Four Hanover Park-based organisations hosted an early Christmas party for 140 children at the Vygieskraal hockey pitch on Thursday December 14.
The Cape Flats Working Committee, Hope Community Development Project, Pinati Estate Community Civic Association (PECCA), and the Blomvlei Neighbourhood Watch collaborated on this initiative, with each organisation selecting 35 children between the ages of three and 12.
They were concerned that children could not play freely in their community. The children enjoyed various indigenous games, soccer, hula hoops, jumping castles, and were treated to fruit, lunch and party packs.
Alverina van Wyk, the chairperson of Pecca, said: “The children want to play, but in the community there are very few opportunities for play. Here at Vygieskraal we have a huge space. We need more fields like this. The youth are also going down the wrong road, as there are no activities for them in the community.”
Jasmine Kellerman agreed. “The fields in Hanover Park are either riddled with thorns or they are hot spots for gang activities,” she said.
Lesley Muller from Hope Community Development Project, said she had been blown away by the children’s “hunger for play”.
“They don’t even bother about food. They just want to play. We received no financial support, and we would like to appeal to the City of Cape Town to make more places like this available to us. We had a drastic decrease in crime in Hanover Park, and we want to keep it consistent,” she said.
