Durban — Eunice Mweli gave up her job as a teacher to take care of orphaned and abandoned children.
Her passion for children has even led to her extending her home to create more space so she could give them a home. Mweli is this week’s unsung hero.
The 57-year-old is the founder of the non-profit organisation the Siyajabula Trust Children’s Home, which she established in 1998 in Molweni, a township outside Hillcrest.
Mweli, is the youngest of seven children and was raised in Nqetho in Bulwer. She graduated as a teacher, and her love for children was so great that she adopted twin boys she had taught.
“I took the boys into my home and raised them as though they were my own. In a few months, we had more children in the very same situation,” she said.
The pressure of juggling teaching and caring for the children forced Mweli to choose between the two, and she opted for the latter.
“I am a loving and caring person. When I was young, my mother used to say: ‘I do not understand why some kids bring pets from the streets, but you always come with one or two kids for us to help.’ The love to care started from a very young age,” said Mweli.
Siyajabula Trust Children’s Home cares for children from Molweni, Nqetho, Ngcolosi and surrounding areas. It currently houses 57 children, from as young as 6 months.
Mweli has the assistance of two permanent helpers and three volunteers. She also works alongside the home’s trustees and a committee.
Their mission is to provide an enriching home with Christian faith and values to foster a spiritually grounded and morally centred environment – and a home for children that provides a sense of stability and security.
“We want it to be a place where children can feel supported and valued, with caregivers who are attentive to their needs and responsive to their emotions,” she said.
“We offer support structures for children to receive a quality education and have the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. And we empower the youth by identifying and leveraging their strengths, providing training in essential life skills, and facilitating their active participation in targeted lessons to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for specific jobs or activities,” said Mweli.
Among the home’s requirements are donations for school fees, school shoes, stationery and school bags.
They also require toiletries such as toothpaste, deodorant, Vaseline, soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper and nappies, as well as non-perishable food items.
The organisation is currently reliant on donations from businesses and community members, as well as fund-raising activities.
“I wish that we can find more sponsors so that we can offer a home to more children, and greater opportunities for the children when they are grown,” Mweli said.
Sunday Tribune