PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The women in the top echelons of the Southern Cape area of the Department of Correctional Services have proven that giving starts from the heart, launching an outreach towards children of Masizame Child and Youth Development Centre in Plettenberg Bay.
The officials, from Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Uniondale and Oudtshoorn, visited Masizame on Friday 15 September where they handed out blankets, sanitary towels and gift bags to children at the centre.
The Correctional Services Women's Network Forum was formed in August during women's month and the forum decided to find an appropriate recipient for its community outreach programme under the banner, "The future is female".
The forum has among its pillars community outreach, relationship enrichment, fighting gender-based violence and skills improvement. It also works for empowerment of children, focusing on "girl-child" projects. In addition, the women from Correctional Services cooked a meal for the 27 children at the centre, to await them when they returned from school.
Chairperson Yolande Classen said the forum discussed the issue at Correctional Services in Knysna and decided on Masizame Child Development centre in Kwanokuthula as its first recipient. "We aim to make this a monthly project and it is not just a once-off gesture," said Classen. The forum will also be looking for other projects to launch.
The chairperson of the Southern Cape management area, Ndileka Booi, also attended the function. It came a few days before her official retirement, said Classen.
"We are going to miss her a lot. But what you see here today is a memorable occasion and a result of what we learnt from her."
The top echelons of the Southern Cape management area of Correctional Services facilitated the handing over of gifts. Photo: Chris van Gass
Members of the top echelon of Correctional Services hand over a gift box to Elaine Smith-Cunningham of Masizame (second from left) at an outreach function on Friday. From left: Danti Nomhle, head of Comcor; Smith-Cunningham, Ndileka Booi, chairperson of the Southern Cape management area of Correctional Services; Bulelwa May, head of Oudtshoorn Correctional Services and Sifundo Siswana, head of Knysna Correctional Services.
Elaine Smith-Cunningham of Masizame receives a gift box from Ndileka Booi, chairperson of the Southern Cape management area of Correctional Services.
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