It contains two pieces of news - the first, reproduced here, comes from Margaret McMillan at the Relebohile Day Care Centre in South Africa, a very worthwhile cause which we have raised funds for in the past.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Friends, meeting houses, and IQFA for all the donations that you have given us in Relebohile Day Care Centre in South Africa. Without your kindness the Centre would not be such a happy a place. When you see the children playing after school, or in one of the English classes that we have, it makes me feel that we are getting somewhere. If I ask the children why they like coming to the Centre apart from the food they say it is because they feel safe.
At the moment we are feeding about 5000 meals a month at a cost of 15p for breakfast and SOp for lunch( food cost) For breakfast they get oats porridge and at lunch we have 10 different meals which include mince soup with veggies and maize meals or spinach and beans with maize rice. They are simple meals but are very well balanced.
The other day I brought one of the children to town to get some of his school uniform as his shoes had no soles left. This is the thank you letter he sent me. It is written exactly as I received it;
'My name is bongani Malindi from Day Care Centre.
We want to say thank you for everything that you done to me. I really appreciate it and you Mrs Margrete for want you done to me for but me a school shoes socks and underpants and so all. May God bless you.'
Bongani is about 14 years old and is living in a child headed family. English is his second language even though he will have to write all his final exams in English. He was a changed person when we had finished shopping as he did not know where he was going to get a pair of shoes because he is not allowed go to school without them. The Centre is closed for 11 days over Christmas and with the money you have given us will allow us to give 120 children food parcels to bring home. It will have rice, soap, washing powder, salt, cooking oil, a tin of pilchards, soya mince, tea and sugar. Last year when we gave out the parcels one of the grannies came up to thank me with tears in her eyes.
We have being trying to get a few vegetable gardens going and have given out a lot of seeds. I went to one of the gardens today and I was so excited to see how it was coming along after the first rains of the year. Growing in it was spinach, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers and tomatoes. His next door neighbour has also started and I gave him some seed.
With your money I also buy all the toys and books for the creche of 20 children and do project with the bigger children in the school holidays. Their favorite is the cooking day where I try and introduce them to new foods that do not cost a lot on money e.g. baked eggs, rice salad, fruit salad. They have a very limit food experience. At the beginning of the school year we give out study guides, pencils, dictionaries, calculators, school bags to the most needy and some also get school uniforms.
As you can see, your donations go to many places and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for the Centre. I know that Ireland is going through a horrible time and it makes your donations all the more special.
We have a website now, http://www.relebohile.co.za/ and shortly will be releasing a short movie on the Centre and its work that was sponsored by our German funder, ASB.
Again, thank you for your kindness,
Margaret McMillan (nee Allen)
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