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Ikhaya Lomusa

The Day Ikhaya Lomusa was Spruced up

Ikhaya Lomusa received a welcome face-lift at the beginning of July when more than 90 people responded to an appeal for the home’s first volunteer day. Rays of Hope’s recently appointed Executive Director, Sihle Mooi, was almost at a loss for words. “The day far exceeded our expectations. I have never seen people so eager to work and so happy just to be there. There was an amazing buzz in the air as people from different backgrounds and walks of life met and worked together. It was brilliant.” Ikhaya Lomusa, a foster home in Alexandra township, provides holistic care for eight vulnerable, abused, orphaned and neglected children by a foster mother, Bertha, and father, Martin. Here each child receives the love and support they need to reach their potential, while enabling them to grow up and develop in a normal way and to eventually live independently as adults who can contribute to society. Sihle described the scene: “For most people it was the first time they came to Ikhaya Lomusa. While some volunteers drove up in their SUVs from Sandton, others walked to the house from different parts of Alex. The youngest helper was only four. We had families, school and youth groups, and also a number of individuals pitched up. Everyone brought tools – garden spades and forks, mops, drills and screwdrivers. They were all keen to get going.” The place was given a thorough overhaul. “Carpets and floors were cleaned, walls and windows were washed, and flowerbeds were prepared and planted. Inside the house, toilets were fixed, kitchen cupboards were repaired, and books and stationery were sorted,” said Sihle. Sihle felt that, for the organisers, the day had significance beyond the physical fixing and renovating of the property. “I saw something about the potential of our country and it was beautiful. People worked together in a spirit of co-operation. I even noticed a gardener guiding the hand of a software engineer.” Sihle was grateful for the selfless, joint effort that was made. “I want to thank everyone who participated. The response was beyond anything I had hoped for. The most common question I was asked was, ‘Can we do this once a month?’ That says it all.”

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