Lacey Road creche building fund gets Old Mutual boost
"I am very happy that ever since the Berea Mail first came to visit us, this place has changed for the better."
FOLLOWING a series of articles in the Berea Mail about the challenges faced by Ntombinye Nojiyeza and the children at her creche in the Lacey Road informal settlement, Cathryn Aylett and Caron Strachan from Bright Eyes Centre dedicated their energies to help fix the creche and on Tuesday surprised Nojiyeza and the children with a R5000 cheque donated by Old Mutual which will go towards the building of the creche.
“The money from Old Mutual’s donation will go towards building materials and we are also in negotiations with another building company to help us out. We are also grateful for what Old Mutual has done today and believe that this contribution will go a long way. We also should mention that if it wasn’t for the Berea Mail highlighting the plight of the children, none of us would even know that this place exists. The support from the community by donating clothes and toys for the children has also been amazing,” said Cathryn Aylett from Bright Eyes Centre.
Old Mutual staffers who presented the children with the toys said: ” We are very happy and proud to be part of this project, we will definitely be back. The creche is really in need of support and they deserve this donation. Our staff has also donated in their personal capacity. We can donate and try to patch the roof of the creche but we are also of the view that the whole structure needs to be rebuilt and we will do everything in power to help them realize that goal.”
Nojiyeza, who has run the creche since 2002, said she was very grateful for the donations, especially the toys and learning material.
“I am very happy that ever since the Berea Mail first came to visit us, this place has changed for the better. The kids are always excited to come to school because it now looks more like a school and the kids have toys they can play with. I just want to thank everyone who has helped us and I wish that they can also do it for other people in the future. I really have no words to express my happiness on what you have done for these children,” she said.
READ RELATED: Creche donations fill Lacey Road community with hope
Howard Ncube, who is part of the school’s committee said: “We are happy that today these children received toys, clothes and learning materials. We hope its going to encourage the community and especially the younger generation to not give up. What’s left now is the rebuilding of the school because when it rains the roof leaks and the windows are broken. This place must start to look like a place of learning. We are grateful that there are people who are prepared to help us with that.”
Anyone who wishes to donate items to the creche can drop off donations at a collection point at the Bright Eyes Centre, a child care centre that specializes in young children with a range of visual impairments. The centre provides specialized intervention therapies for low vision 0-5 year olds and adapted learning techniques especially suited for low vision children. The centre is at 135 Bellevue Road, Berea. Donations can be dropped off between 9am and 1pm daily, or at the Berea Mail offices at 115 Escom Road, New Germany.
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