The contribution the staff of SABC 3 chose to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday on 18 July 2011 was to visit our Brixton premises to meet the boys and to plant a vegetable garden. Several of their staff members arrived at the Thembalethu Centre, chatted with the boys and then proceeded to ‘muck in’ with gardening tools, turning the soil and demarcating beds using surplus bricks. Others painted murals on the centre’s inside walls, one of which portayed Mr. Mandela himself. (See 93 Years Young – 19 July 2011.)
Several varieties of vegetables were planted and everyone waited for the harvest. Under the care of the street children, supervised by I Care staff, the vegetables flourished to the extent that they are not only providing nutritious home-grown produce for the boys but we have an over-abundance that we can sell to help fund other operational expenses.
Our thanks again to SABC3 staff – your kindness in 2011 will continue through 2012 and beyond and we are all grateful.
Pictured are Cameron Shabangu, a student at George Whitefield College and Maydie Heath, a donor and volunteer helper at the centre.
