Back to basics

Hello friends


Things have been so hectic lately I haven't had much time or opportunity to write about the things I thought I would when I started this blog.


One of the ideas behind this blog was to show how much more goes in to the work TLC does than simply the work with the babies. So I thought I would give you a little example.


Many years ago we used to run a feeding scheme for the local impoverished community. Over time the number of people being fed on a weekly basis were 400!
It came to a point where we were diverting all of our energies into trying to source enough food every week and the main purpose of TLC was becoming blurred.




We had to stop or risk losing the quality care we offered to the babies. However there were two ladies we simply could not leave to fend for themselves.

The problem was more than we could manage

Firstly there was Tryphina.

Tryphina has 5 children, her husband died shortly before Kwanele (the youngest boy) was born. She has a physical deformity where one leg is shorter than the other and has struggled to find and keep employment because of her slowness. For two years TLC was able to offer Mbali and Kwanele free preschool by allowing them to attend with our children here at TLC but there came a time when Tryphina was forced to relocate her family to a township about 20km from TLC and they could no longer get to school. They did and do still visit TLC every second week to collect food support.

Tryphina suffers from hypertension and in December last year she had a stroke that left her bed-ridden for several months. Despite all this she managed to keep her children attending the local school in the township where she lives.


Tryphina's family depends on TLC for food donations and assistance with basic school supplies.

Tryphina and her children

Then there was Lookie

My beloved Aus'Lookie. She breaks my heart.

Lookie had several children of her own, over the years they have all passed away due to HIV and AIDS and she was left to care for 8 of her grandchildren. She managed to qualify for a governement house which is 1 bedroom , a toilet and open plan lounge/kitchen. It has electricity but she cannot afford the prepaid meter cards and so she relies on paraffin lamps andan open pit fire to cook on.

In 2007 on the last school day of the year  and just before Christmas, her 4 oldet grandchildren were walking home from  school. They had to cross a busy intersection - this has to be done in 3 stages, you go from the school side to the middle island and from the island to the oppostie side and then from that side to the side diagonally opposite the school side.

On this day there was a lot of excitement and many children all trying to get across, the grandchildren got to the island and had  to wait there as the traffic lights changed before they could get across. Somehow due to the commotion a taxi mistook the traffic lights in his direction and attempted to cross the intersection when it was not his turn - this caused another taxi to swerve and it hit the island killing all 4 of the grandchildren.

Lookie is an old lady, bent and broken by the harshness of her life. She is now the sole surviving adult and has to look after 4 young children  as those who were able to help have all been wiped out. Lookie is a lovely lady, a lady of grace and dignity who should be allowed to rest in the sunshine and watch with joy as her grandchildren grow - instead she can often be seen carrying heavy logs of wood to cook the food on or full buckets of water for the household, she tries to grow a little pumpkin and spinach in her yard but is too old to find gainful employment and pleads everyday for assistance. We give what we can but this year that has been far too little.


This is a different but important part of our work, the opportunity to soften the day for someone is a blessing and a great lesson for the children to learn.


We love you all
Pippa