The Rainbow Creche, situated in Bezuidenhout Valley, is a humble childcare centre that provides a loving, safe environment for up to 40 children in need of care during the day. The centre was opened some years ago by a concerned pensioner named Selina, and relies almost entirely on the kindness of sponsors to feed, educate and care for the children aged birth to preschool.
Selina identified the need in Bezuidenhout Valley to create a haven for local children, whose parents are often away at work during the day. The Rainbow creche is housed in the somewhat ramshackle changing rooms of a now-defunct sports ground. Selina, however, has made the best of the space, and provides daily meals from a small kitchen on the premises, using food donations from the local Spar and other beneficiaries. She shares the task of caring for the kids with two teachers, who provide basic foundation phase education throughout the day. Although school fees are minimal and very often go unpaid, Selina believes that it is her role to provide a place for the children and continues her good work against all the odds.
Due to the proximity of the Rainbow Creche to the head office of Gearhouse Group, the company soon became aware of the heroic efforts of Selina and her teachers to care for the children in the neighbourhood. Over the years, the Gearhouse team have given their time and skills to try to improve the school’s makeshift facilities, including ensuring that the power supply is safe and reliable and helping to repair and improve the small classroom spaces. Donations of clothing, blankets and food are collected wherever possible, which are received with grace and gratitude by Selina and her charges.
No matter how challenging the conditions, every child deserves to have more than their most basic needs met. There is space for encouragement and celebration, which sometimes goes a lot further in securing a child’s future than one might expect. To this end, Gearhouse provided the little school with an audio system to make their year-end graduation ceremony a real celebration. Every child deserves to be cherished, and we commend Selina and the Gearhouse Group for providing these little ones with a day they will never forget – and a future full of hope.
