Joburg - The El-Shammah Home for Abandoned Babies in Primrose, Germiston, from this week permanently said goodbye to load shedding and power outages thanks to a generous Mandela Day donation.
The baby home was gifted with solar panels to the value of R200 000 from Richards Bay engineering and manufacturing company Engineering Top Tech (ETT) and the centre’s co-founder Allistair Scholtz told The Saturday Star that this would drastically reduce their stress levels going forward.
“We really struggle with load shedding and power outages in the area so these solar panels will go such a long way and now electricity is something less we have to worry about.”
“It will really make a tangible difference in the home.”
It has been a busy week at The El-Shammah Home for Abandoned Babies Mandela Day commemorations (as they) continued long after Tuesday’s festivities.
Scholtz, who runs the baby home with his wife Merencia said they received a range of donations and were still expecting more in the coming days.
“A group donated sandwiches and even though the babies can’t eat them, we always pay it forward and donate elsewhere where there was a need.”
Other donations included milk and nappies, which Scholtz said were their most important need.
“Milk and nappies are gold for us because, for example, we currently have seven babies and they each need about five nappies a day.”
There was also a donation of baby bedding and clothes and Scholtz said even though some of the donated clothes were too big for the infants, they would find another child in the community to wear them.
Another way people paid tribute to The El-Shammah Home for Abandoned Babies was to treat its staff.
Scholtz said various groups served lunch for their staff and gave them some time.
“While the staff were served lunch, the group bathed and fed the babies under supervision.”
Scholtz said they were thrilled with the donations to the home so far and had been contacted about more arriving in the coming days.
And apart from the donations from companies and families, local pupils also volunteered their time to the babies at the home.
Scholtz and his wife also used Mandela Day as an opportunity to make a tangible difference in their community.
“We donated books to a local educational care centre and this week I also volunteered at a feeding scheme which is something I do every week.”
With the current donations this Mandela week, Scholtz said they already had a month’s supply for their babies.
“We are feeling so blessed and grateful,” he said.
And while The El-Shammah Home for Abandoned Babies can look after up to 12 babies at a time between birth and 2 years old, Scholtz said they couldn’t always afford to do so.
They currently have five in their care with another arriving soon.
Scholtz said the NPO was in continuous need of supplies which include: milk. nappies, fresh fruit and vegetables, purity and baby toiletries.
To help, contact Alistair and Merencia Scholtz at 061 242 2709 or 074 942 1297.