HOUSE LESEDI
This story starts in 2014 – a story about a life that would be changed, forever. A story about finding a newborn baby wrapped in a plastic bag, abandoned by her mother, left on a rubbish dump to fight for her life…
She was found with acid burns to her face – left out with the rubbish to die. But Someone greater had plans for her, and she was found. The hospital staff managed to save the broken little girl, and the trajectory of her life was changed permanently. House Lesedi became the foundation of her new life, giving her a home, giving her safety, and showering her with the love that every child deserves.
A year later, the story just gets better. This little girl gets a family of her very own. Adoptive parents from Netherlands are matched with her specific needs, and she is adopted into a brand new life. Almost six years later, she has grown into a beautiful, confident young girl who we were reunited with in August 2018 when she visited South Africa. Radiating and glowing with hope, joy, and love, she is a symbol of changed destinies, and proof that any dark story can be changed to one of light and hope.
This story is one of nearly a hundred such stories – each one about a baby that has been given a new life through House Lesedi over the past 16 years. Almost all of these stories are of babies that were abandoned, orphaned, neglected or abused, or born from an unplanned or crisis pregnancy that, more often than not, resulted from rape, violence, or victimisation.
House Lesedi, which means House of Light, was obtained by the AFM Welfare and Doxa Deo Hartbeespoortdam, and was equipped to serve as a temporary safe care facility for babies between birth and 24 months of age. We have the space, experience, expertise and the passion to make a difference in the lives of children born to tragic circumstances that if no intervention takes place, would not have a positive future ahead of them. The assembly of Doxa Deo, a well known church in the community with a reputation for community involvement, is in full support of the project.
During 2018, Doxa Deo became the owners of the House Lesedi premises, and runs the project in co-operation with the AFM Welfare Council. House Lesedi became officially operational, with the consent and approval of the Department of Social Development. In the light of the expansion of the project to accommodate 15 babies at full capacity by March 2021, the need for sponsorships in terms of the following is much needed:
Diapers (new born – large)
Contributions to Electricity costs
Contributions to salaries of 12 Caregivers and 1 Center Manager
As an registered PBO, House Lesedi can issue Section 18 certificates to sponsors and donors in order for them to apply for rebate on Tax.
Someone once said, you can’t change the world, but you can change the world for
someone. Partnering with us can be the life changing gift – a brand new destiny for a
child who had no choice in coming into this world and therefore does not deserve to
be thrown away. We can change a life, we can give a future!
By Lorna Greyling