Image: Bhongo Jacob
A home for vulnerable children in Duncan Village felt the positive impact of 67 minutes for Mandela Day by getting a mini facelift yesterday.
Staff from Imperial InSync Solutions did some charity work at Enkazimulweni Ncedani Life Centre, which is run by 64-year-old Nonkululeko Maneli who provides care for 14 abandoned, abused and HIV-affected youth. This number increases after school and on weekends when other children from the community visit the centre.
The house was given a fresh coat of paint, broken water pipes were repaired and the residents will soon get to enjoy the benefits of a newly planted vegetable garden.
Company director Len von Graevenitz said they had partnered with Numsa members on the initiative: “We decided as a company together with Numsa colleagues to come to the area and assist the lady in need, there are lots of children that stay here and she has been looking after them on her own for many years and the community and employees identified this as a worthy project. We are very happy to be here and to help.
“We are building a fence, making a garden, and painting the house and also inside doing plumbing and fixing the bath. Hopefully we can make a difference in a small way in commemoration of Madiba’s centenary”.
Numsa chairman at InSync, Thabo Daniso, said they would continue assisting the centre in future.“We want to find something that is sustainable for this home so that even if we are gone they will still have something left with them.”
Maneli said she struggled to maintain the centre from her own funds.
“I started this home in 1991 after seeing some of the bad conditions in our area. We are grateful to have companies who come and support the work that we do.
“They have fixed some of our water leaks, and painted the house as well because we did not even have money to buy paint. We rely on donations and from my own money to keep this place going. The place looks clean and neat now,” she said.