Hugh’s Haven have been running since February 2001, initially in Yeoville (until December 2013), where we were looking after between 60 and 130 children monthly, over the years we have had over 600 children in our care.
Without your assistance we would not be able to take care of these precious children.
Our focus is on taking care of children whose mothers or gogos are not working or are street vendors, Taking care of the children during the day mom/gogo to work or look for work. We have had many cases where we have been able to assist the mom in finding work, where she has done well and is then able to take care of her child/children.
We are a registered NPO as well as registered with BEE. Copies of our certificates as well as bank statements are available on request. Anyone wishing to do a monthly debit order or to sponsor a specific child (at R300 a month) can please contact Gilly Levy at Proraize on 0836752154.
Our current needs are as follows:
1. We have received a subpoena from the housing tribunal for eviction for the outstanding rent – if there is anyone out there who could assist we would really greatly appreciate it as by being evicted this would mean that we have absolutely nowhere to go with the children. We REALLY need help with payment towards our rent; electricity and water any amount will help (even R100 or 2). Our electricity has been turned off, we have been without electricity for 4 months now, and this has presented numerous challenges for us. We desperately need to move from here, and need to find a place where the owner will be understanding and allow us to pay the rent as we have the funds or do fundraising events. Should you know of anyone who could assist in this regard please would you let me know.
2. Groceries
3. Lap Top
4. Photocopies done
We also collect any unwanted used clothing, toys, baby goods, household goods, blankets, furniture, etc. that we distribute to the children and their families.
RAFFLE:
We are currently running a raffle; should you wish to assist in either selling or buying raffle tickets please be in touch. I will email a raffle list to you, which once completed can be emailed back and funds deposited into our bank account.There are really lovely prizes to be won.
FASHION SHOW:
We would like to present a fashion show as a fundraiser, we will be showing and selling the clothing that I make, from baby to adult, we have everything arranged other than a date and venue, what we need is a venue to host this event, should anyone be able to assist please be in touch with me.
Should you, your company or anyone that you know be able to assist us in any way, would you please let me know?
Please we urgently need some assistance to pay towards our rent account.
Our banking details are as follows: Please should you make a payment would you send me an email or sms with your details to enable me to do thank your letters more timeously.
FNB Southdale
Branch Code: 254205
Account name: Hugh’s Haven
Transmission account number: 62120624219
WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HAS ASSISTED US IN ANY WAY, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR RENT, EXPENSES AND GROCERIES. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
We would like to thank Liesel Peterse and her family, who brought the most delicious lunch and had a lovely meal with the children, also for the groceries and clothing. It was most enjoyable.
Thank you to Elisha and her family and youth group for visiting and having a really lovely braai with the children, for the groceries and party packs, everyone really enjoyed the day.
Thank you to Donavan and his team from Randwater for visiting and the much needed groceries, clothing and toys.
Thank you also to Liesel and Matebogo and their team from Randwater for the donation of groceries and a lovely gas stove and gas bottle, this has really helped enormously.
Thank you to Ntabiseng for hosting a wonderful birthday party for her 4 year old Sizwe at our home, it was such a lovely day. Thank you for all the lovely groceries.
We would like to share some brief stories of our children, past and present. Many of you who have been involved with us for years will remember some or all of these children.
Some stories about our wonderful children.
LINDIWE- Lindiwe started with us in 2000, for aftercare when she was in grade 1, (I was then still teaching at another nursery school in Yeoville), and her baby sister attended the nursery school. When I opened my own school in 2001 Lindiwe and Chioma both moved over to me. With guidance and assistance Lindiwe became a straight A student, she left our care when her family moved to Germiston for her to go to high school, where she continued with outstanding results, she started doing modeling through her school and did so well that she was sent to France to represent her modeling school there. Lindiwe is now 21 years old and studying at varsity on a bursary. Lindiwe’s dad still phones me occasionally to thank us for the care we gave his children (the twins also joined us when they were a year old and were in our care for many years)
ELIAS – A friend of mine brought Elias to me in 2001 at the age of 8, his mom was very ill and could not take care of him – at that time we were doing home based care for several ladies who were ill due to HIV, we placed Elias to live with one of the ladies who was then doing much better, and he came to the centre during the day – never having been in school I taught him the basics to read and write and basic math’s – in 2007 we managed to place Elias in Yeoville community school where he was placed into grade 4 due to his age (due to the fact that his mom had brought him over the border illegally from Zimbabwe at a very young age he had no papers at all), In March of 2007 when we moved into the house in Kenmere street Elias came to live at the centre. With a lot of help and patience Elias managed to pass every year and entered high school. Unfortunately he had to leave school in grade 10 as despite all our efforts to get his papers sorted out, we were unable to, and he was not able to register for his exams. In January 2014 my mother gave Elias the money to go back to Zimbabwe to apply for his papers from there, a costly and time consuming process, Elias came back legally six weeks later, just before my mom passed away. He is now 22 and living with one of his uncles to be able to continue with his schooling.
These are but a few of our children who are now young adults – yes things were not always easy for them – but with love and support they are well on their way to becoming responsible adults.
In 2013 we unexpectedly found ourselves in a situation where there were 9 young children living at the centre for various reasons, One of these is Astara, she was abandoned with us at the age of 4 months, we didn’t even know her name then – and named her after one of the Angels, 2 weeks later her mom arrived to fetch her – after speaking to her and establishing what a horrific situation she was in we offered to take care of the baby and the mom was to visit her whenever she was able to. Astara was born with FAS, and is very small for her age, and all the usual signs of FAS – she is now 2 and a half, and still with us, she is absolutely thriving, with lots of love and care she has reached all her age appropriate milestones without too much delay. She is an ‘old soul’ and an absolute blessing to us
Another two are siblings Unami (now 4 and a half) and Eyama (now recently turned 3), Eyama has many developmental delays as the mom had been on drugs during her pregnancy (also due to the terrible conditions she was living under), we had been told several times by nursing sisters and doctors at various clinics that he would probably never walk was mentally disabled. At the age of 14 months he would just sit, not even trying to move. Again, with love, care, exercise, massage and lots of patience, he began to crawl and soon after we moved to Randvaal he began to walk (at the age of almost 2), He is now a very happy little toddler of 3 and is walking, running, talking and playing with all his ‘brothers and sisters’. Sadly their mom passed away in May 2014, leaving them in our care.
The people who knew these children from our Yeoville days cannot believe how well they have developed and progressed – in absolute leaps and bounds.
Having assisted many moms and gogos over the past 15 years in finding work to teaching them to make various crafts to sell has enabled them to successfully take care of their children financially.
Sometimes all it takes is for someone to give that mom or gogo the opportunity and confidence to look for work, by taking care of that child, and alleviating that stress, for that mom to develop herself, and become a more productive and responsible person. Contributing more productively to society and able to teach her child or children to become more responsible and productive too – always beneficial to alleviating part of the criminal element. Without your support this would not have been possible at all. We are eternally grateful to ABSOLUTELY everyone who has assisted and still assists us.
With lots of love, light and blessings
Chaya and all at Hugh’s Haven
0824806935
HUGH’S HAVEN
“The Angel’s Educare Centre”
NPO: 050-021
50 Elizabeth Ave, Pendale, Randvaal
email – hughshaven3@gmail.com
