How it all began
The night of winter in the year 1997, marked my turning point (Benny Mzileni, 70) when 3 elderly ladies came to me in the early hours of the night, crying. The first old lady had been raped by 3 men and the other 2 old ladies had been beaten up by their own grandchildren for refusing to release their pension funds. All their belongings had been taken for sale including blankets and clothing.
After listening to their discrepancies I could not even think of releasing them, for I knew by so doing I was throwing them on fire as it was also a freezing night. I decided that they should sleep until the next day. But how were they going to sleep for I had blankets only enough for me and my small family? I pulled my mattress down into the dining room and spread all my blankets for them and left one for my child. I spent a sleepless night with my heater on trying to warm myself for I had no blanket to lay on. It was on this sleepless night that a certain thought visited my mind, A thought of a Safety Place. I started crying when I looked and saw these 3 old ladies enjoying their sleep in my house may be for only that night, like young children. The elderly are unfortunately not respected in poor communities.
That idea became a big dream and it kept on haunting me up to this day when in September of 2013 it became a dream come true when I decided to establish IKHAYA ELISHA COMMUNITY CENTRE as a new home for the disadvantaged which aims at solving so many problems namely Developmental and Social just to name a few in our community and the neighboring communities namely Slovo park, Nancefield, Motsoaledi, Naturena and other low profile areas of greater Soweto. Currently the food we provide is donated to us by local churches and the people that work here are volunteers. Most of the time I use my own R1500 pension money to buy extra food for the elderly, I currently only eat one meal a day in order to have enough food to last the month for my own family.
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Our Objectives are:
Our Mission is:
Our Vision is:
1. To one day build an old age home that is also used as a community centre.
2. To see a healthier and a well-educated community without exclusion of others.
Our Tipping Point of R25 000 will allow us to do the following:
a) buy some new material for the adult reading lessons currently held in shack.
b) get food to last for atleast 6 months and start a fruit and veg garden that will start producing crop after 6 months.
Our Dream Funding Goal of R95 000 will allow us to do the following:
a) Buy two containers to be used for the following:
– First container to be used as office and storage
– Second container to be used for the adult classes as well as group counselling room.
b) Build a fence around our allocated land
c) Buy chalkboard, chairs and desks for the adult classes container
Our Contacts:
1170 Capella Street, Freedom Park, DEVLAND 1811.
Cell: The Manager (Founder) Mr. Ebenezer Mzileni – 0630269755
Funding Assistant: Bonele Lusithi Cell: 0831210905
NPO: 140 – 918
(Benny Mzileni, founder of iKhaya Elitsha Community Centre being interviewed at his 2 bedroom house where he currently runs the NGO: interview by SpreadLoveNow).
(Benny Mzileni with some of the volunteers at iKhaya Elitsha Community Centre)
Benny Mzileni with the bread that is donated by local churches, the only source of food for the elderly currently:
Some of the elderly members of the community of Freedom Park currently benefiting from the food donations given to iKhaya Elitsha Community Centre.
iKhaya Elitsha is run by Benni Mzileni who is 77 years old. He is also the founder of this non-profit organisation. With the help of 7 volunteers from Freedom Park whose skills range from social work to medical nurses, iKhaya Elitsha is able to provide food and exercise to the elderly community of Freedom Park.
iKhaya Elitsha is currently in the process of acquiring land in Freedom Park, these donations will assist us ensuring that we get the land and we can also get a container and fencing to use as our offices.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead