Times Of Swaziland: E25m orphanage home to 58 children

E25m orphanage home to 58 children
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 LUNGA MASUKU on 29/09/2012 00:00:00


MAKHONZA - Amitofo Care Centre local Director Cheng Shu-Ying said the idea of
the orphanage was conceived in 2007 and the construction finally started in
2009.
Speaking to Swazi News recently, Shu-Ying said they spent more than E25 million
has been spent on the first phase of the care centre. Speaking through an
interpreter, Eddie Lee, she said they built two dormitories, three warehouses, a
temporary guest house and a temple where they hold their services.
She said children are looked after by six caretakers who are taught on the
importance of giving love to the children. She said they practice Buddhism and
make sure that the children are given the right to follow their own religion of
choice. Shu-Ying said Budd-hism is not a religion, but a teaching founded on the
funda-mentals of love, respect and teaching the love of Buddha. "Being Buddhist
does not mean we will convert the children to our teachings.
We have set up a library where we have different books on Christianity. We make
sure that during Easter holidays we play a video for the children showing the
life of Christ. A majority of our children are orphaned and vulnerable. We make
sure that every two months those who have guardians come to the centre so that
they get to interact with their children. We do this so that they do not find
themselves deserted and dumped at the care centre," said Shu-Ying.
She said the care centre hires teachers who come once in a while to teach the
children Swazi traditional dances and other important topics about their
nationality. Before taking the children in, a meeting was convened with their
office and that of the chief so that they can explain to them what to expect
from the care centre.
...warm reception helps children settle in
MAKHONZA – A number of people have been asking how one goes about securing
accommodation and care for a child who may have lost both parents.
Director Cheng Shu-Ying said her organisation liaises with the Social Welfare
department that recommends needy children who can be handed over to the care
centre.
She said at the moment Amitofo Care Centre is home to 58 children.
Shu-Ying said there are 26 boys while the remainder are girls and they come from
all over Swaziland.
"Our aim is to take those between the age of four and 10 years. We do have
special cases of children above the age of 13 and that had to do with the fact
that the child was double orphaned and the Social Welfare department felt we
should take care of the child.
"We take them at this age because it makes it easy for us to teach them. We are
not rigid, but we need to be convinced that those children are in dire need. We
do have cases of HIV positive children who lost both parents to HIV/AIDS related
deaths," added Shu-Ying.
She said at the moment they have an in-house councillor who assists children to
easily acclimatise at the centre. Shu-Ying believes that with time the centre
will construct its own clinic.
At the moment they send their children to the nearby Nhlangano Centre whenever
they fall sick.
She said they try by all means to keep their children healthy so that they do
not find themselves sick. Shu-Ying said because of the warm reception their
children normally get makes it easy for them to quickly adapt and feel at home
at the centre.
She said they stress that children should take their ARVs religiously for their
well-being.