A HEARTWARMING donation of a jungle gym by Virginia residents Kelly Bambus and her daughter, Riley has transformed the barracks at the Durban North police station.
More than a month ago, local resident and North Durban Victim Support Team member, Sadiyya Haffajee, with Captain Raymond Deokaran (spokesperson for the station) and ward councillor Nicole Bollman, put out an appeal for a jungle gym to help the children of police officers living at the station’s barracks on Norrie Avenue.
“What spurred this part of the initiative on was Tracy Hartley (from Feral Cat Rescue) and I were feeding the feral cats at the station and I noticed some children playing in the parking lot of the station. I then discovered a lovely green space behind the barracks which was unkept and had the potential to house a jungle gym or a play facility. I approached the station spokesperson, Captain Raymond Deokaran, to see if we could perhaps put out an appeal to clean the space and look at making it child friendly with the addition of a possible jungle gym and he was only too happy to give his blessing,” Haffajee explained.
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“We are just so blown away that the donation came from the heart of a young girl who was determined to give to others. It’s just so heartwarming and seeing the jungle gym fully installed gives me such hope. We’ve already seen some of the children of the members here enjoy the space and they’ve even made up a set of rules to respect the jungle gym which is awesome. We are grateful to all who shared the message and to the Home Hawks Neighbourhood Watch who helped install the jungle gym at the barracks. This is now a space with the potential for additions to help keep the children out of the parking lot and safe.”
Kelly Bambus said the decision to donate the previously loved jungle gym was an easy one.
“We weren’t using the jungle gym anymore and I asked my daughter what she thought and she was only too happy to donate it to others who could make use of it and enjoy it. This is for the benefit of the community and we are just so happy to see that the jungle gym is being used and that the kids are loving it,” Bambus said.
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