Uitkoms Home expresses its gratitude
Uitkoms Home for Girls is a charity organisation funded by the Department of Social Development
The Uitkoms’ Blessing Blankets project started a month ago and with information made public by the EXPRESS is turning into a successful initiative.
“On June 6, our driver Mr Beke Ndiweni brought a copy of the Joburg East EXPRESS to my office and showed me an article which offered us along with all other charities an opportunity to put up a table at Park Meadows for five days running up to Mandela Day (July 14 to 18) where we would be able to give the public information regarding our charity, and sell products for fundraising. We immediately contacted the organisers,” said Uitkoms Home’s Ms Lauren Da Rocha.
“Coincidentally, on June 4, one of the churches came to give a class to the girls on how to make the ‘blessing blankets’.
“When I discussed the event at Park Meadows with our social worker Ms Noma Moyo, she told me how successful the blanket lessons were, and that it will be a perfect product to make for the Park Meadows campaign, specifically as the blankets are made by our girls,” said Ms Da Rocha.
“The materials for the lessons were donated by the church that gave the lessons and the blankets made during the lessons were given to the girls. For the fundraising blankets, we sourced shops where we could get the materials at a reasonable rate and purchased it,” said Ms Da Rocha.
“We are selling them each for R180 and we have sold 10 so far,” she said.
The funds are absorbed into the running costs of the home to bridge the deficit in their budget.
There are 24 people involved in the project.
“Twenty are our girls who make the blankets, and our staff. The marketing committee and churches are also promoting the blankets via various other avenues,” said Ms Da Rocha.
Ms Da Rocha thanked Joburg East EXPRESS and the organisers of the Park Meadows Mandela Day initiative.
“The opportunity to have a table at Park Meadows will assist us in creating awareness about who we are and what we do. We are very proud of our home and our girls and it’s a privilege to empower our girls,” she said.
Uitkoms Home for Girls is a charity organisation funded by the Department of Social Development, offering shelter, protection, professional counselling and life guidance to young women from disadvantage backgrounds.
