Fun for underprivileged
Cape Times Fresh Air Fund brings joy to disadvantaged children
GRACIOUS donations from Cape Times readers have made it possible for children from disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds in the Mother City to receive a much needed holiday.
The Cape Times Fresh Air Camp in Simon’s Town will celebrate its centenary next year, having made school holidays memorable for underprivileged children at its Froggy Pond base.
There are funded camps held each year, with several other paid-for camps hosted at the base over weekends and school holidays.
Cape Times Fresh Air Fund chairperson Les Williams said the camp hosts about 1000 children a year and has never had to source funding.
“It has always been the Cape Times readers or their friends donating anything from R50, to organisations donating several thousand. The camps are all about bringing fun and excitement to young people who have rarely or never had a holiday at the beach. We plan to expand it next year to the greater province and invite youth from rural areas as well,” he said.
The fund was established in 1919 and co-ordinates with various organisations, including NPOs, schools and church groups, usually recruited and trained to work with the children.
During the course of a week they get to take trips to a penguin colony, play lots of games, eat hearty meals and learn new songs to sing. They also learn valuable life skills.
Over the past two weeks, faithbased organisation Scripture Union invited 109 boys and 219 girls, between the ages of 7 and 10, to the camp.
Co-ordinator Senick Visser said the children come from various areas across the metro, with some of them from single-parent homes, orphanages or shelters.
“Our organisation reaches out to these young people and tries to impart to them that there is love and kindness for them. Through word of mouth and engaging other organisation, schools and social workers, we invite children to the camps. Many have not seen a beach or swum in the ocean before,” she said.
Visser said camps were a perfect way to show children a different environment, and allow them to be carefree, even if just for a week.