LOUIS TRICHARDT - "Alleviating the plight of a hungry, naked child by providing food and clothing is meeting the crucial needs of today. However important that may be, the needs of tomorrow must also be met. We aim to make sleeping quarters available to house 20 orphans in order to equip them for the future. "

These are the words of Mrs Sonja Prinsloo, principal of Kidz Academy in Louis Trichardt. After her contact with the tragically neglected child with badly maimed feet found by the Elim Care Group in November last year, Prinsloo was haunted by the recurring thought: "Food and clothing suffice today, but what about tomorrow?"

She reports that even in the limited time that she undertook the daily care and stimulation of that unfortunate child, the young girl developed in her spontaneity and her mastery of English.

"Children like these need a future. We want to equip them to become tomorrow's leaders and not the criminals of tomorrow. These children often need emotional healing because of their traumatic circumstances and they need to be prepared and developed to their full potential in order to take their place in the community."

Mrs Prinsloo had the vision for a hostel for neglected or orphaned children even before she started Kiddies Farm in 1996.

"Before 1995 my heart was only in the education of white children. But during that year at a "Heal Our Land Conference", I was repenting quietly of all that we had done against black children. Since then we particularly aimed to help build a future for neglected and underprivileged children," says Mrs Prinsloo.

A room inside the school buildings has been made available to house underprivileged children. Furnishing the room and appointing personnel to take care of the children will be the next step. All funds donated towards the project will be administered by IACESA (International Association for Christian Education South Africa) an organisation with which Kidz Academy is networking.

IACESA had a meeting on Friday (26th) at 15:00 at Kidz Academy in Douthwait Street. For more information about the project, contact Sonja at Tel (015) 516 2733 or Herman at 082 200 5770.