Jabez Aids Health Centre hosted a winter warmness back-to-school programme where they distributed
school uniforms and shoes to orphans and vulnerable children in Extension 9 last Friday afternoon.
Jabez started an Orphan and Vulnerable Child headed household (OVC) programme in 2006 and received funding from the Department of Social Development a year afterwards.
Jabez Aids Health Centre hosted a winter warmness back-to-school programme where they distributed
school uniforms and shoes to orphans and vulnerable children in Extension 9 last Friday afternoon.
Jabez started an Orphan and Vulnerable Child headed household (OVC) programme in 2006 and received funding from the Department of Social Development a year afterwards.
Asanda Kula Senior co-ordinator of the OVC programme said: “We visited schools to do a research to identify orphans and vulnerable children and the visited their homes, then we chose the ones that reflected the worst conditions.” The programme benefitted 150 children from eight different schools.
Noxolo Mkhombi a 10-year-old girl from Andrew Moyakhe Primary School said, “I am so grateful to Jabez and their OVC programme because I had never owned a school tracksuit to warm me up when it was cold and also for the brand new school shoes.”
Parents and children were educated in an entertaining by a stage play performed by Malinga Mabukane and Xolani Nxuzula from Love Life.
They emphasised how to “make your move” by abstaining from sex or using condoms to prevent the spread of HIV.
This falls in line with the Jabez Centre’s slogan: “A friend with HIV is still my friend.” Centre manager, Goodwill Featherstone said that the OVCs get meals every day after school at their centre and they also have a sports programme. The children are also assisted with their homework.
“We have bought land here in Extension 9 from Makana Municipality that cost us only R150. On it we are planning to build a multipurpose centre for the OVCs with the R250 000 that we received from England sponsors [the Ripieno choir from London]who are showing us support in what we are doing,” added Featherstone.
