Ubuhle Babantwana Educare Centre is continuing to grow and thrive! As Mama Phumla’s child registration and financial reporting systems have become more complex, she has decided to hire a new assistant to help with finances and office work, building further on the administrative infrastructure that CHOSA’s former regional director, Rob Rosenbaum helped her set up. To further meet the needs of the children under Phumla’s care, CHOSA is also supporting Ubuhle by helping to secure additional Early Childhood Development training for the teachers at the day-care center, as well as regular medical check-ups for the children.

Phumla’s most recent concern is fire safety, as a nearby day-care center recently caught fire, seriously injuring several of the children. We were able to provide some children’s books on fire safety to help her train the kids in fire awareness, and have also encouraged Phumla to approach the fire department about the possibility of providing proper fire safety equipment, or educational talks for the children.

One of the things that make our partner organizations so special is their passion for the communities they serve, which stretches far beyond their primary obligations to the organizations they run. Phumla is a great example of this, as she and her fellow church-members have recently opened a soup kitchen to support HIV+ and tuberculosis patients, who go to a clinic nearby for treatment. We have secured daily donations of baked goods from a local coffee shop called Vida e Café, and have included the soup kitchen in our group of partner projects benefitting from the donations. They have found this support incredibly helpful as they expand their efforts to reach the most vulnerable in the township of Mfuleni.