Melkbos Care Centre

Why did Lottoland choose Melkbos Care Centre as an organisation to support?

The Melkbos Care Centre is a registered non-profit care facility for children. The Centre is not government funded or subsidised and relies solely on the donations of individuals, companies and organisations to provide the care to these underprivileged children. We are a registered NPO, with PBO status and we are also registered with the Dept. of Social Services. We provide our services to orphaned and underprivileged children, many of whom live in homes affected by HIV Aids and substance abuse.

Our services are a life line to many of the children who attend the Centre, whose parents/guardians are unable or unwilling to provide for the needs of their children.

We start off our day bright and early at 07:00 am with the first of many trips in the ‘Melkbos Care Centre National Lottery’ Minibus and  22 Seater Bus Sponsored by The Margaret Pickardt Trust – we transport 84 children to and from the various schools in Melkbosstrand.

With the high illiteracy rate among the parents of the children we assist, many of whom are unemployed and are substance abusers, it is up to us to ensure the children are motivated to attend school and have the necessary resources available to them to partake in school and achieve their dreams.

Our Current Projects:
Get to school safe

This has been a core service we provide to the impoverished children in our community. We currently transport 84 underprivileged children to and from school each day who would otherwise be left to brave the harsh winter weather and face the dangers of the road all by themselves.

Stay in school project

Prior to the establishment of The Melkbos Care Centre the children attended a farm school where the level of education was of a very poor standard. One of our learners aged twelve (12) years could barely read or write and the others were in similar circumstances. Their school attendance was inconsistent and there was little motivation to complete their school years. One learner aged nine (9) years had never been to school before. Since the inception of The Melkbos Care Centre in 2005, we have successfully enrolled more than 100 plus children into local schools offering a higher standard of education. We believe a good education is a crucial building block in the growth of an able and ambitious young adult.

Early Childhood Development Project

Since 2005 we have successfully enrolled more than 48 learners into pre-schools. Due to the high cost of pre-school education in South Africa these children would not have had access to pre-school education without the assistance of The Melkbos Care Centre. Pre-school education is of utmost importance for these children as they lack the basic skills such as being able to differentiate between colours, how to hold a pencil and the ability to build puzzles. Without these basic concepts and skills they are at a distinct disadvantage when they enter Grade 1. They are left far behind their peers often causing them to repeat Grade 1, which negatively affects their self confidence.

In 2018 we established our own preschool facility with 6 permanent staff members accommodating 60 children between the ages of 3 and 6. We follow an established curriculum that is underwritten by the WCED and therefore our children have a better chance to be on the same level as their piers when entering primary school.