Morning Star is a day care facility for under-privileged children with HIV/AIDS. It opened its doors for the first time in January 2000 to admit just 8 children. Now, 9 years on there are 285 children on its register with 83 attending the Welkom premises each weekday and 35, our satellite centre in Kutlwanong Township.
Morning Star’s great desire is to help change the lives of as many small HIV/AIDS children as possible and, where funding is available, assist their families too.
This we achieve through optimum care, nutritious meals, appropriate medication, stimulating activities and lots of love. Although the majority of our children blossom and thrive at Morning Star, we do lose some of our little ones and, on average, one to two children die every month.
Morning Star is also instrumental in supplying regular food parcels to needy families in the area. These are fairly substantial and contain the basic foodstuffs necessary for survival. On average, 110 are distributed each month, our children and their families being the primary beneficiaries.
Additionally, to help overcome the enormous poverty problem and job losses in our area, we have also been instrumental in initiating several income generating projects over the past years. Our Tshedisanang Women’s Embroidery/Sewing Project is almost self-sufficient now and provides employment for 15 women, all infected/affected by HIV/AIDS themselves.
To find out more about Morning Star, please visit our website www.morningstar.org.za
