Central Hockey Club’s senior women’s team members were among the groups who reached out to Vygieskraal informal settlement residents for Mandela Day.
The club, accompanied by Positive Impact Support, an NPC, delivered 30 packages to the families of Wisdom Pond Play Centre, including the local flower seller at the Vygieskraal Muslim Cemetery on Saturday July 18.
Mandela Day is held every year on July 18, which was late President Nelson Mandela’s birthday.
Project manager for outreach programmes at the Central Hockey Club, Ron Hendrickse said the parcels contained
food, reusable masks and hand sanitiser.
He said 8-year-old Vygieskraal resident Abieda Paulse, who drowned in the canal after she was swept away by floodwaters, had been a participant in previous outreach activities.
Abieda was playing with friends near the canal on Thursday July 9 when she slipped and fell in.
A man jumped in after the girl, but the swift current swept both away.
Mr Hendrickse said the handover last Saturday had been a rewarding experience.
“Well done to Central Ladies for getting off to a good start before rushing off to their regular Saturday morning fitness activities.”
Director and project manager at Wisdom Pond Community Outreach, Zarina McWhite paid tribute to Abieda.
Wisdom Pond held its planned Mandela Day event the day after Abieda’s body was discovered last Wednesday, July 22.
They remembered her and fed 200 children at the Ansaar Mosque Masjid.
McWhite said more than 500 impoverished children living in the vlei do not get regular nutritious meals.
Their NPO’s core focus is to serve children left vulnerable due to unemployment and other social injustices.
McWhite said Wisdom Pond, an affiliate of the Pink Ladies organisation for missing children, was established in light of the increase in child abductions and malnutrition affecting children between the ages of 1 and 8 years old.
“We are on a mission to protect children by rolling out 100 Wisdom Pond Play Centres in urban areas, including informal settlements and expanding to rural areas,” she said.
McWhite acknowledged the support from SA Hockey Association, Central Hockey Club, Positive Impact Support, Italtile, I-Care Children’s Foundation, South African Red Cross Society, the K9 Response Unit that ensured the children’s safety, and their loyal volunteers from the community.
Call Zarina McWhite and Brenda Williams on 081 787 4861 or 084 813 0125 for more information or if you can help.
