Grahamstown is a caring community for over 30 once homeless children who now know the warmth and safety of the Eluxolweni shelter. This was the repeated message on Wednesday throughout the opening and blessing of Eluxolweni’s new dining hall, indoor activities room and an additional dormitory.
Grahamstown is a caring community for over 30 once homeless children who now know the warmth and safety of the Eluxolweni shelter. This was the repeated message on Wednesday throughout the opening and blessing of Eluxolweni’s new dining hall, indoor activities room and an additional dormitory.
It is this caring spirit of the local community, as well as the hard work from the staff and management, and some savvy from the trustees, that has helped Eluxolweni achieve the many goals they set themselves at the outset of this initiative.
They now own the property, have purchased vehicles, employed a full-time social worker and continue to provide a place for children to develop, said Rob Beer, the chairperson of the board of trustees.
Now Eluxolweni Shelter can boast further achievements and expansions with the recent renovations. The dining room gives a space for the children of Eluxolweni to enjoy their food together.
The chairperson of the Management Committee, Kay Marx says that previously all the staff and children were jammed into one room.
The new dormitory room is reserved for senior boys and is seen as a privilege, Marx said. It is awarded to those children who show leadership and “want to make this place their home”.
A call on Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana for an impromptu speech afforded him the opportunity to commit his office to the development of children.
He expressed his desire to have a centre for early childhood development in each municipal ward. Lwana praised the Eluxolweni staff saying that the difference they make in the lives of the marginalised is being recognised.
The Eluxolweni choir’s slow stamping feet created a rhythmic background for some powerful male voices. This performance was met with hearty applause.
Then it was time for Bishop Ebenezer Ntlali of St Michael and St George’s Cathedral to bless the building with prayers and holy water.
Ntlali mentioned the importance of blessing not only the building but the people that make the brick and mortar meaningful.
Eluxolweni manager David Claassens, who received praise from his colleagues, the mayor, the bishop and Beer, spoke of the role of Eluxolweni in a simple maxim: “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.”
