With the festive season approaching, Mustadafin Foundation annually hosts a ‘Positive Day’, bringing smiles to children living in disadvantaged areas with toys and wonderful activities. The non-profit organisation’s annual Positive Day will take place on 10 December 2014 at Mnandi Pool in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain and is a celebration of the children in their various programmes. Over 300 children from the Cape Flats will enjoy the sun and have some fun!
Mustadafin Foundation will treat the young ones, aged from 3 – 14 years old, to a day focussed entirely on them. The little ones from Mustadafin Foundation’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, crèches and feeding schemes will take part in the programme where they will be given toys in celebration of the festive season. Most of these children come from poor, destitute and broken families and have never received a gift in their life.
“Positive Day is an annual celebration for children that have conquered many things during their life. It’s about positivity and we also give safety messages to make sure that they are well equipped for the festive season. These safety messages are focused on drug awareness, how to be safe in the water and general safety measures when their guardians are not around. It’s also a day when a child can be a child and not have to worry about the shootings in their area, gangsters, drugs or whether there will be food on the table,” says Ghairunisa Johnstone, Director at Mustadafin Foundation.
Many of the children taking part in this programme have never seen or met their biological parents. “These are the children we work with during the year, we give them a gift, meal and all the love and support that we can. Giving them a toy is one token of making them believe they are special and loved. The festive season is a time when giving and sharing brings joy, smiles and hope to children where they only know unhappiness, disillusion and despair,” explains Johnstone.
Johnstone adds that she will never forget when they gave a little boy a second-hand soft turtle three years ago. It was the first time he was given a gift and Johnstone reflects that that was when she realized the impact a gift has on a child. The little one forgot about his food and party pack and held on to the toy the whole day.
Mustadafin Foundation calls on all Capetonions to bring smiles and laughter to the Cape Town children this festive season. If anyone would like to donate toys, they can contact Mustadafin on 021-633-0010 or drop them off at 18 Belgravia Road in Athlone. Mustadafin Foundation will hand out 300 toys on Positive Day on 10 December 2014 and over 150 toys on 25 December 2014.
If you are able to help and donate toys, please contact Mustadafin on 021-633-0010. For more information on Mustadafin Foundation, visit www.mustadafin.org.za. Join their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MustadafinFoundation
