A Dunoon creche has welcomed a much-needed facelift thanks to the Blouberg Rotary Club and overseas donors.
Over the past four years, Zusakhe Creche, in Waxberry Street, has slowly acquired a roof, new insulated container classrooms with cupboards and pigeon holes, solar-powered lights and an ablution block with separate girls’ and boys’ toilets.
Blouberg Rotary Club joined forces with David Grier, of the Cipla Foundation, who became their main partner in the project.
Spearheaded by Blouberg Rotarian Helene Visser, they approached several overseas Rotary clubs for funding, and on Thursday February 15 the official ribbon cutting for the new Zusakhe Creche took place. Among the guests were many of the Rotarians who had given donations.
Patricia Fekema, who has been running the creche since 2006, was overcome by emotion as she thanked everyone who had contributed.
Ms Fekema became an Aids activist, counselling people with HIV/Aids after her daughter died from the disease as a teenager (“NGO tirelessly fights scourge of disease,” Tabletalk, 2015).
“When I started this it was not easy. I came here after I lost my child. I asked God why he had brought me to Dunoon when there was not even food to eat. Thank you to the Rotary club and overseas donors. I have finished what I came to do in Dunoon,” she said.
Tozama Matutu, from the Department of Social Development, said the creche was now the only one in Dunoon that had been approved by the department.
