Thembinkosi Day Care Centre

General information

Patricia Vuka started the creche almost incidentally
around 10 years ago. She had a disabled child and while looking after the child, other people started dropping off their abled and disabled children at her
shack. She very quickly realised this is her passion and started the creche.

In the beginning she had no support network or money or any training. And she had serious setbacks such as her shack being gutted by fire on three occasions
already and her own child dying after two incredibly hot days last summer. (We measured temperatures of around 45 degrees Celsius for two days in a row
and she simply had nowhere to go with the children in the intense heat.)

But Patricia doesn't take no for an answer and every time bounces back. She
arranged with a local church to help with food for the children, went on educare courses to be able to give the children a more structured pre-school education and recently received a grant from social services to be able to appoint two full-time staff members.