Give Light

Although it's never nice to ask for money, our biggest need right now is a more stable cash flow (no beating around the bush here).

You can read more about our finances on the Finances page, but the short version is that we dip into our savings every single month, not just for our regular fixed costs but for the unexpected expenses that come with caring for 14 children. This means we are currently spending more than we receive in donations, and will not be able to sustain Lolla's Light long term if we are not able to secure more regular monthly donors.

If you are able to donate any amount - literally, even just R50/month makes a difference - please view the Donate page for steps on how to donate. Thank you so much for the support!

Some of our children are already enrolled in extra-curriculars, which is amazing, but we want to make sure ALL of our children get to do something fun after school. The difficulty is often getting the children to their activities, so I've been trying to find community programmes where the kids live so that it's easy for them to get there. This is really difficult.

I've put a list below of the children, the activities they want to do as well as where they live, so if you happen to know of any programmes in these areas please let me know!

• Bukho: soccer, Phillipi
• Iyazi: netball or soccer, Phillipi
• Imolathe: soccer, Langa
• Alwande & Asande: swimming lessons, Delft
• Timothy: art classes, Delft South
• Faith: dance classes, Delft South
• Inam & Lolwam: soccer, Khayelitsha

Over and above our monthly support, Christmas is a really important time at Lolla's Light. We want to make sure every single one of our kids is spoiled, and we really need your help to make it happen.

Each child gets a Christmas outfit (essentially, a new set of clothing plus essentials like underwear and socks), something educational (a puzzle, colouring pens, maybe a little book to practice writing etc), some sweets, some toiletries (toothbrush and toothpaste) and something from their Christmas wishlist.

One of our most beloved traditions is our annual Christmas party. We alternate between BeUp and Total Ninja each year, two venues the kids absolutely love. The kids get to play for a couple of hours, then we have lunch together and enjoy some snacks before heading home. It's the highlight of the year for me!

Everyone should be celebrated on their birthday, so of course we want to spoil our kids on their special days.

We make sure each Lolla's Light kid gets a birthday cake (usually baked by Timo and Faith's mom, Tama), as well as a fun toy (we try to make sure it's something that aligns with their interests), something educational (likely a puzzle or brain teaser game) and a clothing item. We also add candles and sparklers into the gift bag so that they can properly celebrate their day!

We've seen how much joy this gesture brings our kids, and I'm committed to ensuring we can continue to make each child feel special on their birthday. If you'd like to get involved in our birthday campaign, feel free to reach out via Instagram DM or donate here.

A key objective is to grow our following on social media, as this will likely help us achieve all of our other goals by giving us access to more people who are able to donate, and hopefully connect us with other organisations who we can partner with for after-school activities for our kids.

So, if you can, please share the word about Lolla's Light! Tell your moms, your dads, your neighbours, your coworkers, the person one treadmill over at the gym and the person behind you in the Plato line. Share our social media posts and please just help us spread the word! We'd be so grateful.