The elderly residents of John Conradie House and Langeler Towers on the Durban beachfront recently took on a project to spread cheer and joy among the children of the Fairhavens Babies Home.
The home, which is run by The Domino Foundation, welcomed the seniors from The Association for the Aged whose arms were filled with toys, clothes, sweets and non-perishable groceries that they had collected to give to the tots of Fairhavens. The spokesperson for the foundation, Rowan Phillips said: “There is something almost magical that happens when the very young and the elderly come together to share an unspoken understanding and an immediate connection.”
He said the senior citizens were moved in to action by the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s challenge to ‘do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are’. Phillips said in early August, the group of six seniors made the trip across the Umgeni River to spend the morning, meeting and interacting, with the babies and toddlers of Fairhavens.
The home houses children until they are either reunited with their biological families or are adopted into their new ‘forever’ families. One of the volunteers, Charmaine Dangers said: “We took gifts to the little ones but we felt that we were the ones receiving the presents! Their smiles and happiness were such wonderful rewards.”
TAFTA CEO, Femada Shamam said: “The two generations, separated by so many years, found great joy in each other. The elders enjoyed it so much that they are now looking forward to picking up this project again in December, to ensure that the little ones at Fairhavens have a very merry Christmas.”
Phillips recalls a poignant story of the Greek hero Oedipus who was asked to answer the riddle about what walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night.
“Oedipus answered: ‘Man,as an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs and; in old age, he uses a walking stick’. We often forget, as we rush self-importantly about our daily routines, that we exist between the first and last of these.We all once were helpless babes, and all hope to live to a ripe old age, albeit possibly dependent on something to keep us from toppling over,” said Phillips.
