STAFF from the Garden Court Marine Parade visited the children at iCare Child and Youth Centre in Lower Illovo as their way of giving back to the community.
The team from the restaurant’s food and beverage department played soccer with the boys and generously donated soccer balls, meals and toiletries.
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One of their staff members, who grew up at iCare, initiated this visit as a way to give back to the place that got him to where he is today.
iCare’s project manager, Lucia Shange, said he is one of their success stories. “He came to our centre at around 11 years old and later attended college. Seeing him employed and thriving is incredibly inspiring, and that’s the goal we have for all our boys,” she said, adding that donations and time spent with the boys give them encouragement and reassurance that they are not alone in their mission to change lives.
iCare is a Christian organisation that was established in 2002 with the vision of giving children a better future by helping them get off the streets. These children often come from backgrounds of substance abuse, abusive households or poverty, or they are orphaned.
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“We operate as a street-work organisation, reaching out to young boys to let them know that help is available. We are a safe place where they can come for a shower, a warm meal, or a place to stay. We also run a drug and behavioural rehabilitation programme next to Seed of Hope in Bhekulwandle,” she said.
The organisation’s key programmes focus on raising awareness about the dangers of street life, outreach to build relationships and trust, rehabilitation, housing, education and skills/job creation to help these boys become effective members of society.
“We also work closely with families and the Department of Social Development, believing that the best place for a child is within a loving home. Currently, we house 24 boys, aged eight to 18. The boys live in households with a mother and father figure and attend local schools,” she said.
For more information or to donate food or household items, contact the centre on 081 331 5484.
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