Benoni Small Farms resident Ana Pinto le Roux remains dedicated to looking after neglected, abused and orphaned children.
Born in Portugal, Le Roux, who has four children, relocated to SA with her family when she was six months old.
She founded iKhaya da Luz, a children’s haven and foster home.
According to her, the organisation’s name comes from a fusion of African and Portuguese languages, with iKhaya meaning ‘home’ and da Luz ‘of light’.
The 57-year-old turned her home into a haven for children in 2015 after seeing a need in the community.
In 2017, she registered iKhaya da Luz as a non-profit organisation (NPO).
“I wanted these children to live in a home, a safe space where they could feel they belong. Opening my home to them was the only option because I realised that if I had to find premises to run the shelter from, it would be a long process.
“The safe house aims to empower these children to rise above their circumstances and to love unconditionally. I also want them to have compassion, be authentic, have freedom of choice, be playful and understand accountability.”
The police, social workers and churches referred some of the children, Le Roux said.
“Some children suffer from various kinds of trauma, and their suffering is unexplainable. We take them in as siblings or individually and love them unconditionally.”
iKhaya da Luz does not receive government funding and is run solely by Le Roux’s personal funds.
“We desperately need funds to cover day-to-day and educational expenses because some children attend special-needs schools.
“We also need volunteers to help the children with their homework and extracurricular activities, such as music,” said Le Roux.
To donate to the organisation or for more information, contact her on 082 454 9237 or email ikhayadaluz@perfectlyfree.co.za.
Also Read: NPO inspired to open safe house for abandoned children
Also Read: Brentwood Park elderly people robbed at gunpoint
