Ikhaya Labantu Old Age Home residents in Langa were thrilled when members of the Wesley Guild Youth Movement visited the home on Wednesday 15 February.
The guilders from Wesleyan Church in Zone 3 held a short prayer service with the residents before donating groceries to the centre.
Ikhaya Labantu is a non profit organisation (NPO) that accommodates elderly and vulnerable residents from Langa and the surrounding communities. It is currently home to 34 people.
The centre’s deputy manager Ntombehlubi Mhlauli described the occasion as a “blessing in disguise”.
She said the visit means a lot to them.
“We are pleased with their visit, especially with the groceries. It demonstrates that there are people who love and care about us. It was a great feeling to be with them,” said Mhlauli.
She said the centre accommodates people from the ages of 60 upwards.
According to Mhlauli, the majority of residents are frail and disabled. She emphasised that in most cases the centre is surviving through funds from donors.
“We are accommodating residents from different areas. Some of them are referred to the centre by the City’s Social Development department. While others are brought in by their families because they have no one to look after them while they are at work,” she explained.
The guilders’ vice-president Kamva Makaba described their visit as part of their outreach programme.
“This is part of giving back to the community. We have an outreach programme at church where we assist the needy in the communities. As guild members, part of our mission is to look for disadvantaged families in our communities and try to find a way to assist where possible. It depends because sometimes it is a particular family, organisation or crèche,” she explained.
Makaba stated that they also have a soup kitchen where they feed the community every Wednesday.