GLENWOOD'S Meyrick Bennett Children's Centre is appealing to the community to assist them in retrieving important documents and children's assessment test equipment after the Centre was cleaned out in a robbery last Tuesday.
According to director of the Centre, Dr Thilo Moodley-Kunnie, the break-in was the worst she had ever experienced in more than a decade that she has been at the Centre. “It has been completely traumatic, all our files, reports and data are gone, besides the many other much-needed items from the Centre, they also trashed the place. I walked in and felt sick, it was devastating, like a tornado hit the place.”
Kunnie said the robbery occurred last Tuesday night around 7pm during the heavy rains. “I initially assumed that the rain triggered the alarm but when it went off again, I asked our security to check it out. About eight years ago we had a break-in through where they took computers and curtaining. Since then we have upgraded our security and had security beams and fencing
installed. The security company reported that they saw six men get away down the lane and said they had broken in through a window. We were shocked when we saw what they did to the place.
“They managed to cut all electrical, ADSL and telephone wires throughout the Centre. Smashed to smithereens eight childrens basins and three adult basins for the copper pipes. They also pulled out floorboards, the geyser and 27 pieces of curtaining (which they took). Our children's framed artwork which proudly hung on the walls were taken along with two oil paintings donated to us by the Meyrick Bennett family,' she said.
What concerned Dr Kennie most was the memory sticks and CD roms containing important patient assessment information and the Centre's accounts information. “They also ripped and broke open the leather bags containing the children's assessment test equipment. The expensive equipment from the UK and USA costs about R25000, but is an invaluable tool for the Centre to operate. “We cannot go forward and accept children for assessments without the tests.”
“It is very disappointing that people would target a Children's Centre. I appeal to the community to please assist us in trying to gain any items that might be on the market, we are an NPO and really need to get our memory sticks and assessment equipment back,” she added.
The Meyrick Bennettt Children's Centre has been operating for more than 70 years serving the community with outreach programmes for children from Durban and surrounding areas with assessments and therapy for emotional, learning and psychological problems, Dr Kunnie said. “It is a heritage building that is more than 100 years old. We cannot do just any work on it so seeing how people came in and not only stole but tried to destroy it is heartbreaking.”
The Centre also had their fridge, , microwave, fan, two printers, a scanner, fax and answering machine and kettle taken in the robbery.
