Orphaned and vulnerable children of the Sacred Heart Home in Mthwalume, KwaZulu-Natal, celebrated national Women’s Day by visiting the retired nuns of the Daughters of St Francis Assisi at St Jude’s Retirement Home in Port Shepstone.

Fifteen kids represented the rest of the 54 children who could not all come due to Covid-19 lockdown regulations.

They performed items of music, poems and motivational talks focusing on gender-based violence under the theme #NotInMyName.

They also gave the elderly Sisters gifts, including a flat-screen television set, sanitisers, surgical gloves, wipes and groceries.

Funds had been raised by the children themselves, largely supported by Our Lady of Fatima parish in Sea Park.

The Sacred Heart Home, operating as a child and youth care centre, is a registered NPO established in 1962 by the Dominican Sisters of Newcastle.

It has residential capacity of 80 and serves both boys and girls.

For some, it is a stopover until the situation at home improves, they are adopted or foster homes are found for them. Others remain until the exit age of 17, after which they are supported remotely when necessary.

Sr Cosma Cira, director of the home, said that this visit was aimed at conscientising the children about the inherent dignity of women, inculcating in them the value of giving, teaching them skills in fundraising and raising GBV-awareness in general.

The children were very happy that the project was a success and promised to do more for those less fortunate than themselves in the future.

The home’s current dire need is the purchase of a “three-phase generation” power system—necessary due to frequent electricity loadshedding in the area—and the repair of the solar power system for heating water. The costs are estimated at R270000 and R27000 respectively.

Further information is available on www.sacredheartcycc.org.za. To support the work of Sacred Heart Home, Sr Cosma may be contacted on 039 699-8010 or 079 147-2335 or cosmacira@gmail.com.