High tea encourages partnerships

A HIGH tea was held at Mothwa Haven in Che Guevara Road on Friday, for supporters and partners of the home.

Speaking at the tea, manager, Kasthurie Naicker, said it was the first of such events at the home, and she hoped to have more of in the future.

“Our aim is to bring people together from various organisations and charities in the community to tour the Haven and to build relationships with the Haven. We also want people to know how they can get involved in volunteer programmes at the home,” she said.

One of the Haven’s volunteers, Carol Howis, spoke about her group of volunteers who are involved in projects in the garden at the home, and who are currently working on a vertical garden on the veranda to bring more colour to the Haven.

“The main focus of what we do is to provide funds through projects and fundraisers like the Christmas market we host every year, with this year’s event on 30 November, to buy gifts for the residents. From these fundraisers we put together goodie bags for the residents at Christmas and give each staff member a gift. We have the vision for more projects such as making the foyer at the home a more tranquil space for residents to sit in during the day, and to make the veranda prettier,” she said.

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Vanessa Broeke, national chair of Mothwa, spoke about the establishment of Mothwa in Pretoria in 1935 by the wives of Moths, and the fact that Havens have been built over the years through fundraising projects. She said the home in Che Guevara Road was built in 1967.

Another guest speaker at the tea was audiologist Veronique Hiom from Kind to Hearing who provides free hearing screenings for residents at Mothwa Haven and other old age homes in and around Durban.

Resident, Lena Steyn, spoke about the past three years that she had lived at the haven, and said they had been very happy years.
“The care we get is amazing, we go to sleep in a safe, secure home and when we wake, the carers help the residents, things work like clockwork every day. And we get pudding every day! A haven is a shelter, a special place, and to me, this is my safe haven, and I recommend this home to anyone,” she said.

Mothwa Haven’s Louisa Hitchcock spoke of the need for younger members to help with fundraising, to enable the current members to be able to hand over the havens to the next generation.

After the formalities, tea, coffee, cake and other eats were enjoyed by guests while they got to network.

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