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| Children at the Zenzele Orphanage line up to get lunch. The organization is supported by workers, volunteers, and donors. Melanie Stetson Freeman - staff |
South Africa orphanage persists without its founder
The Monitor follows up on Zenzele, an orphanage now struggling to meet the needs of hundreds of children who lost their parents from AIDS.
from the August 1, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
A stream of donations
Many readers were inspired to help Mabaso and Zenzele, sending donations to this small orphanage south of Johannesburg. And judging by this reporter's visits to Zenzele over the course of 2006, that money was put to good use.
During that time, Mabaso increased the number of children living with her from 20 to 60; she built more rooms for the day-care center; she tiled the orphanage floors, and redid the bathroom. She built a line of showers and toilets to accommodate the flood of children coming to her for help. When it was a child's birthday, she bought a cake and threw a party; sometimes she would take small groups – to make each child feel special – to McDonald's.
She also continued to train staff members and develop relationships with donors inside and out of South Africa. "This needs to live beyond me," she said.
After Mabaso's death, hundreds came to her funeral; her orphans held hands in a circle around her coffin.
Today, 60 orphans still live here, and the day-care rooms – converted shipping containers – are still packed with giggling, scrambling children.
One recent day found Wandile Mlungwana in the kitchen, mixing a huge, steaming vat of samp and beans – lunch for more than 150 kids. Mabaso hired him three years ago, Mr. Mlungwana says, and he is still volunteering.
"Before, maybe I thought this project would close down [after Mabaso died]," he says. "But now everything is OK."
At first, Ms. Louw takes the same, positive attitude. She gives a tour of the orphanage, pointing out the girls' room with the new bedspreads, and the room that holds the double bed she shares with three orphans.
"Here they can read, they can watch television, they can go on the computer," Louw says. "I bought a stereo speaker so they can dance."
But as she walks into the kitchen, her mood seems to shift. The metal shelving – stocked with supplies when Mabaso was alive – is completely bare. "We are trying hard to keep it going," Louw says. "But we don't have enough meat or vegetables."
That's why today's lunch will be nothing but starch, she says.
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