Message from our CEO
Focus on your goal.
Don’t look in any direction but ahead!
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves to keep focused and not be distracted with our surroundings. We witness first-hand the desperate needs of so many people. If we lost our focus we would be consumed by our compassion and be continually meeting everyone’s daily needs and not have the capacity to reach our vision and goal.
Our primary focus is to take an individual off the streets and into society on a sustainable level. Each person is different with different backgrounds and reasons as to why they are living on the street. We interview each person and strategize a plan which we can implement to help them back into society. This allows them eventually to be able to provide for themselves and their families. This requires a sharp focus on the individual in front of us.
I would like to encourage you to participate in our “Foster Programme” where you or your company can focus on an individual or family. The idea is to work with The Wellness Centre Trust, with a plan to assist these individuals off the streets and into their own homes. This will give them the opportunity to become valuable working contributors to society.
Eloise
MANDELA DAY – 18 JULY 2017
Nelson Mandela Day not only celebrates Nelson Mandela’s life, but it is also a global call to action for people to recognize their ability to have a positive effect on others around them. The day hopes to inspire people to embrace the values that Mandela shared. These values include democracy, freedom, equality, diversity, reconciliation, and respect.
This year we were blessed by two different organisations with donations and would just like to give special thanks to Shelley from 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day South Africa who donated beautiful handmade scarves for each individual as well as TFG Marketing & eCommerce who collected their second hand clothing for our clothing drive. All goods were handed out on the 23rd of July.
FOSTER PROGRAMME
A new initiative that we have recently started is the ‘Foster Programme’. This programme focusses on Individuals or Corporates who would choose an individual or family which they will then sponsor financially or with goods in kind. The Wellness Centre Trust will steward the items and or finances and send receipts and photos back to the sponsors.
This allows us to be more intentional and specific in helping people back into society. There will be a plan for the individual or family as we do not want to create a long term dependency rather a 6 month/12 month plan.
Here is a story of one such family receiving sponsorship and the change it has made in their lives:
Ntombi Mnikwa came to The Wellness centre Trust in 2015. She is an adult who never had a South African ID before. We sponsored a social worker to work with her to obtain the necessary documents and information to go to Home affairs and after 18 months the process was complete and she received her ID card. At that time she was jobless and staying in a shack with her partner who since then passed away. Her four children were staying in the Eastern Cape and were also living in terrible conditions. The Wellness Centre Trust then sponsored their transport and reunited them with their mom. None of the children had a birth certificate so The Wellness Centre trust then went through the process with her and after almost a year all four were able to have their birth certificates. This meant that now they could register with SASSA and this single mom was able to get a grant for each child. In the meantime Ntombi was able to get a domestic job but unfortunately still pays very little. Due to lack of funds and no birth certificates at the time the children did not go to school for an entire year last year. Now with their birth certificate’s and two financial sponsors who we call their “Foster Sponsors”, the children have been sponsored school uniforms, school fees, books, school lunches and even a fridge.
Their lives have significantly improved with the help of The Wellness Centre Trust and their Foster Sponsors. This is not the end for Ntombi, our intention is to “upskill” her so she can get a better job such as a caregiver and help her improve her English speaking ability.
ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY
Dumisani, 43 years old, has received his certificate in plumbing this year. With the help of the Wellness Centre Trust and 31 Club, he was able to attend a two week course at the PCD College in Pretoria. Dumisani has started working in plumbing at a very young age, so he did have the experience but he never had an official document to prove this. With his new diploma, he has been hired by a company to carry out the maintenance of an entire building. He is hoping to get offered a permanent job, so that he will be able to support his wife and 3 children, with job security.
Dumisani has been coming to the meetings of the Wellness Centre Trust for a long time. He says he sees us as his friends, his church and trustees. “They’re always there for me and helped me in so many ways.” Every Sunday, Dumisani plays his guitar and sings to give the other people in need, hope for a better future. He says it’s he’s only way of giving back to them, and to thank the Wellness Centre for what they have done for him. “I am so grateful.”
