ABOUT 100 children burst with excitement while they all gathered at the Bellavista Training Centre to start the day’s activities of fun, earlier this month.
Nisha Singh (founding director of Niche Wellness and Glenvista Community Forum) asked them what they wanted to be when they grow up. It was heart-warming to hear about their dreams and aspirations of their career choice one day. Some saw themselves as doctors, teachers, policemen and women, a pilot, a dancer and even a princess.
One young boy of eight said he wanted to be a blessing to others because he wanted to buy them food, a house and a car. Nisha asked him wouldn’t it be better to rather train them with skills to obtain what they need in life, instead of giving it to them, but the youngster was adamant that he wanted to bless the poor.
“His pure heart and soul brought tears to our eyes, while we continued to hear of others wanting to help stop crime and those affected by addictions,” said Nisha.
Residents formed a committee to host Easter for the children every year. With very little help and sponsorship, they provided fun games for the children and then cooked a wholesome meal consisting of chicken curry, rice with butternut and juice for lunch.
“We thank members of Sojo, the Mall of the South, Robot Hardware and representatives of Niche Wellness Sanctuary for donating over 500 Easter eggs for the hunt and sweet packs,” said Nisha.
The activities were held at an open space within the Bellavista grounds but were surrounded by overflowing skip bins, overgrown grass, smelly leaking sewerage and building rubble due to the many building alterations taking place on the government housing establishment. Nisha and Nicky Vakaloudis (CEO of Sojo Business and Tourism), as well as other community individuals and private organisations, have pledged their commitment to helping uplift the living conditions for the people of Bellavista and although some progress is visible, not enough is done. Correspondence to the Housing Department has brought further confusion to officials and no one wants to take responsibility for this area in terms of maintenance and health issues.
“We are not taking no for an answer. Further emails to mayor Mashaba are on record to bring efficient officials on board to assist in uplifting this community,” she said.
Despite the unpleasant conditions, the children had fun on the day. It is a privilege to see the world through the eyes of a child.
“We would like to thank the many individuals who responded to the previous article for skills development assistance. We hope to receive attention from the City of Joburg to help us with implementation going forward. We continue to invite anyone that is able to assist with the many challenges which are a reality in this community.
Please contact us if you would like to help the children grow and become responsible adults who add value to society and to assist the adults to live a purposeful life. Contact Nisha on nichewellnesssanctuary@gmail.com and Nicky on nicky@sojo.co.za or 082 481 8746,” explained Nisha.
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