This year, after 10 years of volunteering as the Director of Vumani, I will be leaving the Centre and moving away from Ladybrand. I turn 76 this year and I have reached a stage where I really do need to retire! This, however, does not mean that Vumani needs to close down. With your help, we can ensure that the Centre stays open and continues to provide much-needed support for children from severely disadvantaged backgrounds in Ladybrand and Manyatseng. After much debate, the Committee has decided that the best option would be to employ somebody who can live at the Centre with the boys and therefore be available to supervise and help them on a full-time basis. A suitable candidate has already been identified for this position: Mothusi Matiea is a Mosotho man in his mid-40s who is friendly, hard working, reliable and, most importantly, has already indicated his interest in the Centre and the boys and his willingness to become a full-time supervisor. We are, however, desperately in need of donations to finance his monthly salary and to build him a small flat adjacent to the main building.
The Centre as a whole is always short of funds: the boys are constantly in need of uniform, stationery, money for school trips and countless other expenses. Those who are leaving the Centre need to be helped to start up their own lives. Any donations, great or small, towards any of the above will be greatly appreciated. You may also choose to 'sponsor' a boy and to help him with finishing school, getting technical training of some sort or moving into a place of his own. Let us ensure that the good work of Vumani continues, and that many more boys in the years to come can receive the kind of help that is not available to them anywhere else.
To make a donation, please email dhmorija@yahoo.com. Your support will be greatly appreciated.
Dorothy Hall, March 2010.
