Angels lend helping hand
Helping Engele is a non-profit organisation that helps homeless and disabled people and children.
The organisation was established to reach out and fulfill the need to assist the many white informal settlements that are in and around Pretoria.
“There are over 77 camps (we currently focus on three) around Pretoria yet there is no public awareness and there is no government funding or housing,” says Danie Roode.
The Pretoria branch has been running for over a year now and we have just expanded with the Johannesburg branch which is operating from Kensington.
Roode is the Johanneburg director and Ronel Joubert and Lisa van Niekerk are the Pretoria directors.
“We want to make people in Boksburg aware of us and what we do, so that they can assist us or approach us for help. We help everywhere in Gauteng and we would like to help the white informal settlements in Boksburg,” says Roode.
Their vision is to obtain a piece of land and to relocate selected people from squatter camps to become self sufficient from farming on the land, and planting their own vegetables.
“Our focus is mainly on the children, but we also help adults,” says Roode.
They aim to have workshops for the women to teach them new arts and crafts to generate an income for themselves.
The organisation also reaches out to local community and the Avril Elizabeth Home in Primrose with weekly food donations. They supply them with food, clothing and any other necessities.
Whatever their need is, the organisation tries to help them as far as possible.
They also collect food, clothing, blankets, furniture, baby stuff, toys, camping equipment, toiletries and many more to assist them in their campaign to supporting underprivileged people.
According to Roode, their biggest struggle is to find housing for those on the streets.
They will appreciate it much if anyone could help them with this matter.
It is the Helpende Engele Organisation’s mission to give people back their self esteem and to build them up to be proud citizens of South Africa and give them a place in society.
“The appreciation expressed by those we help who have nothing is priceless and most rewarding. It makes us feel proud to be able to bring hope back to the lives of people who thought society had turned their backs on them,” says Roode.
Anyone can help by making a contribution to this project – some schools are already on board.
Helpende Engele also has four different donation packages available to the public to buy from them, which forms part of their fundraiser project.
For more information, visit www.angelhelp.co.za or phone 011 074 8251 or search Helpende Engele on Facebook.
