Childrens Centre
The Balule Outreach Trust
Supporting Our Community
After School
Child Care Centre
Sigagule Village, Acornhoek
Our support of the after school Care Centre at Sigagule Village in Acornhoek, outside Hoedspruit is ongoing. The Centre, which caters for orphans and AIDS related children, is run by Shirley-Anne and Frank Beretta through an NGO, South African Medical Expeditions (SAME).
Lunch Monday to Friday
It is a vibrant facility where children have access to a healthy lunch after school each day of the week.
Extra Tuition
The services of volunteer teachers who give specialised Maths, English and Environmental Studies to small groups of 3 or 4 learners throughout the afternoon.
Mother and Patient Clinic
The services of a volunteer doctor who runs the well-equipped clinic.
Our Partnership with SAME
Our journey with SAME started in 2015- a journey which, in the words of Shirley-Anne Beretta, “has enabled us to achieve dreams and touch lives in a very special way.” Initially we provided funds to build and furnish a classroom. In 2018 part of our annual grant was used to build and equip their newly built clinic to comply with National Health Standards. The balance was utilised towards their Child Development programme and aftercare education. In 2019 a large proportion of our funding was utilised to construct an ablution facility with Enviro Loos’ – creating a much needed hygienic environment at the Sigagule Centre. The remaining funds were applied to equip a classroom to create a chalk free environment.
Continued Support Throughout Lockdown
The worst of Covid brought with it massive unemployment in the lowveld as the tourism industry came to a standstill. The trustees embarked on an appeal for funding specifically for COVID-19 relief in the local communities.
Nutritious Food Parcels
During the very worst of this period from April 2020 until January 2021 the trust funded the purchase of basic, nutritious food, which SAME distributed from the centre, to those families worst effected. The food parcels fed between 800 and 1000 persons daily throughout this period. A wonderful achievement of co-operation with SAME, the communities effected and the trust.
Feeding Families in Sigagule Village
Our relationship with SAME has flourished and our donation in February 2020 will be 2021 was used to construct a 3rd classroom and for the purchase of sorely needed sports equipment to foster physical education in the young learners. Throughout 2021 and 2022 the trust provided funding for food parcels monthly for between 25 and 35 carefully selected and monitored families. This is ongoing.