There is a place in Noordhoek where rescued horses and broken people find connection. A place where a child who has never felt safe, does. Where someone who has battled addiction, or trafficking, or abuse, can stand next to an animal who has walked through their own kind of pain. Where people with disabilities can find healing.
Noordhoek, South Africa (15 March 2026) – Tom Ro Haven for Equines and Children has for 14 years created this gentle environment to help people fighting all sorts of battles. Through equine-assisted healing and learning experiences – in simple terms, guided connection with horses – vulnerable children and adults have found safety, healing and connection.
And now, in less than 49 days, it could all be over. In just more than a month’s time, by the end of April, the haven must vacate its current property
“After more than a decade of tireless work, we are losing the land that allows us to care for the horses and to run the programmes that many vulnerable children and women rely on.” shares Tom Ro Haven.
Without a relocation site, the organisation will be forced to shut down. This is a cruel fate for many of the horses in its care, because most simply can’t be rehomed. Some are elderly. Others carry deep trauma or ongoing medical needs that make relocation incredibly difficult.
“If the haven closes, the consequences will be devastating,” it shares. “Dozens of rescued horses losing the only safe home they know – many could face euthanasia as a result.”
The deadline feels impossibly cruel because of the tragic reality these horses face now.
The children and adults who found their way to the sanctuary found, maybe for the first time, that they could trust something. That they were safe. Now they may lose a rare place of sanctuary, healing, and connection with animals and nature.
To stop the unimaginable from happening, Tom Ro Haven urgently needs help.
“For more than a decade, Tom Ro Haven has stepped up whenever help was needed in the community. Now, the community is asking the City of Cape Town to step forward in support of this work.” it shares.
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South Africa, We Have SO Much Good News to Share With You!The organisation is formally calling on Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and the City of Cape Town to step in and help find, and secure, suitable land before the clock runs out.
“Cape Town is a city built on community, compassion, and action. Tom Ro Haven and its supporters believe those values must now be reflected in action and are calling on the City of Cape Town to step forward and help ensure this vital haven can continue its work.”
The public can play a role in helping too, simply by signing this petition or, if possible, donating to the haven’s online crowdfund.
“Tom Ro Haven has been built through determination, resilience, and the belief that horses and people deserve better. We are doing everything we can to protect what has been created – but we cannot do it alone. This is one of those moments where community truly matters. We hope that you will stand with us now.”
Sources: Tom Ro Haven.
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