Coalition of Sunshine centre in Eldorado and Change in Progress - South Africa
Lena Cohen - Centre coordinator of the Sunshine Association for children with disability in Eldorado park/Soweto, for the 1st of April 2015, invited Change in Progress to facilitate life skills to the Siblings of the special children who attend at Sunshine centre. Each term during school holidays the Sunshine centre pause’s the day to day operation and offers a school holidays siblings program for a week.
The sibling program is an extended service the centre offers the community, to motivate, develop skills and protect the children from 3 - 16yrs, against the negative elements in their community such as drugs, gangs, rape, and lolly house ”a practice where girls are kidnapped and inject them and get them hooked on drugs for prostitution” during school holidays. This community, Eldorado, like many communities has many challenges but the most high is drug abuse and gangs, but recently it painted a positive stroke of hope as the 2015 Miss South Africa, Liesl Laurie hails from Eldorado.
Of the 73 children present, they were divided into three groups 3 – 6yrs, where the practitioners of Sunshine looked after, while +15 of the 7 – 11yrs children the two mentors of Change in Progress, Thapelo and Karabo held a session of group discussions on what they wish for their community and lots of mind and body games. Cleo with support from Portia facilitated a character awareness workshop to a group of +23, 12 – 25yrs, able and disable. We realised the intelligence, vision and positive drive this young STARS have, to see themselves as the change agents in good behaviour, good pass rate, and care for the elders. Indeed the new generation has a chance to change the bad name and chase away the dark cloud that covers Eldorado.
They asked for more time with us and after pitching an Idea that Change in Progress host a three day camp, the group loved it. Lena saw their response and heard when they shared their vote of thanks after the workshop where most of them expressed how they benefited from the session and will share this information with friends and family. Hence motivated to pursue the coalition between Change in Progress and Sunshine centre’s sibling program in hosting the 3 days camps.
I was moved when one of the participants although disable expressed his gratefulness that we had the time with them by singing the song “I am coming back to the heart of worship” so excellently…I am hoping that this will be a new platform of growth, new target margin and broadening of the vision of Change in Progress; Young people, clear identity and goal to serve their passion.
For more information, be in contact with Cleo Mohlaodi Change in progress coordinator