volunteers have spent regular time playing with the children and will be truly missed. We wish them everything of the best for the future.

MORE VISITORS
Dr Sharon Abbey and a group of students from Brock University, Ontario, Canada visited the Sanctuary in April 2008 and spent the day entertaining and playing with our children. They also gave us a substantial donation and a DVD player for the Educare Centre. This was their second visit to the Sanctuary and plans are afoot to visit again next year, which will involve much more interaction with local schools and the children at our Sanctuary. Our sincere thanks go to Sharon and her group of students for all the joy and pleasure that they brought with their visit.

TREE PLANTING
We were recently very blessed to have members of BATSA at the Sanctuary again, and this time to plant trees for us! Our gardens are looking green and healthy and this wonderful donation of mature trees will enhance the beauty and produce fruit in due course. Thanks so much BATSA!

FUNDRAISING CONCERT
A Fundraising concert - “Children helping Children”, in aid of our Sanctuary, was held a few weeks ago at the Brock University Campus, St Catherine’s, Ontario in Canada. The concert, which was a great success, was organised by Debbie Klassen and members of the Rotary Club of Lincoln. Our sincere gratitude goes to all those who made this concert possible and of course, to those who attended it.

SABC 3 – “THE POWER WITHIN”
The Power Within is the name of a TV programme on SABC 3, which is televised on Saturdays at 11h30. It is an in-depth programme focusing on women and their contribution to our society today. A wonderful filming crew spent 2½ days at the Sanctuary getting to know the children and staff as they filmed this documentary. The show was aired on 10th May 2008. All the activities concerning the children, as well as current developments at the Sanctuary, were highlighted in this delightful documentary. Much positive feedback has been received from those who watched the programme. If anyone would like a copy of the DVD please let us know and one will be sent to you.

Should you wish to know more about our projects please contact:
CHRIS WILLMOT (Cell: 082 748 6437) MAMA LUMKA (Cell: 082 437 8998)

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December 2007
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