Bana Boswa! Official opening of SOS Village in Rustenburg
30/09/2008
On 24th September, friends, donors and supporters of SOS Children gathered in Rustenburg to celebrate the official opening of the eighth Children’s Village in South Africa. The theme of the day was ‘Bana Boswa’ - which means ‘celebrating children as our future’.
As part of SOS Children’s ‘Six Villages for 2006’ joint World Cup campaign with FIFA, SOS Children’s Village Rustenburg was opened in late 2006. The ten family houses in the Village in South Africa’s North West Province are now home to 44 children and more are expected to arrive by the end of 2008.
The Children’s Village welcomed local figures and dignitaries including the Queen Mother of the Royal Bafokeng Nation and former Spurs captain and 2010 World Cup South Africa Ambassador, Gary Mabbutt.
Gary Mabbutt expressed his delight at the Village opening: “The village here in Rustenburg is testament to the efforts of many diverse groups working together to create a stable and loving family environment for the children who live here. This project really does highlight the power of football to give hope to people around the world and to bring people together to achieve a common goal.”
Rustenburg Village Director, Kerileng Mushi added, "Today marks an important day in the history of the SOS Children’s Village Rustenburg as we officially open the Village. This for us means celebrating the evolvement of this village, celebrating the children as our future - 'Bana Boswa', celebrating the partnerships that we have established since the inception of this Village, and raising more awareness of this Village. We now have 44 children in our care in the Village since its establishment. Another 18 children are expected to join us by the end of 2008."
Within the Rustenburg Village, The FA and Tottenham Hotspurs have both sponsored the building of complete houses which are now home to SOS mothers and the children in their care.
The SOS Children's Village Rustenburg is situated in a suburb called Tlhabane West, a particularly needy area of Rustenburg, which forms part of the North West province that has a high number of orphaned and vulnerable children. The Village comprises of ten new houses constructed within the existing community. The community-integrated homes offer the children a sense of being part of a wider community and provide the perfect environment for mixing and playing with local children.
SOS Children often raises funds to construct new Villages
using campaigns like '6 Villages for 2006', and then child sponsors pay for the ongoing costs.
