City's Safety and Security donates educational toys to paediatric care facility
Handing over the educational toys to the facility were, from left: Jermaine Carelse (Fire & Rescue), Head of Therapy Faiza Achmat (St Joseph’s), Councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe, Chantel Alexander (Disaster Risk Management), and Head of Nursing Sister Audrey Gourrah (St Joseph’s).
Image: Supplied
The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate has donated educational toys worth more than R30 000 to St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care Facility in Montana.
The toys were handed over on Friday, January 16, with the funds raised through a fundraising fun run hosted by the directorate at Rondebosch Common in October last year. The event attracted more than 500 participants from departments within the directorate.
St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care Facility is a non-profit institution that provides specialised care for medically fragile children. The facility serves as a transitional space between hospital and home, offering free nursing care, rehabilitation therapy and family support.
Children typically spend an average of six months at the facility, during which staff also educate parents about their children’s medical conditions and assist with improving medication adherence. The care provided aims to reduce stress for families from vulnerable communities and support children’s recovery and well-being.
Chairperson of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee, Mzwakhe Nqavashe, praised the initiative and the staff involved.
“I commend the staff of the Safety and Security Directorate for their initiative, participation, and unwavering dedication in making a difference in the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents,” he said.
Head of Nursing at St Joseph’s, Sister Audrey Gourrah, expressed appreciation for the donation and the engagement with the children.
“We are deeply grateful to the City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate for choosing St Joseph’s as the beneficiary of this initiative. What made the event especially meaningful was not only the funds raised, but the genuine connection formed between our children and those who took part,” she said.
City of Cape Town Safety and Security Directorate said the initiative reflects its ongoing commitment to community upliftment beyond its core safety mandate.