Youth centre for Soweto orphanage
Solar-power will cut home’s costs
One of SA’s oldest children’s homes – the Orlando Children’s Home – has received a new solar-powered youth centre worth over R4m. The youth development centre was funded by the Japanese government and energy company Kawaguchi Energy Natural Solution through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects. It cost R4.4m to build and is equipped with a R1.3m hi-tech solar power system.
The orphanage’s director, Solani Mazibuko, said they were very excited not to have to worry about power cuts and paying for electricity.
“We have had babies die in this home because they could not handle the winter when there was load shedding. When abandoned babies come to us, they have very weak systems and need all of the warmth possible to survive,” she said.
Mazibuko said the home was founded in 1940 by the Child Welfare Society and was taken over by the community of Soweto in 1976.
She said the relationship between Japan and the home spanned decades. “Even before my time, we’ve had a lot of Japanese personalities come to visit the home. We’ve also had the prime minister visit us,” Mazibuko said. Consul of Japan in SA Yasushi Naito, who handed over the centre to the home on Saturday, said he had been involved with the centre for more than 30 years.
He said he was responsible for fostering a relationship between the home and Japan. “Back in 1988, I remember the situation in Soweto was very different and my role as a young diplomat was to attend anti-apartheid rallies and show our solidarity as much as possible so that the then-National Party government couldn’t ban the meetings easily,” he said.
“I went around townships including Soweto and Mamelodi and there I got to know Orlando Children’s Home, which was a place for the most vulnerable and traumatised section of the society.”
Naito said the solar power system was an important symbol to show the children the importance of looking after the environment.
The solar panels installed are the lightest in the world but strong enough to withstand harsh elements. Mazibuko said the solar power system would relieve a lot of the expensive electricity costs from the limited funds of the home.
“We rely on funding to pay for electricity and this can affect the quality of care we give our children. There is free sun in SA, we’ll never have to worry again,” Mazibuko said. The centre will give 140 children at the home the chance to participate in activities that will keep them physically and mentally healthy. Mazibuko said the children had already started taking karate lessons and playing basketball in the facility. Other activities such as judo, carpentry and embroidery will also be available. “With this type of centre, we broaden the scope of the lives of our children and we expose them to healthy living.” Naito said one of the goals for the centre was to create a space where Japanese and South African children would be able to learn from each other’s cultures through interaction in the centre.