A love for the children at HOLAH (House of Love and Hope) babies home has brought Mike Stevens across the ocean again from the UK.
Mike featured in Berea Mail in September last year when he visited HOLAH for the first time, bringing with him an Upsee harness, sponsored by his company Voyage Care to enable HOLAH’s Mikey, a child with cerebral palsy, to take his first steps. Mike’s stay in Durban, working with HOLAH and the Hop Shop, was such an amazing experience that he decided to save up to visit again.
“I loved my time in Durban and on my return in March, it was great to see the progress the special needs children at HOLAH have made,” he said.
On his return to the UK, Mike said he raised awareness of the baby home and worked to make money to come back. He has also set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for HOLAH, purely for the purchase and development of a new premises. This is running separately from donations and money raised at the Hop Shop.
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“One of the main reasons we are raising these funds is because we are currently renting a premises and are now bursting at the seams! With the special needs children there is extra equipment and we need more space which we don’t have at the current premises. We want to purchase a property with land where we can build more houses for each group, with house mothers for each house,” said co-founder of HOLAH, Kim Brown.
Mike said he loves it in Durban and feels it is an amazing country filled with people who are inspiring.
“In the Hop Shop, even if I sell something for R50, that is R50 which will have an immediate affect in someone’s life. Instantly we are making a difference and you can see that first hand. I have tried to start a feeding scheme in the UK, but it is difficult, but here you can instantly see first hand the differences you can make in people’s lives. I thoroughly enjoy helping people,” he said.
Mike is taking this desire to help to a different level by taking on a jump at Oribi Gorge in early May.
“I somehow got persuaded to take on this challenge to raise funds for HOLAH after doing the jump at Moses Mabhida Stadium recently. This was a big thing for me as I’m scared of heights. I have never been so scared in my life! Now this is double the jump, and I aim to raise R8 000. I’m nervous but I’m definitely doing it, anything for the babies,” he said.
To sponsor Mike’s jump or to donate on the GoFundMe page, contact Kim on 083 232 5501 or email leanne@likhonithemba.co.za.
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