A Westdene home for the vulnerable

Kolkata and the world, had Mother Teresa, much like how Westdene and many other communities with children in need have Teresa Richards.

A volunteer and board member of Rainbow Children’s Village, Richards and her great team recently celebrated the relaunch of their place of safety for children after it had been closed down for eight months.

Though it might read like a stretch to compare her and the work she does to that of a literal saint, it is fitting in some measure as the work she is leading aids in the protection of children who have been abused and abandoned. The relaunch took place on September 3 and was attended by various donors and community members.

Rainbow Children’s Village has been based in Westdene since 2005 and for some years was a foster home that saw 30 children come through its doors. Richards explained, “With the change in legislation, we had to make sure that we were a child-and-youth care centre – and we wanted to focus on it being a place of safety, rather than it being a foster home. We will be accepting boys and girls between the ages of three to 10 years old, and we are focusing on children who have been abused and abandoned.”

The home will accommodate seven children with their first two children coming within the week. These children will find safety in a house that now has a fresh coat of paint, replaced ceilings and redone, paving and garden, as well a new laundry room. They will also have room to play outside as there is also a jungle gym.

To have this all done, Richards fundraised through donors and she canvased for their assistance to which they obliged in the ways they each could. She also was helped by a lot of people in the community who, as she put it, did a fantastic job. “I was introduced to many amazing guys who were just prepared to help and this home is the outcome of it.”

Even with a lot of repairs done, the kitchen is still in need of an upgrade, a project they could not finish due to a lack of funding. So, should you be renovating your own kitchen and have parts to donate, or maybe you own a kitchen renovation company, your donation or skills would be greatly appreciated.

Although they do not as yet have the facilities for mentally challenged or disabled children, Richards hopes the home will pave the way to also accommodate them. “There is such a need for this. We have a social worker who will be placing children with us; it is dire in the society and we need more homes like these where children can be placed in.”
She added that the ideal outcome would be opening up more homes.

Richards said they are just lucky to have the right people to fill spaces needed, such as a great house mother, new staff, and most importantly, they each have the passion, “If we have the passion I believe that we can actually open more places like this.”

Helping children is important to her because they have always been close to her heart for as long as she can remember. “They are so innocent, and so helpless when they are thrown into such dire situations that there have to be adults out there that love children and that want to help them and I am one of them. I have always been drawn to children – they are too gorgeous, too cute, and they do not deserve what gets thrown at them and that is my passion in life, to make sure children grow up as mine did, in a loving home, that shows them care and someone to show them there are adults out there who love them.”

The criteria for children:

• Sexually, emotionally and physically abused children
• Boys and girls aged three to 10 years old
• Each case is individually looked at and will take in children outside those age groups in the case of emergencies and with the Department of Social Development’s permission.
  
  From the community the home would need:
• Providing entertainment for the children – whether introducing various programmes like exercise for kids, arts and crafts, tutoring for the older school-going children.
• Purchase of groceries on a regular or ad hoc basis
• Donation of any bric-a-brac or clothing that they can use to have a jumble sale and raise funds for the organisation, if not able to use in the home
• Donation of cash. Section 18A certificates are available on request.

  Here is their needs list:

  Groceries

• Tinned food
• Oil peanut butter
• Long-life milk
• Jam
• Tea/coffee
• Sugar (brown)
• Rice
• Porridge
• Oats
• Cereals
• Herbs/spices

  Stationery

• Colouring books
• A4 printing paper
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• Puzzles (0 to 10 years old)
• Modelling clay
• Cellophane

  Furniture

• Cupboards
• Washing machine
• Dryer
• Plastic table and chairs for children

  Clothing/Linen

• Boys aged 0–10
• Girls aged 0–10
• Shoes
• Towels
• Face cloths
• Bed linen

  Toiletries

• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Shampo
• Conditioner
• Soap
• Washing powder
• Dishwashing liquid
• Furniture polish
• All-purpose cleaner
• Window cleaner
• Air freshener
• Toilet paper
• Disinfectant liquid.

Details: Rainbow Children’s Village 074 746 6049.