Sonke Care Centre for the Disabled in KwaNdengezi is one of Community Chest Durban’s impact partners and one of the beneficiaries of the well-known ‘Day of Caring’ campaign. The 2022 campaign will mark the 23rd event, the 22nd being in 2020 with last year’s sadly being canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Sonke provides education for children between the ages of 4 and 18 years, with varying degrees of physical and mental disabilities. Volunteers who participate in the ‘Day of Caring’, swap their office wear for casual wear to complete the day’s work. It is the best team-building exercise a business can do!
Projects are selected according to the urgency of the work that needs to be done and work that the NPO Impact Partner, like Sonke, is unable to complete, due to a lack of funds and manpower.
In many cases, the work is unable to be completed in the 5 – 6 hour period so this year we have decided to implement a ‘Month of Caring’, which culminates in the day. We are aiming to implement the ‘Month of Caring’ throughout May, with the ‘Day of Caring’ taking place on Thursday, 26 May, in order to get as many maintenance jobs completed as possible.
Sonke Care Centre has reached their space capacity and are, as a result, turning away children they can’t accommodate. There is nowhere else in the area for them to go that is safe and that provides stimulation. Implementing the maintenance needed will allow them to be able to focus on the expansion plan as opposed to worrying about a leaking roof, no ceiling, little lighting, missing windowpanes, the safety of the jungle gym, and the driveway being washed away, or garden maintenance, for example.
With this project Community Chest Durban is looking for a partnership/s between a corporate/s and service providers. The service providers provide the material and installation at cost and the corporate covers the reduced rate.
Both / all companies will receive a Section 18A certificate – the supplier for the discounted amount and the corporate for the amount spent. Social media coverage will be provided by community Chest Durban to all businesses involved - the amount equivalent to the donation. Community Chest Durban is also going to appeal to individuals for donations through a social media Zapper campaign as well as encourage time and skill participation.
Dulux has once again agreed to come on board as the paint sponsor which Community Chest is thrilled about and truly grateful for.
Below is a list of the maintenance jobs to be done. Please contact Fadeela from Community Chest Durban on fadeela@communitychest.co.za or on 031 303 3890 if you are able to assist in any way:
- A new roof – tiles and installation.
- A ceiling and additional lighting in the classroom area.
- Painting of the classroom floor.
- The one gutter needs to be reattached properly so that the water flows into the JoJo Tank.
- 37 window panes need to be replaced. On the official 'Day of Caring’ teams could sand and paint the frames to make them look brand new.
- The driveway is deteriorating quickly, so laying concrete or tar would be ideal.
- A razor-wire fence to cordon off the unused back area would eliminate people using the property as a thoroughfare, and razor-wire to the top of the entrance gate would dissuade intruders.
- Remove rubble.
- Pavers from the driveway to the doorways would help to keep the classroom and office, kitchen, sickbay, and toilet areas clean.
- New gas cooking plates and a backsplash for the sink area is needed for the kitchen.
- Storage units and new bedding is required in the sickbay.
- One toilet seat needs to be reattached and toilet roll holders erected as well as a towel rail next to the basin in the bathroom.
- It would be great to add a variety of vegetables to their veggie patch as they are currently only planting sweet potatoes.
- A windy dryer would help with the drying of bedding, towels, and dish towels which need constant washing.
- The children spend a lot of their time drawing and colouring so paper, pencils, crayons, pencil crayons and Koki’s would be greatly appreciated.
- To fix broken curtain rails and install curtains that cover the whole window would be a ‘nice to have’.
- New cleaning ‘equipment’ such as mops, brooms, buckets, etc. is also a ‘nice to have'.
- Solar Panels are a long-term goal to save electricity and go green.
- Painting the exterior of the building is another long-term goal.
Everything we do at Community Chest Durban reinforces our overarching purpose of restoring dignity and hope in the lives of those who need our support. We are the connector between the corporate and individual, and the impact partner - always driven by the passion to empower and enhance members of our community in their care.
Get in touch and together we can make it happen! Email: fadeela@communitychest.co.za or phone 031 303 3890.