Residents at the Garden Cottage in Heideveld are elated by the renovations which have been done to their home.
The eight women who live there suffer from intellectual disabilities and were placed in the home through social workers, with one resident having lived there for over 30 years already.
The Garden Cottage is the baby of Cape Mental Health, and is funded by national government as well as private funders, said Tamaryn Angel, social worker manager at Cape Mental Health, at the makeover launch event last Wednesday, March 27.
The facility, which was originally an old-style face-brick house, had two bedrooms and four women shared a room on double bunks which became more difficult to access as they got older.
Cape Mental Health sought funds to finance the makeover and the Trustees of the Villager Aid Trust responded and matched the funds invested by Cape Mental Health.
Ms Angel said the biggest challenge in renovating the cottage was finding appropriate temporary accommodation for the residents for the duration of the revamp. Some of the residents went to live with their families while the other women moved into a house in Grassy Park.
The cottage is now more than double its size, with two additional bedrooms and an extra bathroom, an open-plan lounge, dining and recreation/hobby area. The home also boasts a garden and outdoor area.
Ms Angel said renovations at the Heideveld home started back in 2020 and took a brief pause during Covid-19. The project was complete by July 2023. Residents moved back in September 2023.
“The residents adjusted to the change but missed their home, the other residents and their Heideveld community. It was very exciting seeing the residents’ expressions when they returned to their Garden Cottage home in September 2023 and experienced the new spaces that have been created, especially the open plan living area which is so warm and light. Occupying a pleasant, stimulating environment that supports your mental well- being is vital for the upliftment of a person living with an intellectual disability,” she said.
The eight residents attend Cape Mental Health’s Training Workshops Unlimited in Athlone to attain work skills.
CEO of Cape Mental Health, Dr Ingrid Daniels, said Garden Cottage changed the narrative of institutions who take away the right of independence of the residents who live there, often deciding for them what they will eat and what to do.
She said that the home gave the women independence and honoured their right to be fully integrated into society and not defined and limited by their disability.
She said the home gave the women the freedom of making their own choices and restored their confidence.
“Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined this. Wonderful people came along and supported us. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without amazing people who came along. Living in this home means being fully integrated into the community of Heideveld. It ensures that every woman here is endowed with dignity and respect. For the women of garden cottage, this is home, this is family, and the other women are their sisters,” she said.
One resident who has been living there since 2011, said: “I feel very happy about the renovations. This is our home. I like staying here. We help each other and cook food,” she said.