Oasis Haven receives much support on Mandela Day
Childrens home receives R25 000 and large cake on Mandela Day.
Various companies and individuals paid a visit to children’s home in Robin Hills, Oasis Haven, on Mandela Day.
Some even made sizeable monetary donations to help see to the care of the 10 boys living at the home’s facilities on Bou Avenue and 10 girls on Winston Avenue.
The children themselves, along with their housemothers, were out during the day so that the groups could be given tours of the home and presentations about what it does, without causing disruption.
Also read:Caroline Dibetsoe – A mother to countless children in 18 years at Oasis Haven
A group from African Rainbow Minerals baked a large cake for the home and gave it a R25 000 cheque.
Managing director of the home Beverley Beukes said she was grateful for everyone who gave of their time and finances.
“While there are some organisations that are sadly more interested in marketing their good deeds than whether those deeds are actually making a difference, there are others that really do want to make sure their efforts are benefiting the cause they want to support,” she said.
“The best way to make sure that your Mandela Day efforts make the maximum impact is to listen to what your beneficiaries really need, rather than making assumptions.”
She suggested the following four ways to best make a real difference:
- Start by listening: Most non-profit organisations have a long wish list of things that will help to make their work more effective, whether these are physical items or skills and resources they lack.
- Consider the resources and skills you already have available: Often, companies miss out on obvious ways that they can help because they don’t think about the valuable resources they have internally.
“We’ll get business consultants who want to come and paint the children’s bedrooms, but they’re not very handy with a paintbrush,” she said. “Aside from the fact that we might then need to pay a professional to fix a bad job, they could have far more impact doing what they do best. For example, donating their time to help a charity brainstorm and set up alternative funding streams would use their business acumen and keep benefiting the non-profit far beyond Mandela Day.”
- Develop a relationship: A once-off activity at a charity can make your team feel good for a short period, but building a longer-term relationship with a non-profit can result in far deeper levels of satisfaction and create more meaningful change in the long run, Beukes said.
- Pick a cause that makes sense for your team: People are more likely to get involved and give something their all if it resonates with what they value and care about.
Details: Oasis Haven info@oasishaven.org; 011 678 8057.
Also read:
