NICOLA MILTZ
On this day, the food is plentiful, the smiles are abundant and the merriment is never-ending.
This year’s annual Christmas party arranged by non-profit organisations, Boikanyo The Dion Herson Foundation and the Angel Network, was a shindig like never before for them.
The Sediba Thuto High Primary School in Soweto, was turned into a mini wonderland as over 1 500 poverty-stricken children – with life stories beyond your vilest imagination – had the time of their lives.
Every child got to take home a Santa Shoebox – a personalised pamper treasure-trove filled to the brim with the kind of stuff that kids’ smiles are made of. From fidget spinners for boys and nail polish for girls, the jam-packed boxes are their very own passport out of the hell that awaits them when they leave.
“To see the face of a child – who has never had anything brand new given to him in his life – opening his box is something that you will never forget,” said Marilyn Herson who heads up Boikanyo – an organisation which works with impoverished children in informal township communities in Gauteng.
Herson together with social workers from the Soweto Parent and Child Counselling Centre offer help and care to children throughout the year.
For the Christmas party, volunteers connected to the Angel Network produced in excess of 1 200 boxes. According to Angel Network founder, Glynne Wolman, the recipients all experience “dire living conditions”.
Take the Mosoltwa siblings who live in a place that has no name – a filthy squatter camp, in a tiny garage with no windows and a tap around the corner somewhere. Their diabetic mother lies in a septic state awaiting a leg amputation. “There is not one cent to rub together,” said Herson, “The only meal they have is the one given to them at school – their one reason for attending. In December when the schools close, they starve.
“This family gets double and triple of everything in their Santa boxes and their gratitude is overwhelming,” said Herson.
A 22-year-old woman brought her three siblings, all of whom are orphans from Lesotho. She has been raped multiple times by gangs of boys during the night, and has two tiny children to prove it.
These are just some of the forsaken children of the rainbow nation.
But last week they had their moment in the sun thanks to an army of goodwill suburban angels who worked tirelessly to bring Santa to Soweto. It took hours and months of planning for the event to take shape with countless shoebox makers banding together to create an unforgettable day.
On Thursday, November 30, at 09:00, the gates to the Soweto school opened. At least 100 volunteers, including members of the CSO, and mothers and fathers from several Jewish day schools, gave up their day to make sure everything ran according to plan.
A final count of 1 900 boxes were delivered. Each box is modelled on the Santa Shoebox Project, which asks for a facecloth, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, stationery, new clothes and a toy.
Extras like sanitary towels, maths sets, jewellery, tennis balls and earphones, hair combs, body lotion, soap and fluffy toys, are thrown in.
There were giant-size waterslides with foam pits, beauty queens, bracelet making, volley ball, fooz ball, table tennis, hairstylists, magic shows, soccer and other ball games, boxing demonstrations, a DJ and dance competitions.
There were two ice cream trucks, 50 watermelons, 1 200 boerewors rolls, and 60 birthday cakes to list a few things on offer.
It’s anyone’s guess what happens to the children once the party is over, but one thing is certain they will have a micro bank of positive memories to keep them going for a little while.
