The members of the Rotary Club of Helderberg can be seen hard at work raising funds for the awe-inspiring Bizweni Centre for Disabled Children.
Situated in Somerset West, the Bizweni Centre for Disabled Children was established in 1998 and is a Day Care, ECD (Early Childhood Development) Centre with the purpose of providing quality care for children with a range of disabilities such as cerebral palsy and autism.
According to Vicky Hinrichsen, Bizweni Centre Project Manager, the Bizweni Centre currently cares for 51 children. “The Rotary Club of Helderberg has been involved with Bizweni Centre for many years and was instrumental in the building of the new Centre, without which the school would not have been able to grow and develop to where it is today. Each year the Rotary Club has been able to organize wheelchairs for children in need; while being fully involved in the fundraising for our new school bus. Once again identifying a need, Rotary Helderberg has committed to raising funds to extend the existing building into a Skills Development Centre for disabled children aged 15 to 18 years. The Rotary Club has impacted the lives of the children with disabilities in the Helderberg in a tremendous way”.
“In 2005 our members visited the Bizweni Campus and saw the cramped and totally inadequate conditions in which up to 10 disabled children were lovingly looked after,” says Peter Cohen, President of the Rotary Club of Helderberg. “Between 2005 and 2010 we raised funds, built and furnished a state of the art facility where 50 children could be educated and cared for. Part of our fund raising initiative saw us set up and man the water tables at Lourensford and Knorhoek Wine Estates on three separate days of the 2012 and 2013 FNB Wines2Whales MTB Events. Although it’s hard work, it’s also great fun for us and the cyclists. We’re grateful for the money raised for our charities, especially for our latest major Bizweni Project which entails the extension of the existing facility into a Skills Development Centre. To date we’ve managed to raise just under 50% of the building costs and can use all the help that we can get”.
The approximate cost of running the Bizweni Centre is R2200 per child per month. This is done through: school fees, corporate funding, individuals, government funding and fundraising. For more information on or to contribute towards the Bizweni Centre for Disabled Children visit www.bizwenicentre.co.za
FNB Wines2Whales MTB Events;
Starting in the Winelands of Somerset West, riders cross through (and over) 13 wineries, 26 private farms, six mountains, historic roads and mountain passes, nature conservation areas (including the Kogelberg Biosphere) before finishing within sight of the famous whales of Hermanus!
- FNB Wines2Whales MTB Adventure: 31 October 2014 until 02 November 2014
- FNB Wines2Whales MTB Ride: 03 November 2014 until 05 November 2014
- FNB Wines2Whales MTB Race: 07 November 2014 until 09 November until 2014
Like our Facebook page: Bizweni Centre For Disabled Children / Wines2Whales
Follow us on Twitter: @w2wmtb
Source: Newsport Media
