Involving people with disabilities is the only way meaningful change can occur.
Twelve years ago a mother’s love gave birth to a sanctuary for disabled adults. Mirriam Dlamini founded Impumelelo after her daughter Nompumelelo passed away in 2010. Nompumelelo was her first child and was born with disabilities. After she passed away Mirriam felt it in her heart to open her doors to children of the community who also live with disabilities.
“She realised that her fellow community members who have children with disabilities don’t have a way of making sure their children are taken care of during the day when they go out to work,” explained Nomsa Phillips, who works alongside Mirriam at Impumelelo. Mirriam started Impumelelo Day Care Centre as a way to support her community and also take care of the disabled in Video Village. This was her way of keeping the memory of her child alive.
“One of the problems disabled adults face is the idea that their families feel they have been cursed because they have a disabled family member. Impumelelo strives to create a welcoming and educational environment for the disabled youth as a way to give them a positive experience in life,” added Megan Botha from Beanies for Beings. Impumelelo Day Care Centre helps disabled adults from the age of 18 to 59 years.
“We don’t want our beneficiaries to come here in the morning, sit and wait for lunch and then sit and wait to be picked up. We want them to learn something new, create something or even just experience something different. We would love to have more ‘skill-givers’ as we call them to come and show them how to do something new,” Nomsa said.
One of these ‘skill givers’, Busi Faniso has dedicated her time to teach them how to create necklaces, earrings and bracelets with beads, and other arts and crafts materials. “We hope to one day be able to create jewellery that we can sell,” Faniso said. They would then put that profit back into the day care centre.
If you, or someone you know, want to volunteer your time and/ or skills towards Impumelelo’s friendly beneficiaries please contact Nomsa on 074 490 4288.
