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0 viewsAugust 15th saw a large crowd come to witness the opening of the Uthannso Centre of Excellence in Braam Park, Johannesburg. The centre, opened by non-profit organisation, Afrika Tikkun, will help to improve the lives of the Hillbrow, Braamfontein community and surrounding areas. The MEC of Infrastructure Development, Qedani Mahlangu, officially opened the centre.
Afrika Tikkun has been working in Hillbrow providing an Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme from premises located at Temple Israel. However, it has long been clear to the organisation that these facilities are not sufficiently adequate to encompass the type of programmes and outreach that the area desperately needs.
It is fitting, too, that South Africa celebrates woman’s month in August, as the centre will provide relief for mothers from the high costs of child-care, allowing them to seek employment in the confident knowledge that their children are in safe hands.
Uthando, meaning love, is just what the founders of Afrika Tikkun envisaged. “When founder, Bertie Lubner and the late Rabbi Harris started this organisation, they hoped to provide a place where less privileged children would have access to the same amenities as their own children,” said Marc Lubner, CEO of Afrika Tikkun. “Our slogan is, “We have a heart for children” and with the opening of this centre, our heart just got bigger.”
The new center will enable Afrika Tikkun to increase the number of children in the ECD programme from 188 to 250, and immediately extend the number of beneficiaries assisted by the centre in various ways to 18 000.
Lubner said, “We will now be able to offer residents of the Johannesburg inner city access to the same holistic programme that we offer at our other Centres of Excellence, and implement our cradle to career interventions, bringing hope to Hillbrow and its surroundings.”
MEC Qedani Mahlangu praised the work that this organisation is doing for the communities. “Afrika Tikkun is giving these young people self-esteem because when they are confident, they stand up for themselves and do not let anything come in their way. This organisation is giving opportunities to young people in this country and people should appreciate and acknowledge that,” said Mahlangu.
Image 1: Miss SA Teen 2011 spending some quality time with the children
Image 2: Bertie Lubner, MEC Qedani Mahlangu and Marc Lubner receive gifts from ECD kids
Image 3: Manni Mhlanga, the General manager of the Uthando centre
Image 4: Librarian helping the kids with their homework
Image 5: The real beneficiaries of the Uthando centre give a heartwarming performance