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Tshemba Hosi Care Centre

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It was during a community tour that a Singita guest found himself profoundly moved by the plight of the physically challenged children of the area.

Fifty of these children – being either blind, deaf, paraplegic or suffering from celebral palsy – were crammed into a local church and cared for by two dedicated volunteers. With inadequate toilet and ablution facilities; a lack of space and equipment; no dedicated cooking facilities; and poor access for wheelchairs these amazing women were doing their best to care for these children.

On his return, our guest inspired his company to fund the establishment of a brand-new, dedicated facility. With a promise of the funds in hand, and in co-operation with other lodges in the area, our lodge staff persuaded the local tribal authority to allocate a suitable piece of land. They then researched the detailed needs and drew up the plans for the centre. They recruited a local, respected builder who employed local labour to do the building work. Singita thereafter recruited and funded the costs of a project manager to oversee this 12-month building project to a positive end.

The Tshemba Hosi Care Centre was opened at the start of the 2007 school year. The initial 50 children, for the first time in their lives, feel like normal children who are at ease in their custom-built environment. The challenge being addressed now is to ensure that this Care Centre increasingly fulfils the role of a learning centre through the installation of specialist educational equipment and the training of the staff in the best use thereof.