DURING the festive season of Christmas a lot of persons see a time to give back to the less fortunate, and one organisation that has been really grateful for these donations from the public is the Red Cross Convalescent Home (RCCH) in Durban Backlands.

RCCH provides residential care and support for children usually age five and under, convalescing from malnourishment, abuse, neglect, abandonment and orphanage; working in conjunction with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA).

The home currently caters for some 18 children, including three that are under the age of two. The smallest is a one-month-old infant. If the CCPA permits some of the children are allowed to go home to spend the Christmas with their parents or relatives.

This year four of the children ages 2–7 years old have gone home to spend some time with their loved ones, however, Christmas for those children spending it at the home is far from bleak, thanks to the abundance of kindness that the Home continues to see.
“They get a lot of toys, food stuff… they get more than some children at home,” shared Amocia Vanvied, one of the Home’s administrators.

Though nothing can replace the love from a parent or relative, at the convalescent home the staff of 22 try their best to make up for it.
“We try our best to make them feel comfortable and happy. They’re not missing anything, and we try to show them that love,” Vanveid said.

In the least when it comes to the Christmas season the children are not left out of the festivities. All the varying things that help make it special for children. Matter of fact for them the feting even starts a little early.

“They go out to parties and they’ve had parties here at the home. Since November they’ve been going to parties,” Vanvied shared with a laugh.
Vanvied has been working at the home some 13 years now. A constant that many of the children at the home look forward to. House Mother, Joan Stephens-Deveaux has also been at the home for some time now.

Quite a few of the children suffer from disabilities, including children who are mentally challenged, and those suffering from cerebral palsy.
“Donations are very good and the children are very, very excited,” Stephens-Deveaux said as she sat on a bed feeding the one month old infant.

In a corner Apostle Alex Selom is surrounded by the children as he shares toys and goodie bags, an illustration of the kindness being bestowed on the children.
A radio preacher, Selom is from the Revealed Word Christian Centre in Kitty. Throughout the year the church looks after meals for the children every Thursdays and Fridays.

However December 24 being the birthday of the church’s Bishop Anthony Fontanelle from New York, special donations of food and toys are made to the Home on this date every year.

Fontanelle himself usually visits the orphanage on this date, however this year he is out of the country and the donations were made by Selom.

“We start doing this over 30 years now. Every year he is in the country to celebrate with them but this very year he could not make it to come but we want that legacy to continue as a church so we buy gifts, we cook food. It’s a festive season and we want to put more happiness on the faces of the children,” Selom shared.

“We bring toys based on the children’s age, so we have some dolls, books, cars, football for the bigger ones, keyboard and different, different stuff.”
As the children walk away with their goodies, one child drops to the floor crying. She is being visited by a staff on maternity leave to whom she is attached. She doesn’t want the staff to leave. The young lady tried to console her.

In a crib nearby, a nine month old boy is also in tears. He has been learning too much “hand”, the staff said, as they ensure that he is changed and fed. He has to learn to be in his crib for a while.

The noisy atmosphere bothers no one. This is everyday life at the Home.
Aside from the 22 staff, several volunteers would often pass through the home to help out with the children.

Although the home caters for children up to five years old, children suffering from mental and physical disabilities often stay much longer. There are two disabled teens at the Home.