Nelson Mandela once said the true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.
The New Jerusalem Home was founded in 2000 by two sisters, advocate Annah and the late Sinnah Mojapelo, to make the world a better place and uphold children's rights.
"The sisters had a vision to look after vulnerable, abandoned, traumatised children," says New Jerusalem's marketing officer, Hopkins Kaira.
For decades, the charity has been championing the rights of children.
"We now host 120 children. The children are brought in by police, social workers etc.," says Hopkins.
The home takes care of children's basic needs until adulthood.
"The children stay with us until they are 18. If they turn 18 while still in school, we keep them until they complete grade 12.
However, the shelter doesn't just send children away as soon as they turn 18.
"We make a proper exit plan for the kids. Remember, they are coming from a traumatic background. We can’t just say they must go because they have turned 18. So it’s our responsibility to see what we can do to assist them."
New Jerusalem is not just a home, but a beacon of hope. Since its inception, it has been offering children an opportunity to get an education from pre-school until Grade 12.
It has an on-site Montessori school where children are given education from pre-school until Grade 12.
"For the safety of the children, they can’t go to schools outside the shelter. The school on-site makes it easy for them. Our children do not pay school fees," says Hopkins.
However, because the government does not fund the school, the charity must raise funds on its own.
"The government does not fund the school. It is a private school, so we accept children from the community who pay school fees. The fees help us pay the teachers' salaries. This is the same setup for the preschool. Our little ones go in there for free."
Hopkins says the organisation has many success stories, including a recent one in which a learner who resides at the shelter passed her matric with such good grades that the shelter could help her secure a bursary to further her studies.
There is also a story of a young man who used to stay at the shelter, furthered his studies, and is now in the corporate world. Not only does the young man now offer financial help to the shelter, but he also often visits it to play soccer with young boys and motivate them.
The children receive not only shelter and food, but they also receive psychological help from on-site social workers.
"We have resident social workers who offer the children psychological help. Their offices are right on our premises."
One of the shelter's biggest challenges is inadequate financial support from the government.
"Our certificate allows us to host up to 120 kids. However, the government funding only covers 80 children, so the other 40 are not funded. We have to scrounge for food, uniforms, and other essentials. Since food is very expensive, we usually ask donors for help with our food needs. We also need funding for maintenance. We have to buy gas for cooking. We also need a borehole on site which can supply water to the home and the schools. There are a lot of things that we need," says Hopkins.
The charity is hosting a Mandela Day program where the public is invited to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children.
"We have a fully-packed program for Mandela month, not just Mandela Day. Donors can come and donate to the needs we have."
Hopkins says one of its biggest programs is the Sponsor A Child initiative.
"We have a program called Sponsor A Child. We can get them uniforms, school supplies, stationery, etc, as well as any necessities for their education. A donor can come and identify any child," says Hopkins.
He says the public can also donate things such as solar lights. Non-perishable food, clothing and cash are also welcome.
The charity is based on 138 Steyn Road in President Park, Midrand.
"Together as a nation, we have the obligation to put sunshine into the hearts of our little ones. They are our precious possessions. They deserve what happiness life can offer," - Nelson Mandela.
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