Emmanuel Place of Hope
From a dump site to a fully functional school!
Due to the involvement of Holy Cross Home with the HIV/AIDS programmes in the informal settlements of Plastic View and Soshanguve XX Ext. 1A, 2A, from 2001, orphaned and vulnerable children form 3 years and older with insufficient care were found. It was noticed that the number children wandering the streets increased and it became evident that many children were bunking school as some did not have the relevant documents needed for admission to the schools and others had no means of getting to schools except on foot – some schools were 10 km away. Holy Cross Home staff intervened for advocating admissions to the schools when no documents could be produced and then these children were then accepted.
Others were alone at home with no supervision after school, others were abused and neglected. A meal was provided in the afternoons and eventually play was later introduced and later other learning activities. As these were introduced it was then noted that many of the learners had learning problems, so a process of formal teaching was started and many children benefited from this. This initiative gradually developed into a crèche for children in the age group 3 – 7 years old, as well as after-care for school going children.
The current number of children cared for are 111 for non-school attending children and 100 school attending children for after-care at the drop-in centre.
Children were initially housed in shacks which had to be relocated three times in this period. Since January 2015 a new Container Crèche which was built by the US4U Foundation. Application for official registration has been submitted. Stipends for six Child Care Workers were received from EPWP from 1 April 2014 to date. Up until date, this objective has been sustained by an EPWP stipend for 6 childcare workers and through fund raising efforts by Holy Cross Home.
Children are attended to by the Principal of Emmanuel Place of Hope, 6 Child Care Workers, a Caretaker and volunteers from the community.
The current number of children cared for are 111 for non-school attending children and 100 school attending children for after-care at the drop-in centre.
Children were initially housed in shacks which had to be relocated three times in this period. Since January 2015 a new Container Crèche which was built by the US4U Foundation. Application for official registration has been submitted. Stipends for six Child Care Workers were received from EPWP from 1 April 2014 to date. Up until date, this objective has been sustained by an EPWP stipend for 6 childcare workers and through fund raising efforts by Holy Cross Home.
Children are attended to by the Principal of Emmanuel Place of Hope, 6 Child Care Workers, a Caretaker and volunteers from the community.