Good Morning Angels: Investing in Olienvenhoutbosch residents with special needs

BACKGROUND: The Olienvehoutbosch Organisation for Disability is a haven for adults and children with special needs. The organisation was started some nine years ago by its dynamic founder, Dinah Sekese. She remembers a time, when people with disabilities and parents of children with special needs, in this ever-growing township on the southern side of Centurion, had little or no support. That’s why she decided to do something about their plight. She canvassed all sorts of help on her own steam and started off with one humble container on a piece of dusty, dirty land.

Today, they have an office, work room, kitchen and store room, as well as three class rooms. In these well-equipped wooden class rooms able-bodied and special needs preschoolers get love, care, two meals and education every day. Dinah is very proud of their beautiful vegetable garden and play-area, where the children can run and climb on apparatus placed on a neatly kept lawn.

In the work room, women with disabilities and parents of children with special needs use three sewing machines and two over lockers to make dolls, toys and other curio’s. 

OPPORTUNITY:  "People with disabilities are contributing members of society” - The Clothes to Good Toy Project

to Good is an organisation focused on recycling clothing - old and new - to help women start up their own clothing re-selling enterprises. Up to date, they’ve assisted 300 women to establish their own clothing small businesses. They have a contract with big retailers to pick up discontinued ranges or damaged clothing - that can be fixed up with small alternations. They however also receive large quantities of clothing that is too badly damaged for re-selling. This material however can be re-used to make educational toys, that can be supplied to Early Childhood Development centres and crèche’s at much cheaper than regular suppliers. The Clothes for Good Toy Project will supply Dinah and her Olievenhoutbosch Organisation for Disability with this recycled material - all they need is some funds for more sewing machines and other materials needed to make this into a thriving business - to earn funds for the Organisation and create jobs for adults with special needs. 

REQUEST FROM: Tammy Greyling from Clothes to Good Toy Project

REQUEST FOR: Dinah Sekese and the Olienvenhoutbosch Organisation for Disability

ANGEL: Christo Bezuidenhout from the Round Table

SPONSORING: The Round Table and their friends will donate R75 000,00 to help Dinah and the Olienvehoutbosch Organisation for Disability to set up their Clothes to Good Toy Project to create and sell educational toys.

Listen to the moment below: