Christmas in Khayelitsha
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston Churchill
There's nothing more precious than seeing a child's face light up at the sight of a gift with their name on it. I remember the excitement I felt around Christmas or my birthday just anticipating what colourful noisy delights lay under the covers of the Barney the Dinosaur wrapping paper.
Cut across to the township of Khayelitsha in Cape Town, more specifically to the Khumbulani Day Care Centre, and that childlike excitement seems tenfold.
Explosive chants of “Happy Christmas”, “Happy Christmas”, came our way as we entered Khumbulani yesterday. We were here to hand out early Christmas gifts to the young ones, gifts the members of our team had bought and wrapped in excess.
Khumbulani is a day care centre run by one tiny woman, Gloria Bebeza (see photo above), and her helpers who care for about 160 HIV infected or affected children, between 0 and 13 years, daily.
I didn’t grow up disadvantaged. I knew Barney wrapping paper would litter my bedroom floor come April 26, my birthday. I knew the furry red stocking my parents hung over the fireplace for me would be splitting at the seams come December 25.
These kids don’t. And to be able to arrive with a car and Rhino-Tripping trailer load of gifts for them feels a heck of a lot better than receiving a gift ever has.
Luyanda Singenile, our Rates Administrator at Rhino Africa, played a jolly Santa and dressed up in a bright red suit and white beard to hand gifts out to the snake-lines of children who flocked up to us in the most orderly of rows. I don’t remember my gap-toothed, pig-tailed peers at pre-school ever being so well-behaved. Gloria and her solely female team have done wonders at the centre.
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Gloria also runs a soup kitchen for the local community feeding up to 350 people a day. For such a tiny lady, she packs a lot of dynamite into her efforts to help the underprivileged in her community. And I'm sure, as for us, the kids' big-eyed smiles and tight dwarf hugs make it all worthwhile.
Rhino Africa has been supporting Khumbulani for several years with monthly donations, and by feeding Gloria's children. Through our association with Nhlayisa, we have formulated a special porridge and assist in running an annual fundraiser to continue this support. In the words of Nelson Mandela: “To heal a nation you must first feed and educate her children” and it is in this spirit that we embrace our involvement with Khumbulani. Rhino Tripping, our tour and transfer division also offers a township tour where guests can visit Khumbulani Day Care Centre. Contact us to find out more or to donate to Khumbulani yourself.
This Christmas, do yourself a favour and add a few more gifts to the trolley during your Christmas shopping spree. Gifts to give to those who might not be getting anything in their stockings...
Take a look at some more photos from the day below:
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