Tshwane Home of Hope (THOH)
The Tshwane Home of Hope, a project launched by the Minister of Social Development and the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, is a shelter that caters for girls from ages 0 – 20 years who have been orphaned, abused or neglected. The home provides a safe shelter for the girls, ensures school attendance, provides psychosocial support, life skills training, health care, spiritual guidance and development and aims to restore the girl children back to their families through in-house training (Tshwane Home of Hope information brochure, 2008).
As volunteers, we visit the girl children on a weekly basis where we carry out planned activities that have life skills embedded in them. The life skills that we aim to provide and teach stem from a psychological basis. Some of the topics that we cover in life skills training include dealing with emotions, recognising emotions, effective communication, coping with stress, encouragement and motivation, and conflict management.
In addition to life skills training we attempt to link external resources with the girl children at the shelter. One such link has been with the Beverly Acquisto Dance Studio. Beverly Acquisto and Melissa have given hip hop dance classes to the girls. The THOH girls participated in Beverly Acuisto Dance Studio’s end of year concert in 2008. In 2009 Beverly will be giving dance and Pilates classes to the girls on a monthly basis.
In 2009 we aim to link more external resources with the girls allowing them to learn additional skills and have access to additional resources.
Should you wish to support THOH through any means (financial, service, resource link, skills training, donations of any sort) kindly email or contact Sian Davy (see contact us) or contact Ms Martha Mohlala at the home directly. Martha’s contact details are:
Tel: 012 341 6862
Cell: 082 522 7868 or 084 613 6637
Fax: 012 341 0133
126 Mears Street
Sunnyside
Pretoria
Republic of South Africa