This project answers a significant area of concern in the Westlake community where large numbers of children are not attending a nursery or school and spend days on the streets. These children are extremely vulnerable to being exploited and abused by others as well as the physical dangers of being on the streets unsupervised. Neglect in the early years of a child’s life is often the start of a downward spiral into a number of social issues such as unemployment, substance abuse and criminality.

This project supports the Hope Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, which has been completely funded by donations. The centre provides free entry to pre-school for children whose parents are unemployed or cannot afford school fees.

Attending the Hope Centre will lead these children into further education and eventually higher standards of employment and income which will bring benefits to the whole community. The Hope Centre fills a critical void with a lot of potential for growth and development. Not only to support more children but to open up for the wider community and act as a centre for community outreach programs such as training and job creation initiatives.

The primary goal of the Hope Centre is to get children off the streets and into a positive, motivating environment while providing a foundation of learning and physical development that will stand these children in good stead for future success at school and in life in general.