Visits to the Ikhaya Losizo Foster Home, also known as Nomphumelelo, have become a big part of community engagement at Victoria Mxenge House. Ikhayo Losizo houses 9 children whose parents are not able to take care of them. Over a few years we have managed to forge and maintain a strong bond with the children and also the mothers at the home this can be attributed to our regular visits. On weekends a group of young women from the residence sign up to spend at least two hours with the children engaging in a number of activities. The idea of a hero book was introduced last year and this serves to make the children share their dreams and ambitions, for example what they would like to be when they have grown up.

The interactions between the girls and the children were what mattered most. The mothers at the home were appreciative because they noted that the way in which the girls interact with themselves is mimicked by the children which in itself says a lot about the positive influence community engagement can have for children in terms of learning social interactions and even communication.

The girls in residence in collaboration with the Environmental Representative started to grow grass that would be later planted at the home, it is always great seeing two portfolios working together and this collaboration between the Community Engagement Representative and the Environmental Representative was a great example of teamwork within the residence.

Other than the visits to the children’s home there is also a hall vegetable garden that in rotation with other residences in the hall is tended to by the students of Lilian Ngoyi Hall. We were also involved in an end of year collection of clothes for an organisation called GADRA. And within the university we took part in the Give 5 campaign where students are encouraged to donate at least R5 to the campaign, in the past year all the proceeds for the campaign went to the Dean of Students Pocket Money Fund.

Last Modified: Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:57:38 SAST