Employees from Roche, a medical diagnostics company, visited the New Jerusalem Children’s Home in Glen Austin on 25 June to spend the day with the kids while also revamping their home.
Employees from the Midrand-based company planted abelia flowers around the home property.
They also assembled and painted pine shelves for the Montessori school which is being built inside the children’s home. A jumping castle was provided to keep the children entertained.
The company’s spokesperson, Lerato Mokgatle, said this initiative is one of many in 100 sites around the world where employees participate in the annual Roche Children’s Walk, which raises funds for philanthropic children’s projects.
“Funds from Roche Children’s Walk contribute to a variety of non-governmental organisation (NGO) programmes, including those in developing countries such as Malawi, Ethiopia and the Philippines.
“This will be the first time that we are supporting New Jerusalem Children’s Home which is a place of safety for abandoned and abused, orphaned and vulnerable children and has sheltered more than
1 000 children since its establishment in September 2000.
“We will also be donating 50 per cent of the proceeds that the employees of the company have raised and assist with the completion of the school building.”
The children’s home communication officer, Raymond Madibogo, said that the work done by the employees was one of the best and positively child impacting as their involvement has given them classroom shelving for all of their six classes of the school which is being built.
“They also gave our children the joy and reminder that there are so many men and women who care about their well-being. Children, specifically our children, come from difficult circumstances.
“For them to be in a green and child-enabling environment, which gives them garden privileges and an educational structure that provides a certain and positive future, does not only shift psychological effects, it goes on to cement a strong social presence, also boosting their self-esteem because of this place they call home.
“Furthermore, New Jerusalem has a number of ways for people to get involved.
“They can make monthly donations of day-to-day activities; award scholarships and/or bursaries to the academically performing children of the home; or they can get involved in the upkeep and maintaining of the home as a whole.”
Madibogo concluded, “Those who are interested, can email us on info@newjersualemchildrenshome.org on call us on 010 224 0458.”
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