Support newly opened St Augustine’s Café
An ambassador and a cardinal officially opened the café at the Denis Hurley Centre.
AFTER more than six months of rebuilding, a permanent café on the first floor of the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) has officially been opened. The café is named after St Augustine’s School which for 50 years was ‘temporarily’ housed on this site.
According to DHC director, Raymond Perrier, St Augustine’s alumni were very keen fundraisers for the centre and their efforts are recognised in the café counter, which is made of bricks saved from the old building. A panel lists the the names of those who made donations. “Above this is a panel about the history of the site. The evocative photographs of the school, its staff and students from the first half of the 20th century brought back fond memories for the older alumni who were present and inspired some of the current St Augustine’s students. Education has been a feature of the work of the Church in Durban, especially for the past 130 years through the Holy Family sisters who ran the school and are still involved in the work of the DHC,” said Raymond.
The Irish Ambassador, Liam MacGabhann, who was a generous donor for the project, attended the opening with his family and also promised additional funding.
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The café is a training ground for deaf young adults, thereby upholding the tradition of education the centre is known for. The DHC’s nine Face-2-Face students have been learning business and catering skills with their facilitator Amanda Clyde and are now putting their skills to work.
“The Irish Ambassador was especially inspired by the way in which the project empowers people with disabilities. The NGOs who enable us to employ disabled people – Khulisani and iCan – were also present as were some of the corporates who fund the initiative. We thank all involved!” said Raymond.
The café is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, serving hot and cold drinks, freshly baked cakes and savoury snacks. The public is encouraged to visit and support the project and learn some simple sign language at the same time.
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