Their aim is to develop, empower and teach lessons that will stick for life, and despite having limited resources, Sticky Toffee Children’s Centre is confident they will achieve their goals.
The Rocklands-based non-profit company was registered in December last year, after having been run informally for 16 years.
Managing Director Dominique Adams said the organisation’s services include character building workshops, child-minding aftercare and holiday care programmes.
Ms Adams said the organisation currently caters for 36 children from Mitchell’s Plain and Bonteheuwel.
The holiday programme focuses on educational and physical activities, with children also being able to go on camps and excursions.
Ms Adams said their after care programme is for when parents need a time-out, time to study or when they are invited to functions.
The children are then kept busy with life-skills programmes while their parents are away.
“The holiday care programme is designed not only to occupy a child, but to use the time to encourage and inspire children to ‘know better’, because once they ‘know better’, they can do better,” she said.
Ms Adams said there is a need for an organisation such as Sticky Toffee as children are being exposed to social ills at a young age, which affects their development and education.
“Poverty alleviation remains a problem in many of our societies and social ailments like substance abuse threaten many households. Crime and violence eat away at the fibre of our societies,” she said.
“Children’s development is under threat because of these problems. However, Sticky Toffee Children’s Centre provides an environment conducive to intellectual development, personal character growth and help to meet the physical needs of children including feeding them and playing with other kids.”
Ms Adams said they are in need of donations, such as food, stationery, internet connectivity and a projector for workshops, to operate effectively.
Ms Adams has a full-time job and pays her facilitators a stipend.
“We don’t only focus on education but life-skills too, and resources are vital. We have received computers, but now we need the internet for our children to work on their assignments.
“We also feed children after school at no cost. Sadly the reality exist to way too many kids that they have to go home after school to a house with no food. This a challenged faced by many families. We aim to assist in combating this problem.”
Susanne Adonis, a facilitator at Sticky Toffee, said she enjoys working with children and is positive about their programme.
“I was once a troubled child, but Mr and Ms Adams helped me and mentored me. My life has changed for the better and I am happy with the person I have become.
“I have joined the organisation, because I would like to give back to my community. I am very excited and as an organisation we will work hard to assist our children,” she said.