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Christmas in Vrygrond: Bringing Joy to a Community in Need Where Rainbows Meet hosts their fourth annual Christmas party in 2018
WORDS Dejeana Williams
Despite tough economic times, Where Rainbows Meet brought joy to over 500 children in the Vrygrond community in the lead up to Christmas, by hosting their fourth annual Christmas party…
It is 9.30am and already hundreds of children from the township of Vrygrond in Cape Town surround the gates of Capricorn Primary School. They are all looking for a chance to see Santa and get a peek at their Christmas presents, ahead of the Where Rainbows Meet (WRM) annual Christmas party.
“There is no guarantee that the children of Vrygrond would have a Christmas like you and I have every year,” says Kyle Luke Cupido, Project Manager at WRM. “The purpose of the party is to make Christmas special for the children.”
WRM is a non-profit organisation based in Vrygrond, that works with members of the community to assist with their living and educational needs. In 2014, the organisation launched the ‘Adopt a child for Christmas Campaign’, where individuals are able to virtually adopt a child for Christmas. This comprises the buying of gifts, food, party packets, clothes, educational items and hygiene products for a child. The team also uses the funds to throw the children a Christmas party.
“These are kids we work with every day, along with their parents. We know their home situation; we know there is not much income. That’s why we do this for them.” – Kyle Luke Cupido
In the Vrygrond area, many children come from challenging homes. “The kids go through abuse and neglect and their parents often suffer from alcohol and drug abuse,” admits Kyle. Underlying these issues is the fact that unemployment is high – almost 80 percent. About a third of these kids’ parents work only to earn a very small income. “Taking all of this into account it explains why the children really look forward to the party,” says Kyle.
Four Years of Celebration
The 2018 party is the organisation’s fourth year running the festive event, and every year since its inception has been successful. Currently, with South Africa’s challenging financial climate, WRM has not been able to raise the funds needed this year to host a large party like in previous years.
In 2017, WRM actually held five parties in five different communities around Cape Town for 5000 children! Although they did not reach their target this year, they were still able to give 500 children gifts and a party. Even with Kyle and his team facing these limitations, they were still as determined to raise the funds needed to put a smile on the children’s faces this Christmas.
Dejeana Williams at Where Rainbows Meet ahead of their Christmas party
A Morning Spent with Santa
At the party, the children range from one to 16 years of age. For many of the children at the event, the party is a way to have fun and enjoy the festive cheer, even though their home situations may be unstable.
“The kids responded well, they were very excited”, says Kyle. “Some of them were moving forward in the line, trying to get there first as even though there are enough gifts for everyone, they fear they’ll miss out.”
The day ended with Santa and his elves entertaining the children. Each child at the party left with a gift and a lasting memory of Christmas 2018.
Want to find out how you can contribute to Christmas in 2019? Click here – www.whererainbowsmeet.org
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