Special Needs Kindergarten | Completed

Written by Christiana van Zyl .

It is indeed more blessed to give than to receive!

With this saying we can conclude the First Campaign of our Kumi Ori project: The Special Needs Kindergarten for CP Children.

With the generous help of supportive people SAZ was able to raise a total of R124 000.

This amount together with a 1:1 matching fund from local Government agencies in Israel, has helped to purchase the needed equipment.

To assist and strengthen the Jewish people who are shaping their Jewish, Zionist state, building an exemplary society with a unique moral and spiritual character. This is part of SAZ'S Declaration of Support, which endorse the New Jerusalem Programme as well.

To achieve this SAZ aims to become a platform/vehicle that will be able to express our Pro-Israel elements in a practical way. Through this SAZ will add value and create new value for the Zionist cause. Up to now we have been doing this through the media, our website, newsletter and bi-montly interactive meetings.

All of this was made possible through keypersons that are connecting SAZ as an assisting life wire within a greater network.

Due to this network SAZ is able to put in action what we reckon as one of the most important elements: Involvement in Israel.

SAZ met with Mr. Marty Davis, Director General Department for Zionist Activities, World Zionist Organization in Jerusalem, April 2008. After introducing SAZ as a new organization supporting Zionism, we shared with him our vision to assist a welfare project in Israel. Mr. Davis suggested Ashkelon as an option. The suggestion then became a reality.

In June this year SAZ accepted an invitation from Mr. Davis to visit Ashkelon and to meet with the Ashkelon Foundation who operates a variety of programs in order to help meet Ashkelon's ever-increasing needs in the realm of community, culture, society, education and welfare. Mr. Meir Bouhnik, Managing Director of the Ashkelon Foundation, arranged for SAZ to visit three projects.

SAZ wants to thank and compliment both Mr. Davis and Mr. Bouhnik for their hospitality and the excellence in which they granted us the opportunity to form a vivid picture of each project which we brought back to our members.

SAZ has decided to assist the special needs CP kindergarten. It is a regional education and rehabilitation centre for children with CP. The children are ages 3-6 years old. The Special Needs Kindergarten tries to develop the children as much as possible by giving each child special individual care and attention.

We will focus on the outdoor playground which forms an essential part of the centre. Our assistance will mainly be financial support, but through this we hope to build a friendship between Ashkelon and Kumi OriSouth Africa. This will add to the historical evidence of a city that was built through the help of the South African Jewry.

SAZ is thankful for an opportunity to assist Israel in a small but significant way. May this small beginning grow into bigger opportunities to strenghten the Jewish people.

We encourage people who want to support this part of SAZ's vision to sow a seed into very fertile ground...

Our aim

To assist the SPECIAL NEEDS CP KINDERGARTEN PROJECT in Ashkelon
To do this through financial contributions; and
To visit the project and community in Ashkelon

What is the SPECIAL NEEDS CP KINDERGARTEN PROJECT?

It is a regional education and rehabilitation centre for children with CP. The children are ages 3-6 years old.
The Special Needs Kindergarten tries to develop the children as much as possible by giving each child special individual care and attention.

Our assistance

SAZ will focus on the OUTDOOR PLAYGROUND which forms an essential part of the centre. This playarea is a true need and will improve the lives and activities of the children at the Special Needs Kindergarten. Floor and covering need to be done first before the outside equipment can be bought.