A group of vulnerable children under six got to experience the beach last week – some of them for the very first time!
Western Cape, South Africa (02 February 2026) – Seeing a child experience the ocean for the first time is special. It’s a core memory. The little ones from Heartlands Baby Sanctuary recently worked up all the excitement for their beach outing.
The day arrived with big feelings and lots of brave firsts.
First, some background about Heartlands and what they do…
Founded in 2015, Heartlands offers temporary residential care to vulnerable children from birth to six years old, supporting them until they can be reunited with family, placed in foster care, transferred to long-term facilities or adopted. Their work centres on creating a safe, loving environment where children can heal, grow and rebuild trust. Often after incredibly difficult starts to life.
Last week, Heartlands’ young ones got to visit the beach. Staff and volunteers packed up buckets of love, patience (and sunscreen) to give the children a day they will remember for life. It was their first group outing of the year, and for many, their first encounter with the sea.
“At first it was a variety of various emotions as children woke up with great excitement and when we arrived at the beach, it was wonderful to witness their frustration with the beach and the sea,” the team shared. “Then what happens? One child starts crying and within minutes all the children cry at once.”
Those tears soon melted away and turned into happiness.
“However, soon excitement spread along with such laughter and great joy. A little one with spina bifida, who is lame in his legs, really enjoyed surfing and splashing into the water. A little girl had a meltdown as she was just overwhelmed by it all. Eventually everybody realized how much fun it was, and we couldn’t get them out of the water.”
Joyful outings and experiences are important and so valuable for children who have spent their first years facing struggle.
“The lesson here was to keep on conquering new experiences, deal with the emotions of fear, anxiety, uncertainty and to embrace such moments with love, affection and movement of senses,” the sanctuary shared. “Through it all, we help build confidence in these little ones, guiding and prepping them for the next time they face new situations and unknown environments.”
Without volunteers and support, the beach day wouldn’t have been possible.
“It was wonderful and so special to spend some quality time with our loving volunteers through all the crying, laughter, uncertainties, frustrations and together enjoying and celebrating our wonderful Helderberg area. A huge thank you to Uncle Marius for buying each child their own ice cream. Thank you to all the volunteers who provide that individual attention and help create lasting memories that the children will be able to carry with them in their life journeys.”
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