Welkom Child and Youth Care Centre

 During 2001 a building was donated by the Gold Field Mining Group to the “NG Welfare” for a child and youth care centre at 13 and 15 Othello Road, Welkom. At first, the staff and management of the Winburg Children’s Home were closely involved in this project. At that stage, there were 57 children from the Goldfields living in the Winburg Children’s Home. Two youth care centres opened in Riebeeckstad and adv. Oberholzer helped in establishing committees at the Welkom Youth Care Centre. The Circuit of the Welkom Dutch Reformed Church decided to support this centre. They decided to become part of this project as a community project. The following Dutch Reformed members were chosen as members of the governing body: Mrs. M. Delport, G. Haylett, B. Mostert and Rev. J. Scholtz were appointed as representatives of the St. Helena Dutch Reformed Church.

Improvements were made to the original building. A large living room and pleasant flat for the child care worker were part of the renovation. The first furniture came from the Winburg Children’s Home. The Welkom community made generous contributions. Clear Water Pools donated a pool. Nedbank donated new beds and many businesses gave donations. The subsidy from die Department of Social Devolopment covers 70% of the monthly running costs. The centre is dependent on the community’s involvement to function financially. At this stage, bread, milk, eggs, cleaning agents and some groceries are received regularly. The children are very happy to receive pizzas once a week! One of our big partners is Affrox who donated gas heaters and stoves. They also supply the necessary gas.

Children

Welkom Youth Care Centre is registered for the care of twelve children, ten of which reside in the centre and two are in Amari School for severely handicapped children, but once a month they have a weekend to go out and then they come home to the centre.

The schools attended by the children are St Helena, Orion, Welkom Gimnasium and Amari.  Two of the boys have done particularty well in the academic field.  They are two brothers in Grades 6 and 10.  The brother in Grade 6 and one of the girls have done very well in sport.

There is one girl living with her grandmother who comes to the centre each afternoon to do her homework and thus a service is delivered in the community.

Twice a year we distribute a newsletter to our donors and to the community to thank them and bring them up to date with our activities.

Our children are very busy!  Each Friday we spend two hours at the Virgin Active Gym under supervision of the staff doing aerobic excercises, the treadmill, weights, swimming, bicycle riding ending with a 10 min sauna.  Then we are all geared up for the week ahead!

Over weekends the girls are hostesses.  The boys wash cars and keep the gardens neat and tidy. 

To raise funds for our centre we buy vetkoek form Pies 4 U.  We get as many orders as we can and we deliver.  We also sell clothes that we no longer use to raise funds.

Our children attend St Helena Dutch Reformed Church where they attend Sunday school, lead the congregation in singing and are active in the youth activities.  Six of our children will be confirmed at the end of 2010.  The children also attend an inter church cell group in Bedelia.

The community and churches are involved in the centre and help with donations of cleaning materials, toiletries, groceries, fresh produce and some see to it that the bedrooms are not shabby.

Various groups in the community are also involved in treating the children, servicing our vehicle and providing stationery for school.  We have also found someone who pays our electricity account, which brings much relief.

Each term the children strive to be chosen as the boy or girl of the term.  At the end of the year a trophy is awarded to the boy and girl of the year at the end of the year function with the management committee.  This trophy stays in the centre but is displayed with the winners name engraved on it.  They receive an certificate and are treated to a meal with the house parents.



 

Address:

Othelloweg / Road 15
Posbus / P O Box 55264
Eerstemyn 9466

Tel: 057 3532607

Management

Mr. Stafie Pelser was elected as first chairman. He is a physiotherapist and his involvement and passion inspired all the committee members. He resigned in 2006 and left Welkom. Mrs. Annemarie Niewoudt was elected as chairman of the Welkom Youth Care Centre. The chairman of finances is Mrs. Jeanette Meyer and the chairman of child care is mrs. Betty Mostert.

Management committee:

Chairperson - Mr. Wessel Pretorius 083 463 2586
Vice-chairperson - Me. Betty Mostert 083 625 1102
Sectretary - Mr. Leon Potgieter 082 337 7811

Child care committee:

Chairperson - Me. Betty Mostert 083 625 1102
Vice-chairperson - Me. Mariëtta Delport 082 331 1723
Secretary - Me. Liza Potgieter 082 309 3062

Members:

Annemarie Nieuwoudt 082 820 1161
Marthie de Klerk 083 556 2225 / 057-352 2257
Lida van den Berg 057-352 4003
Brenda Bartlett 057-357 5786
Dianne Nel 057-357 2872 (w)
Lorinda Volschenk 057-353 3530 / 083 449 4811
Ansie van Heerden 057-352 7870 / 073 198 3146

Financial committee:

Chairperson - Mr. Wessel Pretorius 083 463 2586
Vice-chairperson - Mr. Neil van der Merwe 057-352 7179 / 084 407 9367
Secretary - Mr. Leon Potgieter 082 337 7811

Members:

Mara Swanepoel 057-352 4438 / 083 462 7118

Staff Members

On 1 May 2004 the official opening took place. Jan and Annatjie Weideman are the new child care workers as from January 2008 and Sophia Gaekgwathe, Emily Lephuthing and Izak Nangu as assistants. The social worker is Mrs. Anita Barnard. Tel. no.: 051-881 0852 / 082 692 1824. She visits the centre once a week.