Mama Lumka is affectionately known as “The Wheelbarrow Lady” or “The Wheelbarrow Saint”. She gained this title from the days when she used to walk through the township collecting children who had been abused and neglected, taking them to her own home to provide care. Some of the children she found were in dark rooms with a bucket for a toilet and food left for them on the floor.
Mama’s passion is for the children with disabilities. Her own son Jackson had severe disabilities and had lived a short life. This particularly inspired Mama to take in children with Special Needs.
By 2001 Mama Lumka was providing care for 16 children in her own home in Nomzamo, a township near Cape Town. In 2002 a group of business people acknowledged the wonderful work that Mama was doing and decided to support her. This is when the Nceduluntu Sanctuary Trust was established. In September 2004 the first 2 homes on the Sanctuary site were established. It was named Ikhayalethemba Village. Ikhayalethemba means Home of Hope. Since then Mama has been providing care for orphaned and vulnerable children at Ikhayalethemba Village, many of them with Physical and Intellectual disabilities.
Global Vision International (GVI) formed a partnership with Mama in August 2009. Since then volunteers from all over the world have been working at Ikhayalethemba Village. GVI volunteers provide educational programs for the children and have also worked with the children with Special Needs to provide therapy programs. Through the Christmas appeal with GlobalGivingUK, we would love to take the children on outings and access services such Riding for the Disabled or Swimming therapy. This would be a great experience for the children. Your donation can make this a reality.
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