Our journey with orphaned and vulnerable children began in 2008 when our founder, Leslie Naidoo, discovered that his son’s best friend lived in an orphanage. Driven by curiosity and compassion, Leslie reached out to understand the orphanage's needs. He learned that the children were in desperate need of homework support. Determined to help, he rallied a volunteer team from his church, launching a tutoring program that met twice a week to make a lasting impact.

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Our capacity and passion for their well-being grew as we spent more time with the children. We started hosting children in our homes on weekends and during school holidays. Over the years, we expanded our work into a variety of social development projects, including:

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• ​​Providing homework assistance twice a week

• Offering First Aid training for staff and caregivers

• Hosting children on weekends and school holidays

• Supplying school lunches

• Organizing fundraising events, including street collections

• Planning social events, such as outings and parties, to help children reintegrate into institutional life

• Launching Project Heritage, a values-based program that supports and encourages children in an interactive, exciting way

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In 2011, we extended our efforts to KwaNyuswa, a rural township in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, west of Durban. With dire living conditions and extreme poverty, this community became a focus for our outreach. Our initiatives grew to include:​

 

• Weekly distribution of bread and cakes

• Construction of new ablution facilities, replacing bucket toilets and adding a  solar powered geyser

• Purchasing bunk beds for 20 children

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We believe that no child should have to grow up in an institution. Instead, every child deserves a stable, loving family environment. To this end, we are committed to building Cedar House, a family-oriented facility in the Outer West region of Durban, South Africa.