Preschool calls for donations to feed Bonela children
The preschool's charity work began during the Covid-19 pandemic.
AS Ramadan draws near, a Durban preschool has set out to provide meals to an Islamic children’s home and feeding centre in Bonela, the Anjuman Eiakhavatool Islam Dawah Centre.
Naadia Sheik-Hameed of Tiny Steps preschool said they have adopted the centre for the month of Ramadan
“The hamper drive is a once off donation, however we will be doing weekly haleem (soup) distributions for the children as well as an Ifthaar meal (a meal to break the fast) which includes savoury snacks. We will also host a mass Eid feeling. We are putting out a humble appeal to people to the general public to contact us with any donations,” she said.
Their charity work began during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“We initially stared doing Covid-19 care packs for patients that tested positive. It started out at five deliveries a day. Within three weeks we had increased to 45 deliveries daily. Within four weeks we had assisted just over 400 Covid-19 patents. Then the numbers dropped which was amazing. Then there were centres looked to us for help. At that point we realised we needed to provide long term relief. We registered Tiny Steps care team as a NPC (non-profit company),” she said.
Sheik-Hameed said the charity work echoes the vision she had when she began her nursery school.
“The vision is the same. With one tiny step at a time you can make a difference. As I drive in my car I see so many centres that are not receiving help- that’s the gap I want to fill,” she said.
Mohammed Darwood, custodian of the centre, said they provide meals to 110 children aged between six years old and 20.
“We are an Islamic propagation centre. We provide all the necessities of life to these children. This includes breakfast, lunch and supper. We also provide school uniforms and school books. We pay for doctors appointments, circumcisions and so on. There are 15 children who live here,” he said.
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Darwood has been the custodian at the centre since 2001.
“After I retired from work, I came here and started to renovate this place. In the beginning there was just tin shacks and uneven ground. We levelled it out and tarred the area and build the hall and other buildings,” he explained.
For more information visit the Tiny Steps Facebook page or call Sheik-Hameed on 076 127 1080.
