Blydskap House

I am Trudy Venter, child-care worker at Blydskap. Liesbet Morapedi is the relief child-care worker. It’s a girls’ house where we care for 11 children. Ten of them are still very young, but there is one girl of sixteen, who helps me a lot with the smaller ones.

The girls attend the following schools: Dr. Viljoen, Bloemfontein Primary School and Böhmer School.

The children are fond of playing with Barbie dolls on the veranda or in the rooms and this can occupy them for long periods. They build their own little “houses” in their rooms and entertain themselves for hours on end. It’s interesting to watch the construction work, which is done with chairs, waste baskets and towels.

They love puzzles and the Dealesville Dutch Reformed Church congregation brought them several new puzzles and Uno cards. They also enjoy reading children’s books. Students from the University of the Free State and the Dealesville congregation supplied them with several new titles.

We are supported by the congregations of the Dutch Reformed Churches of Dealesville, Andrew Murray and the Kovsie Student’s Congregation. Dealesville and Andrew Murray are exceptionally generous. They supply us with groceries, meat, clothing and toys. The Kovsie students do group sessions with the children and bring presents.

On her birthday, each girl receives a lovely present and a birthday cake from the Dealesville Congregation. Volunteers always bring presents and snacks and then we have a great party. They do a lot for the girls and spoil them with pizzas, cool drinks and sweets.

One of our other volunteers is also a generous contributor, with gifts like stockings, towels, toiletries, colouring books, and coloured pencils. Last winter she bought slippers for all our children.

The schoolgirls take part in extra mural activities at their schools. Magrieta does very well in athletics and Roelanda is also an active athlete. Some of the girls prefer netball and Victonette and Magrieta enjoy revue and is members of the school choir.

We often go on excursions to the Botanical Gardens. The girls enjoy climbing the hills there. Sometimes we go swimming and barbequing at Maselspoort Resort. The girls love going to the circus. Volunteers regularly take us to Oliewenhuis Museum, where we picnic under the trees and the girls play ball, games and run around on the lovely lawns. During the holidays, we often play putt-putt at a local miniature golf course.

When one of them has a problem, she confides in me and we try to solve it. We’re like one big, happy family.

By means of a developmental program, we strive to satisfy the children’s emotional, physical, educational and therapeutic needs.