Christmas joy at iThemba Academy
Wakefields staff went out of their way to make sure that the day was truly special for the children.
THE Focus on iThemba children were treated to boxes of goodies when Wakefields staff and management delivered boxes of staple foodstuffs, gifts and goodies to the children.
Earlier this year, Wakefields committed R75 000 to Focus on iThemba for their new pre-primary school facility and the group has committed a similar sum for 2016 and beyond.
Wakefields staff have taken the relationship with Focus on iThemba to beyond the generosity of a big cheque to the intimacy of small, meaningful things which make everyday life for each of these children a bit more manageable and that much more joyful, particularly at Christmas.
The Christmas celebratory handover saw contributing Wakefields staff putting their hands in their pockets, heading out shopping, giving of their time, packing boxes and even turning their hands to knitting in order to make the day truly special.
Jackie Lockwood of the Kloof branch knitted 45 toys – Teddy Bears, monkeys, elephants, Pink Panthers and Hello Kittys – so that the children would have a new toy.
“I knitted in front of the TV, even on showdays between assisting clients. I’m a very emotional person, and there’s nothing more moving than seeing a smile break out on the face of a child who has so little,” said Lockwood.
She also delighted the children when she sung them her favourite Zulu song.
Each festive box had at least R200 worth of basic foods and treats of soccer balls and dolls, which the children were thrilled to be taking home to their caregivers, whether they happened to be older siblings, a grandmother or a single parent.
Geraldine Crouch is an estate agent at the Wakefields Berea branch: “Every Monday at work, it’s a designated staff member’s day to provide something edible to sell in the office. That money goes into our charity fund, and it went towards the Focus on iThemba Christmas handover. I hadn’t been to the school before and I was blown away by the work they do. It’s an amazing place, and the children were so appreciative, it really makes our efforts, small as tehy are, so incredibly worthwhile.”
