1 May 2009

For some Cape Town residents a walk in Newlands Forest is a daily excursion, for others, however, it is an inaccessible dream. For the children living at Baphumelele Children’s Home in Khayelitsha, the forest exists only in fairytales, but on Saturday 18 April 2009 Cape Realty International (CRI) helped to turn the dream into reality.

CRI teamed up with charitable organisation, The Sisanda FunDaytion, to sponsor a Funday aimed at providing vulnerable children with a memorable experience in a beautiful and stimulating environment in the Western Cape.

A jam-packed fun filled day was organized for 35 children. Activities included an Easter egg hunt in the forest, a blazing display from the Newlands Fire Base “Working on Fire Program”, a braai lunch at CRI’s Camps Bay office, followed by fun and games on Camps Bay beach. The day was officially closed with goodbye songs and handing out photographs to the children of shots taken during the day.

Undoubtedly the highlight of the day was the demonstration by the firemen, who, in full fire fighting gear, marched in unison before the spellbound children before introducing them to various fire-fighting methods and giving them a chance to try out some of the equipment themselves. The demonstration attracted the attention of several regular Newlands’ strollers as well as the odd havoc-causing hound!

The objective of these Fundays is not only to entertain, but also to educate the children and provide them with an opportunity to be inspired by adult role models. This Funday was a resounding success and Cape Realty International is proud to have been part of it.

If you would like to volunteer for, or donate to, any of the Funday excursions, or if you work for an organisation with kids in need of Fundays, please check out The Sisanda Fundation for further information on how you can help or be helped. The Sisanda Fundation is a fairly new charity. It is aptly named, as “Sisanda” means “we are growing” in isiXhosa.