A book a day keeps the drugs away

School holidays often mean children are left alone at home, without any adult supervision. This is not the case for Heidedal children who are currently spending their mornings reading and playing at a holiday camp in their neighbourhood.
Economic Freedom Front Councillor in Mangaung, Paulnita Marais, has opened up her home in Heidedal to little ones in her community, offering them a safe place to stay while their parents are at work.
“Since I came from Cape Town to Bloemfontein, that was 20 years ago, I started working in the community. I started an HIV/AIDS campaign with nurse aids, I started a vegetable garden, and five or six years ago I started a drugs campaign. It seems like all these campaigns don’t really have an impact, just around the corner from here there are four drug houses. For children to stay away from them is difficult, they are exposed to them every day.”
Marais has now decided to start her own Non-Profit Organisation called Angels of Hope. But while she has to wait for three months before getting her licence, she has decided to keep the little children busy with games, homework and a little book reading. The NPO will be assisting the children through a feeding scheme, a reading club and homework in the afternoons.
“While its school holidays, the children don’t get a meal through the feeding schemes at their schools, so I said to myself, while I’m still waiting for the NPO number, let us start with a holiday camp.”
The children gather at the house every morning at 10:00 and they are fed and provided with snacks till they leave at around 13:00. Marais says her neighbours have also been helpful, donating money and fruit where they can. She started with 14 children, but now more than 30 arrive every day. She hopes to expand this holiday camp to other areas in Mangaung, such as Rocklands and Phelindaba.
“The best thing is to start with the children because if we can try to teach a child what is right from what is wrong then maybe we can save a child from getting into drugs and alcohol,” she concludes. – SEITHATI SEMENOKANE
seithati@centralmediagroup.co.za