The Grahamstown branch of Nedbank held a Christmas party for the Home of Joy Orphanage last week at E.P Skydivers. The children were given gifts of clothing, toys, and stationery.
Home of Joy is a Joza-based orphanage run by Nomalungelo Ngcangca for Aids orphans, children who have been abused and those who were abandoned by their parents.
The Grahamstown branch of Nedbank held a Christmas party for the Home of Joy Orphanage last week at E.P Skydivers. The children were given gifts of clothing, toys, and stationery.
Home of Joy is a Joza-based orphanage run by Nomalungelo Ngcangca for Aids orphans, children who have been abused and those who were abandoned by their parents.
Nedbank’s Grahamstown branch manager, Hilda Bodman said they adopted the orphanage as part of their corporate responsibility programme and have been working with the orphanage for over a year.
“We decided to work with the orphanage because it relies on sponsorship from the community to get food for the children,” explained Bodman. She added that they felt that children need attention, love and gifts.
The staff at the bank collected some money towards buying gifts for the children, and they also received sponsorships from Pick n Pay, E.P Skydivers, and Fruit & Veg amongst others.
Nomalungelo Ngcangca, who manages the orphanage expressed her gratitude to the bank. “I'm very happy for what the bank has done for us, they are doing it for the second time now.”
Ngcangca, a former Grahamstown Citizen of the Year, started the orphanage in 1995 in her home with one child, and in 1996 she had eleven children. “I did not know that this was the beginning of the Home of Joy, and the name was given to me by someone who told me that this was a home of joy because she saw joyful children around.”
Ngcangca said she got some of the children from social workers. “Some have been sexually abused by their parents,” she explained. “One of them arrived at the house when she was three days old, and now is doing Grade 9. There are many challenges and sometimes I think about giving up, but because of the prayers that I get from the community I become strong, and the challenges make me strong. I thank God for giving me the strength to take these kids to school. Local churches and businesses help me a lot, and some people come to the house and donate things to us.”
Ngcangca urged people not to kill or abandon their children. “We always hear in the media about children who have been killed or abandoned by their mothers because they were not ready to have them. I urge people not to kill their babies, they can leave them in my premises and I'll see what to do with them.”
