Good Morning Angels: R285 000,00 for disadvantaged children in the heart of Hillbrow

BACKGROUND: The Jo’burg Inner-city is a busy, gritty and dangerous place. Scores of people are milling about on and next to the street, on unmaintained pavements covered in rubble and dirt. People who don’t live there, just don’t feel comfortable being there. But the streets of downtown Hillbrow in the heart of the city, is home to scores of families, many of them homeless, jobless, looking for some kind of opportunity to earn and make a living. Around a third of these people are from other countries, but by far the most residents of Hillbrow are from rural South African areas, where opportunities have dried up completely. With World Homeless Day marked on 10 October, Good Morning Angels went to the heart of Hillbrow, to visit the Mould Empower Serve, better known as MES precinct. This charitable organisation has been creating a safe space for poverty-stricken families in Jo’burg’s inner-city since the mid-’80s. 

The MES After School Programme and Joshua Youth Leadership Development Programme are two programmes managed by MES that aims to empower youth to make an informed life decision, offering them an opportunity to see beyond poverty and gain access to economic opportunities. Through these programmes, 14 youth leaders mentor 80 school children, from grades 1 to 12, at the after school facility every school day as well as during school holidays. Here, the children of the poorest of the poor find a safe space to do their homework, play, be children and receive a nutritious meal, all basic needs that cannot always be fulfilled at home. 

REQUEST FOR: MES After School and Joshua Youth Development Programmes

ANGEL 1: Roman’s Pizza

SPONSORING: A fabulous pizza feast for lunch for all the children and Joshua’s 

ANGEL 2: Danny Vermeulen, Transformation Manager at Attacq Ltd.

SPONSORING: The Attacq Foundation has long been supporting MES and will this time round donate R120 000,00 to the Joshua’s Youth Leadership Programme, to enable these youngsters to develop and grow, while serving and mentoring the After School Programme children. Danny has also challenged other property investment and development companies, to support MES

Two other companies were challenged by Danny Vermeulen to donate money for MES After School and Joshua Youth Development Programmes: 

Shaun Theunissen (Head Of Corporate Social Responsibility and Transformation: Growthpoint Properties Limited.

Shaun Theunissen and his company donated R120 000,00 

Christian Micha (Managing Director: Archstone Construction South Africa.)

Christian Micha and his company donated R45 000,00. 

That is R285 000, 000 in total!

Good job angels, good job!