The Spirit Foundation Community Programme had a busy second quarter, with several impactful initiatives delivered in collaboration with our community partners.
To start, in May alone, the League of the Friends of the blind (LOFOB), provided therapeutic and education services to 59 children and their parents/caregivers. Additionally, they facilitated blindness awareness, education and training to 600 community members, including 65 members of staff from various education, health, social and community development organisations.
Without access to appropriate intervention and resources, many blind and visually impaired children face exclusion, delayed development and isolation. LOFOB programmes are designed to prepare children for academic as well as functional success with a special focus on orientation, mobility and sensory skills training – enabling each child to thrive.
When it comes to building numeracy skills, blind and visually impaired children cannot rely on visual counting methods such as looking at fingers, number charts, or written numerals. LOFOB ensures that blind and visually impaired children have access to essential tactile learning resources that support early mathematical learning, understanding and readiness for future academic success.
At the Big Issue, tragically, three vendors had their shacks burn down in a fire in Khayelitsha, but with the help of the Home Improvement funding from the Spirit Foundation, the Big Issue was able to step in and support the affected vendors through this difficult time in their lives.
On a positive note, the Big Issue celebrated 30 years of the publication in South Africa and issue #350 featured some incredible stories such as Penny Hawker, the longest standing staff member and Joseph Klink, the vendor who has been selling the magazine for 28 years.
At Hear In Africa, as part of the ongoing pro bono community work, a paediatric hearing screening programme was conducted at Christel House School.
A total of 43 Grade RR children were screened. Of these, six children were identified with possible hearing loss and require further diagnostic assessment. 22 children presented with some form of ear pathology requiring medical follow-up.
Excellence in life is a partner whose objective is to provide opportunities in life and sport, and, to offer marginalised children and youth access to structured sport activities and life skills development. During the quarter, there was a strong focus on exam preparation and for the Mpumelelo project, computer classes.
Lastly, the Upper Liesbeek River Garden project tackled the damage from the severe storm of 11-12 May. The force of the water in the Liesbeek was formidable. Fortunately, there were no people in the garden at the time the tree came crashing down. It missed a bench, the sundial and all the signboards at the Upper Noreen Road entrance area. Tree fellers were called in to cut up and remove branches, but the main trunk has been left in the garden to form part of the evolving landscape.
We look forward to providing you with an update in the next issue of Full Circle as we continue to make a lasting impact in our community.
