Child Welfare is raising funds to build an additional multi-purpose community hall at the Joza Community Centre. Walter Eksteen, who is behind the initiative, will raise funds through local fund raisers and as well as by using Indiegogo, an internet-based international crowd funding site.
Child Welfare is raising funds to build an additional multi-purpose community hall at the Joza Community Centre. Walter Eksteen, who is behind the initiative, will raise funds through local fund raisers and as well as by using Indiegogo, an internet-based international crowd funding site.
Funds will also be raised at a gala dinner next month. The proposed community hall will consist of a kitchen and three additional pre-school classes. It will be on the Joza property, alongside the Ikhaya Losizo foster homes and the Nompumelelo pre-school.
Woineshet Bischoff, Director of Child Welfare, said when they first started the whole idea was a five-year plan to build the three foster homes, a satellite office, the pre-school and a community hall.
“When we have the community hall we will have what we called at one stage a complete safety zone, an area where children are really protected in many ways,” said Bischoff.
It is hoped the hall will provide a secure venue for community engagement and training programmes, including maths literacy, reading, computer literacy, sewing and parental skills training and awareness programmes.
The building also will be used for indoor sports.
The first Ikhaya Losizo home was built in 2007 with money raised by Rhodes University students and was fully occupied in 2009.
The two additional homes were funded by The National Lottery Distribution Fund.
Currently, each home has six foster children and one foster mother. Child Welfare provides training and comfortable accommodation for the foster mothers. Angela Hibbert, Joza Community Centre Manager, said they offer a lot of support to the foster mothers.
"We have weekly meetings and each foster mother has their own file with all the children’s details where they record little notes of important things that happen in the child’s life,” she said.
Nompumelelo Pre-school, also located on the site, provides schooling for children under the age of five from the community or who have been targeted by Child Welfare.
“The community hall will create a sense of community involvement because it’s going to be a hall that will provide parental enrichment," she said.
"When it’s raining, it will be a place where children can also do indoor activities.”
Child Welfare Grahamstown's gala dinner for their community hall fund-raising campaign will take place at Lillian Strong Hall, DSG on 4 October.
It will cost R200 per person and includes a three course meal, entertainment and drinks.
