Trying to create an ethos of caring for the elderly, and keeping healthy and fit, Sandy Lentoor treats seniors of the community to weekly wellness classes and is urging residents to support her work.
Ms Lentoor initiated the Fairy Godmother project five years ago when her late grandmother visited her in a dream and encouraged her to start working with the community.
She started collecting dresses which she hired out at a reasonable cost or offered at no cost to girls who needed dresses for their matric balls. Soon after that the community started donating dresses and she was able to help more girls.
That year she held a Christmas party for seniors in the community and they approached her about starting a seniors’ club.
So, she reached out to the community and soon after there were 30 seniors willing to join.
Now they attend wellness classes twice a week at the Hanover Park civic centre where they exercise and talk about issues affecting them.
This, Ms Lentoor said, keeps them fit and healthy and gets them out of the house which they often need. She said that it also provides the elderly with a platform to air their grievances and talk about daily challenges. She said the community had forgotten about the elderly who were often only thought of when they were needed to babysit grandchildren.
Charmaine Theron, 70, who has been at the club for three years, said her involvement with the club gave her an opportunity to keep busy and fit instead of sitting at home.
“I approached Sandy about it and about 15 ladies joined us and we started the club. We just love everything that we are doing here. We even celebrate each other’s birthdays and whatever we have left we give to the community. We can talk about things affecting us instead of running around in the house and doing this and that and all the housework,” she said.
On Tuesday October 2, members of the Youth Impact and Sustainable Solutions (YISS) non-profit organisation donated balls and hula hoops to the group for their aerobics class.
Rugaya Lewis, 63, who has diabetes and arthritis, joined the club last year. Being an ex-netball coach and athlete at high school she decided to get healthy and fit again by joining the club.
“My joints were getting stiff so I had to do something, I couldn’t let the arthritis get me down. You can’t put the sickness in your mind, you must take it out of your mind and then you won’t feel it,” she said.
For more information call Sandy Lentoor on 073 935 4329.