Ronaldsvlei/Kimberley (Friday, 2nd November 2018) – In celebrating National Children’s Day, the summary outdoors of the Kimberley Petting Zoo (KPZ) provided much needed love and care for hordes of kids with special needs and those that are vulnerable and underprivileged.
Away from their confined surroundings, the day transcended into a memorable one of unusual pampering as the little souls were able to caress their favourite and rare pets such as the venue’s revered Alpaca.
With South Africans having marked National Children’s Day past Saturday, the owners of the KPZ collaborated with the Department of Social Development and that of Environment and Conservation in staging the event aimed at promoting the non-discrimination of some of society’s kids past Friday.
“Children unfortunately, face exclusion and discrimination from access to their rights because of the fact that they are children, not adults, and therefore have a low social status in the community and at home and for this reason children become more vulnerable to all forms of abuse, violence and exploitation.
“KPZ invited 100 children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including 35 learners from Re Tlameleng School for the Physically Disabled, Visually and Hearing Impaired, 8 children from Thusong Child and Youth Centre, Jannie Brink and other early childhood centres,” said facility manager Carmen Gopane of what will evolve into an annual event.
It was unbridling excitement not only for the kids but for staff of the facility, entertainers and the officials from partnering departments who did not only provide edutainment through a tour of the petting zoo and the playing of indigenous games but also got the kids to feast on meals and munch on some delectable sweets.
“Our kids are just between the hostel and school and they do not really get exposure. They were very much looking forward to this day, even us as educators. We wanted to do something for them for this term because if they go home, Christmas is not even a great day because they come from poor economic social conditions.
“These kids are deaf, even if they go home they cannot communicate with their parents and they get very frustrated hence we try our utmost best to give them all that we can. Thank you very much to Carmen for liaising with us and for securing the sponsorship. For us this day means a lot,” said Athalia Carlo, a teacher at Re Tlameleng Special Needs School.
By Thabo Mothibi
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Thabo Mothibi is a former broadcast journalist (TV and Radio) – with specialist reporting experience; SABC Political/Parliamentary and TRC Teams over a period of five years (1995 to 2000).
One key foreign assignment - is the 11-nation African Connection Rally – overland journey from Africa’s northern-most pole in the coastal Tunisian city of Bizerte to the southern-most pole in South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. From the journalistic years, Thabo then delved into Government media liaison and serving two former Ministers and three MECs. He became the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s first department based Communications Director at Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development - 2008-2010 – where he also served as Head of Ministry from 2003 – 2008.
As a former anti-apartheid activist, his political background and professional training aided him in spearheading the Northern Cape ANC’s 2004 National Elections media and publicity campaign and that of the 2006 Local Government Elections.
Whilst based in Waterkloof in Pretoria -2010 to end 2011, he consulted for Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence, then returned to the Northern Cape in 2012 to date, to consult independently and pursue other entrepreneurial interests in media and communications through KwaVuko Communications and Marketing.
Thabo Mothibi obtained his NQF7 through Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in Johannesburg, a Unilever Mandela Rhodes Academy for Marketing and Communications Academy (UMRA). The goal of the NQF7 programme was to educate and train public and private sector professional communicators and marketers in government communications..
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