Bathandwa Day and Night Care Centre was founded by a couple, Virgina and Oliver Simelela in 2000 and is a place of safety that cares for abandoned, HIV+ and physically or mentally disabled children - children who would otherwise be left impoverished to wander the streets of Cape Town. Read more about Virgina, Oliver and the children on our website.

The children sleep in bunk beds lining the corridors. There is no space to play, no garden, only one bathroom and a very small kitchen in which to cook for 30 children. The older children have no private space in which to do their homework.

The Department of Social Services will not register the home until various health and safety requirements are satisfied. Given the existing set-up, these requirements cannot be met and Bathandwa cannot benefit from the various government grants available to registered homes.

A piece of land has been acquired where a new home will be built so that these requirements can be met. The Friends of Bathandwa Trust has raised enough funds to build three cluster houses, which will each house six children and a house mother. Building of these clusters is underway. To accommodate all the children however, a further two cluster houses need to be built, as well as communal areas - at least a further R1.5M needs to be raised towards this end.
Some Items On Our Wish List!
* Cutlery: especially spoons
* Crockery: such as bowls and plates
* Big cooking pots
* Single bed sheets
* Plastic single mattress protector sheets
* Disposable nappies in a range of sizes: mainly for the disabled kids
* Groceries
* Cleaning materials: washing powder, etc.
Please view our web-site for our full wish-list.