Kwa-Thema – Healing Lives, a youth-owned NPO, helped two disability homes in Kwatsaduza with donations.
The organisation has hosted several events throughout the year to cater for children’s homes because they believe in helping those in need.
They recently renovated a Kwa-Thema children’s home.
Sibusiso Radebe (25), the founder of Healing Lives, said they helped the Sibusiso Children’s Home with a makeover because they needed physical help and help with maintenance.
He said they received physical and financial assistance on the project from The Round Table Golden East 181 NPO and the Eastern Nomads Golf Club.
“The home specialises in orphans and vulnerable children. We helped install a proper ceiling throughout the house because their ceiling was not in good condition. It is winter, and winter has many cold days.
“It was crucial for us to provide proper shelter and warmer days with proper roofing. We also installed a new kitchen window because it did not have one. Cardboard covered it to stop the wind from coming in,” said Radebe.
Radebe added that they repainted the whole house to give it a new and refreshed look. They also installed a new 300l solar geyser.
“Constantly plugging hot water with a kettle or a pot in a house full of children is unsafe. This is why we decided to install a geyser – to minimise risks,” added Radebe.
Couple Jabulile and Lucky Molakeng own the home. They saw the need to establish a children’s home in their community after realising no disability homes are made accessible in the township.
“We named this place after our son, Sibusiso, who is also disabled. We saw the need to form a place like this in the community after we struggled to get our son a disability home in and around the East Rand.
“My husband and I gained a passion for children and later decided to open our doors to other children whose parents cannot find homes for them,” said Jabulile.
Jabulile said they established the disability home in 2017, which houses 15 children.
“I would say we do not have an age restriction. The eldest under our care is a 29-year-old whose mother also struggled to get her a place to care for her.
“We do not restrict anyone from bringing their children to us because many disabled children in their 20s cannot do things for themselves as ordinary 29-year-olds would,” she added.
Healing Lives did not only renovate the children’s home but also donated clothes, toys and blankets. They also extended the donations to Menzi Children’s Home in Tsakani.
