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This year we had the pleasure of entertaining two remarkable establishments with Christmas Carols. Music truly is one of life’s greatest joys and we had a wonderful time sharing that joy in the spirit of the festive season with Forest Farm Centre and United Cerebral Palsy Association of South Africa.
On Thursday, 8 December, we visited Forest Farm Centre in Bryanston. The centre offers care for adults living with Cerebral Palsy; and their top priority is making sure that these residents are safe, happy and receive the necessary therapies they need. The centre continually searches for ways to give purpose to their residents so that they are not disabled by their disability but encouraged to learn new skills and participate in revenue-generating work in their workshop or other activities. We spent the evening singing, dancing and enjoying the company of these inspiring people.
Thank you to Forest Farm for making this an evening to remember! We were touched by the house mothers’ kindness and hospitality, and grateful to the residents who were so thoughtful in helping us collect all the Christmas carol booklets after the event. The energy of the residents of Forest Farm Centre is contagious; some even took to the dance floor and invited our carollers to dance!
Keeping the Christmas cheer alive on Friday, 9 December, we visited United Cerebral Palsy Association of South Africa, an institution that aims to empower individuals with Cerebral Palsy to reach their maximum potential and lead happy and fulfilled lives. UCPA currently accommodates 45 children, the youngest being 3 years old. We were delighted to see the great excitement and joy in each of the residents, how they loved the music and were eager to participate. Some joined the band by playing instruments, following them as they sang Christmas Carols throughout the centre and calling for encores after each song. Thank you to a special resident, Dumi, who assisted in packing up all the music stands used during the event! To the house mothers and staff members of UCPA, we express sincere gratitude for the hard work you do every day. It does not go unnoticed. To Lovemore Music Illovo and Steve Flavin, we say thank you for sponsoring the excellent music stands that made it possible for our large group of carollers to come together in song. Special thanks also go to Lloyd and Ralph, our talented musicians, for their musical accompaniment throughout each of these events. From IMAGINE Charity we’d like to wish Forest Farm Centre and United Cerebral Palsy Association of South Africa a joyous Festive Season, we look forward to seeing you in 2017!
Another year has almost gone by and with that the IMAGINE Day Christmas party took place at Ratanang Group for children with multiple disabilities. It was a heart-warming day at Chris Hani Baragwaneth Hospital sharing out Christmas presents, taking photos with Father Christmas, enjoying snacks and cheerful music. Like last year, a beautifully festive setting was created for all the children and their parents to enjoy their year-end celebration. We are honoured to be part of this event and thank Ratanang Group for sharing this day with us.
A heartfelt thank you to staff members, volunteers and mothers of the Ratanang Group for their kindness and hospitality we received. We have profound respect for the exceptional work that these care-workers do to improve the quality of life and care of ± 33 children and youths disabled by Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities, on a daily basis. Thank you Rob and Mary-Jade Hawley who brought us Father Christmas and his sweet elf, who etched in everyone’s memories a magical moment for each and every child! Talented musicians Lloyd and Ralph Daniel brought us festive cheer through their music and we sincerely thank them for their cheerful Christmas melodies eliciting joyous emotional responses, playful movements and happy faces from these special children and their families. Lastly, we appreciate all the hard work of our volunteers and organisers for enabling Friday’s program to run smoothly. Thank you for reminding each child, care-worker and family member there just how special they are.
From the IMAGINE Charity team, we wish Ratanang Group and their families a joyous and Blessed festive season. We look forward to seeing you again next year!