Dear Friends of Golden Sunbeams
In contrast to the rainy June, we had a very mild and sunny July at the Cape this year, so the dams were not completely filled. On average, the dams in Cape Town are 90,1% full (as of August 13, 2025).
In our last newsletter in July, we reported that the heavy rains in the Rusthof township had severely affected two of our kindergartens: Lekkerbekkies Edu-Care Centre and Loflands Day-Care Centre. At Lekkerbekkies, we were able to repair the damage quickly, but at Loflands, it soon became clear to us that more than just a few minor repairs were needed. After compiling the long list of necessary work, we began the repair work in July.
But things turned out to be worse than we had previously thought: It was only when we replaced the roof of the storage room, which was leaking and needed to be re-roofed, that we discovered upon entering the ceiling area that the main roof of the two classrooms was also badly damaged and urgently needed to be replaced. Fortunately, the rainwater hadn’t yet penetrated the classrooms, so we only had to replace the roof, not the interior ceiling.
This additional work presented us with an unexpected financial challenge. We were therefore all the more delighted when the Shalima Foundation came to our aid with a generous donation. Thanks to this support, we were able to repair all the roof damage and fulfill another wish of June, the principal: an extended shade roof for the covered play area so that the children can play outside in protection even when it rains.
Another project we started at Loflands in July was renovating the kitchen. As we reported in our last newsletter, rain water had leaked through the roof and rain had also been coming in through the roof. Since June recently applied for registration for her day-care centre, we decided to not only repair the roof and interior ceiling, but also to renovate the entire kitchen to ensure the health department wouldn’t have any issues during its inspection.
June and her hard-working helpers beam with joy in their newly renovated kitchen. Together, we managed to turn a difficult situation into one of hope.
Mandela Day in South Africa takes place every year on July 18, 2025 – the birthday of Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). It was officially proclaimed by the United Nations and is intended to commemorate Mandela’s commitment to freedom, reconciliation and social justice.
The central motto is:
“Take Action, Inspire Change, Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”
In South Africa, as well as in other countries, the day is often celebrated as follows:
- 67 Minutes’ mission for others – symbolic of the 67 years during which Mandela fought for justice, equality and peace.
- People and organisations engage in charitable projects, such as volunteer work, fundraising campaigns, educational programmes, or environmental protection.
- Schools, businesses, and communities organize special events to help disadvantaged people.
In short: Mandela Day is not a holiday, but a day of action in which one consciously does something good. And so, our partner organisation Masikhule held its Mandela Day on July 18, 2025, as in previous years, at the Urban Voice premises in Somerset West.
Every year on Mandela Day, Masikhule invites friends and sponsors to knit and crochet blankets, beanies, scarves, and other warm Items for thousands of young children at its ECD centres. These gifts reach children who often have only the bare necessities and give them warmth and security.
We’re proud to be a partner of an organisation that works with so much dedication and passion, and we’re delighted that we could contribute to this special day together. This year, we supported this campaign again and donated 200 cozy fleece blankets to keep the children in the kindergartens warm during the cold days.
Rosslyn from Playway Kindergarten in Helderzicht and June from Loflands kindergarten helped to organise Mandela Day at Masikhule and received their fleece blankets directly on site. The ECD-centres that were not present were supplied with fleece blankets by Masikhule during the day, such as Great Beginning from the Asanda Village township.
At the beginning of August, we had a visit from Sandra Weber, the founder of the THEKI Academy. Sandra developed the THEKI® method, a profound approach to personal and spiritual self-development, in 2008. She is also the author of several bestsellers on this topic, a visionary, consciousness trainer, and mother of two children.
Sandra has long desired that even more people benefit from THEKI, and the children here are particularly dear to her heart. It is therefore very important to her to support the children in letting their own light shine. Here in South Africa, our shared vision of bringing THEKI to pre-schools and schools was born.
Together with Sandra, we visited several kindergartens, pre-schools and primary schools. There, we were welcomed by enthusiastic faces, open arms, and lots of music. Our joint project is currently being developed and hasn’t been officially launched yet. We shall share more information as soon as we have any news.
A special thank you goes to the Shalima Foundation, whose generous donation helped us significantly in carrying out the extensive construction work in Rusthof. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to our partner organisation Masikhule for once again calling for a major day of action on the occasion of Mandela Day this year. Our gratitude also goes out to all our other supporters – for every donation, every hour of dedication, every helping hand, and every open heart.
All these projects – from repairs after the heavy rains to donations
of warm items on Mandela Day – would not be possible without the support of our members , sponsors and partners.
Together, we bring light and hope where it is urgently needed. With this in mind, we send our warmest greetings from the Cape of Good Hope.
Yours
Britta and Claudia