Celebrating 25 years of changing the lives of many
In October, Kids Haven will be celebrating 25 years of changing children’s lives for the better.
The shelter and children’s home was founded in 1992 after Moira Simpson felt the need to “mother” children who cried out for love.
“The child who goes to the street is giving a loud and clear signal of alarm that something is going wrong, in the family, in school, in society,” she said.
“Most children return to their homes, but the child who stays away believes their cry for love may never be heard.”
Kids Haven is a home that cares for vulnerable children and gives these, often forgotten, members of our society, who are living on the street, a place to call home.
Kids Haven started in a derelict hospital building along Snake Road in Benoni.
Today it includes a village with six houses and a main shelter, which boards up to 200 children.
The home has changed the lives of many, such as Tsietsi Morobi, an actor, writer, director, model, motivational speaker and teacher.
Morobi came to Kids Haven in 2002, after living at a children’s home in North Riding, in Randburg, called Living Word Ministries.
He had been living there since 2000 after the death of his mother.
He lived at Kids Haven Village in Mackenzie Park for five years and completed his matric at St Patrick’s College in Kimberley.
Morobi went on to study further and graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a BA honours degree in dramatic arts.
The Crystal Park resident is now a working performer and teacher, teaching at Anua School of Music and Performing Arts in Northmead.
He also teaches at Youniate Primary School in Daveyton and runs his own drama programme at Kids Haven.
“I learnt that gratitude was fundamental. It is easy to see the things you don’t have but not to be grateful for the little you have. Kids Haven taught me to be grateful for the little I have,” said Morobi.
“I learnt to use the opportunities given to me at Kids Haven to make a future for myself and to love myself while I was at Kids Haven because of the family environment I was provided with.”
Morobi said he will always cherish the time he spent at Kids Haven and the relationships he built with the other children and the staff members.
“I wish that every child living in Kids Haven will realise how fortunate they are to be part of such a great organisation,” he said.
“They should grab every opportunity given to them with both hands and make something of their lives.”
Also read: Benonians donated 120 units of blood
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