‘The children come first’ — summer holiday programme in Eastern Cape, brings joy to kids in need

For 10 years, Johnny Solter (15) was a participant in a summer holiday programme run by the nonprofit organisations Place of Mercy and Hope, and Lwazi Educare in Langbos, Eastern Cape. The initiative brings together children from the Langbos informal settlement, near Addo, and the nearby Valencia settlement for a week of fun activities heading into the festive season.

Solter told Daily Maverick that when he saw the difference the volunteers at the programme made in children’s lives, he decided, “I want to be like them.” In 2023, he began helping as a volunteer.

“It's amazing to be a volunteer and help different children, because when they know they can trust you, they share different stories ... that are personal to them,” said Solter.

Between 8 and 12 December, the programme welcomed 460 children, providing meals and care, and access to sports, dancing, games and arts and crafts. As a “sporty person”, Solter said he mainly assists with the athletic activities.

“This is not a very privileged community here in Addo and the other townships near it, so it’s very exciting,” said Solter.

“If I came down to Valencia, they would ask me every time, ‘When is the summer camp?’ That inspires me the most — children are very excited because they only get this opportunity once a year, and that would make me excited as well.”

Two-decade legacy

The Place of Mercy and Hope, and Lwazi Educare fall under the banner of Marist Mercy Care. The organisations have been operating in the Sundays River Valley area for 19 years, focusing on early childhood development, nutrition and basic healthcare.

Jason Grieve, one of the directors involved in the programme, explained that Addo is predominantly a citrus-farming area, which means there’s a spike in seasonal employment over a few months, followed by a period of scarce work opportunities.

During the unemployment season, and especially over December, malnutrition, gender-based violence and exposure to unsafe environments are amplified as caregivers struggle to make an income.

“What’s so important about this programme that we run in December is that it creates some sort of structure for the children. School ends in November after all their exams and tests, and there’s nothing for them to do. There’s obviously a lot of mischief that might happen with some of the older children. There’s nothing stimulating for the younger children to do,” said Grieve.

“[The holiday programme] creates a safe haven for the children. They know when they come to our projects ... they’re going to be safe, they’re going to be fed.”

The programme caters for children between the ages of four and 13 and is staffed by community members, volunteers from South Africa and Germany, and senior learners from Marist schools across SA. Activities are structured around supervised play, group engagement and daily meals.

Cultural shock

Fhatuwani Mudau (19) first volunteered at the holiday programme at the end of his Grade 11 year in 2023, when he was elected as head boy at St David’s Marist school in Sandton, Johannesburg. He has returned every year since.

“I’m originally from Alexandra ... so when I heard I’m going to the Eastern Cape, I thought, ‘Ah, I know a bit about inequality. It won’t be too much of a cultural shock.’ But going there, I realised even though I had been born in the township, it’s a different level of inequality, different level of poverty, and my experience in that week in 2023 is something that I held on to throughout my matric year. I made a promise to myself to go back there,” he said.

While Mudau assisted with a range of activities at the holiday programme, he said he bonded with the children over the singing of Gwijo — collective songs embedded in the Xhosa culture.

“When I went there, I found them singing Gwijo, so I joined them ... and then we also played sports. A lot of soccer, rugby and netball,” he said.

The Place of Mercy and Hope, and Lwazi Educare early childhood development programmes operate throughout the year, educating close to 300 children under six. Marist Mercy Care also runs soup kitchens that feed 400 adults and children a week, and a healthcare facility where several local women have been trained in basic healthcare, first aid, trauma counselling and home-based palliative care.

Its latest project focused on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, providing antenatal classes to mothers and pregnant women, said Grieve, adding that the organisation aimed to provide well-rounded support that extended beyond education.

“We want to invest back in the community because our number one motto is ‘The children come first’, and we really live by that,” he said. DM