Takkie drive helps to get sport off on the right foot at children’s home
The Durbanville Children’s Home was filled with screams of excitement when bikers revved their way into the quad on Saturday November 11 to drop off their takkie donations and enjoy an afternoon of fun at a takkie drive organised by Janet Mantz.
On the day, 63 pairs of takkies were collected which will now be distributed to the children.
Durbanville Children’s Home is a registered child and youth care centre that cares for 144 children from the ages of 2 to 18.
“The children in our home come from environments that are not conducive to nurturing and growing well-grounded, well-adjusted and spirited young people,” said the home’s manager, Jenilee Samson.
“Instead, their primary caregivers are often absent, leaving the children exposed to various forms of abuse: from emotional and psychological to physical abuse.
“Annually, our services benefit 144 vulnerable children and 268 indirect beneficiaries which are the parents of the children.”
The takkie drive organiser, Janet Mantz, said she was inspired to collect the takkies because she wanted to volunteer to teach the children softball, netball and other sports.
Ms Mantz attended a toiletry drive at the home recently. There, she spoke with one of the teachers about her love for sport and interest in volunteering to coach sports for the children twice a week.
“During the toiletry drive, I noticed that a lot of the children that were there didn’t have any shoes on. I’ve since found out that it’s not because they didn’t have it’s because a lot of the children don’t like shoes,” she said.
“I then approached the home because I felt this need to volunteer, and they gave their approval for the drive. I started advertising about three months ago and put the flyers out,” she said.
“I received takkies from different sources, which I am grateful for because you cannot coach children in shoes, they need takkies, and that’s how it grew from strength to strength.
“I am a keen athlete. I’ve been involved in sports since the age of 12. I want to volunteer to teach them basic ball skills because I believe that sports helps with the brain development of a child.”
Ms Samson said: “Sport development for children is crucial for their overall well-being, physical health, and social skills. Engaging in sports at a young age can contribute to the development of fundamental motor skills, teamwork, discipline, and a healthy lifestyle. Therefore it is crucial for our children to form part of sport practices.”
Ms Samson said anyone interested in volunteering at the home should start by attending an information, which is held on the last Monday of every month. She said the home needed help with homework, charity and the bookshop.
