South Africa

Nearly 500 employees from Aspen Pharmacare in Woodmead contributed to the upliftment of 71 children at the Coronation Park Informal Settlement in Krugersdorp. This tented, make-shift settlement is home to some 250 people with the majority of the adults being unemployed.

Charmaine Maartens of the Yeshua’s Children’s Ministry, together with one of the parents (Ronel) and Zandrea (19) who live in the informal settlement, runs a crèche in the park for 36 children. The remaining 35 children attend school in the local area, but many of these children have learning disabilities and some can barely read.

The Aspen team embarked on a 5-day project to create a better environment for these children. One of the projects undertaken included refurbishing and upgrading a container to serve as a new study centre for the primary and high school students. Significant work was required and the team set about replacing the roof, fitting new ceiling boards, painting the container inside and out, treating the wooden floorboards, replacing broken windows, installing a fire extinguisher, replacing security locks as well as painting the desks and installing a new blackboard. New shelving was fitted for the vast amounts of donations of stationery, encyclopedia’s, reading books and learning aids. A gas heater and cylinder was also donated.

The little ones also benefitted with an upgrade to the crèche centre. Large quantities of stationery and reading books were donated, as well as Fantasy Play items for the girls and boys and new educational toys. The team from Aspen created a new Life Skills Garden and the youngsters helped with the planting and watering of the garden. They also repaired an existing sand pit and started a new recycling programme. Two of the children celebrate their birthday with Madiba so a party was arranged for the youngsters and each child at the settlement received a personalized gift bag made possible through Aspen’s “Adopt a Child” initiative.

Charmaine Maartens and Zandrea Kloppers of the crèche, will attend a sponsored training workshop at Cotlands (Toy Library Set-Up and Administration) in August 2013.