BETHAL – Hlanganani Orphanage is at the brink of losing its haven for not keeping up with monthly rentals.
This is according to the committee chairperson of the orphanage, Andrew Mthethwa. He said their landlord has given them a 3-month lifeline to source funds to pay the monthly rent of R8500 for an accommodation that houses 19 children.
He said the reason for their situation is Covid-19 which negatively impacted their donors who committed to aiding the orphanage could no longer fulfill commitment due to the pandemic.
“We are hoping that between now and October something will come up. We found this house in 2019 although we signed a lease agreement the previous year. Since then we’ve been involved department of Social Development for a short period. We received donations from time to time. As the chairperson, I also tried to assist where I can. However, expenses are beyond me and we need the help. In 2020, some potential donors came to visit the orphanage and pledge to support. But some of them have lost their jobs due to Covid and we became even more stranded. As a result, they could no longer help. The rent in a way became my responsibility and I could not afford it,” said Mthethwa.
He pointed out that the owner of the orphanage is willing to sell the property to them. All they need is to raise funds so that the property can be bought be transferred to them.
“We spoke with the owner and fortunately she understood the situation. Hence she has given us three months to source out funds so that the children have a roof over their heads. We’re appealing to the community and business people to give a helping hand. We can’t afford to lose this place because there’s still room for development that we can create to make a suitable environment for children.”
The Department of Social Development did not respond as yet to a media enquiry.
