Both organisations are based in the old Transvaal Memorial Children’s Hospital in Braampark near Hillbrow.
The girls took on the challenge of painting walls, decorating and setting up offices, hanging new curtains, creating a new library, and collecting information from more than 30 non-governmental organisations based within the building to create a resource booklet.
Three Brescia maintenance staff members were also involved in the project, and did major renovations in the bathroom by converting it from one enormous room into three separate bathroom areas, building new walls, replacing old asbestos ceilings in the social workers’ offices, installing curtain rails and, preparing walls and shelving.
The girls also each hand made a toy or game for the children of the Sunlight Safe House. The safe house’s caregivers were given some basic ‘child-friendly’ cooking lessons and a recipe book from Brescia staff.
This was a valuable learning experience for the Brescia girls as it gave them insight into the different services offered to vulnerable children by many dedicated, but underpaid professionals.
Sadly, the outside of the building, a national heritage site, has been left to decay as none of the organisations have sufficient funds to maintain it.
If anyone is looking for a community service project – this building is in desperate need of repair and the organisations within it would be most grateful.
