GENERAL
Page 2 People’s Post Retreat
Opening hearts and minds Dear reader, The power to make a difference lies within us all. I witnessed this at a foster parent support group meeting held at Miracle Kids Safe House in Constantia. Love can truly transform lives, especially the love of a family, and that provided by people like Elsie Williams. Williams runs the safe house and seems to never run out of love to give her young charges. Elsie’s warm, cheerful home ensures abused and abandoned babies and children have stability, safety and security. Her role is by no means easy, yet she greets the foster moms and dads with warmth and friendliness. I had the privilege of meeting some of the remarkable men and women who love and care for children in need, some with up to four foster children – and willing to take on more. A tour of Elsie’s house shows clean bathrooms, a very homely kitchen and several brightly decorated children’s rooms filled with an abundance of toys. Photographs of the children adorn the walls. Toddlers walk around the well-kept property, playing and laughing, and stealing hearts with their big eyes and friendly smiles; so much so that I nearly went home with more than the one child I had arrived with. I especially connected with a little boy with a rather intense look on his face which did not ease up even after I gave him a variety of snacks. He led me to believe he could not walk so I kept going to the refreshments table to fetch
him more to eat. Later, I was shocked to see him walking around, responding to his name and showering hugs on the other foster parents. The babies I tried to bond with rejected me outright. At the meeting, several foster parents shared their anguish and frustration at being unable to make their foster children fully theirs as adoption is a complicated, lengthy, costly and trying process – with no guarantees. Also, if the birth parents are alive, there is also always the chance they may want to reunite with their children. This will involve a series of regular scheduled, supervised visits between the birth family and foster child. I believe that ultimately, this bodes well for the children; knowing they are wanted, knowing their heritage, roots, culture... While I suffer the same fear other foster parents do, I have learnt to take each day as it comes, with a firm belief that only good will come to my foster child and others like him. Faith and hope are the only constants. However, the uncertainty surrounding foster parenting should not be a deterrent to opening your hearts and home to children in need; and to making a difference in a child’s life; one day at a time. ’Til next time, go well! ConnectED is a weekly column by People’s Post editor Feroza Miller-Isaacs who can be contacted on feroza@peoplespost.co.za. People’s Post in online. Visit www.peoplespost.co.za.
Tuesday 18 September 2012
Eighties flare as P eople’s Post Post rocks People’s IN CELEBRATION of a flourishing first quarter of the financial year, People’s Post held an ’80s-themed party at Chukker Road Sports Complex on Friday. Advertising clients, editorial contacts and staff dressed to the nines, going back to sweatbands, funky hairstyles and colourful characters.
ACCEPTABLE IN THE ’80S: From left, Mark and Ursula Kleinschmidt, Elizma Brandt and Steve Peterson enjoyed the evening of song and dance. Photos: Rashied Isaacs
TIME AFTER TIME: Master of Ceremonies Nathan Less and Anne Siroky, former Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the year winner.
FUNKY CHICKS: People’s Post staffers Louise Benson (left) and Zayaan Lakay.
SOCIALISING: From left, Elsie de Bruin, Elizabeth Bantom, Feroza Miller-Isaacs and Gigi Hendricks.
BOOM-TASTIC: Armien and Ebteshaamah Ismail showed they’ve still got the funk.