Help little ones fly
SANDTON – Queen Butterfly, a centre for disabled children, hosted a breakfast in Bryanston to spread the word on the work that the centre does.
Queen Butterfly Foundation, a centre for children with severe mental and physical disabilities, hosted a breakfast in Bryanston on 24 June to make community members aware of the centre.
The daycare centre is situated in Kloofendal in the West Rand.
Many attended the breakfast and arrived with donations such as food, soap and electrical items that could be used by the centre.
Founder of the centre, Palesa Mafokeng, addressed the attendees and said, “I want to give the children at this centre the wings to fly. I am so grateful for the platform that I have been given this morning and thank you to all who have donated gifts. I only have small networks, so functions like this are so helpful. Networking is often better than money.”
Mafokeng explained that the centre provides disabled children with a safe environment in which they can learn and have fun. “We do activities with the children such as swimming and painting. We try and do as much one-on-one work as possible and the classes are very small as the children have specific needs.”
She highlighted that the children at Queen Butterfly are exceptionally disabled and many cannot see, walk or talk. “We become their eyes, voices and legs and we take them out of the sad world that they are trapped in.
“Some of the children cannot even smile or reach for a toy when they start out at the centre. The parents can be reassured that their children are in a safe place where they can be themselves.” Mafokeng added that she has a very special relationship with the children she assists. She said that she often laughs with them and gets a lot of joy out of working with them.
The attendees at the breakfast were shown a slideshow of the children at the centre swimming, painting and interacting with Mafokeng. A song, Who I Was Born to Be, by Susan Boyle, was playing in the background during this slideshow.
Queen butterfly is looking for any athletes looking to do community service work to cycle for the centre at the Momentum 947 Cycle Challenge. Any residents who want to assist the centre can contact Mafokeng.
Details: palesa.queenbutterfly@gmail.com
