The Rotary Club of Hilton and Howick made up Christmas parcels for the children and dogs of Funda Nenja, but after the handout, one child had a special request.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – Funda Nenja runs in the township of Mpophomeni, near Howick, in the KZN Midlands of South Africa. On average, 100 children and their dogs attend weekly dog training sessions which happen on Friday afternoons at Zamethule Primary School in the township. Soon they might even have a library!
These lessons not only teach the dogs some skills, but it also helps the children bond with their pets and forms a deeper connection. These new classes help educate children in animal welfare and encourage them to show their families how to treat animals.
Classes are taught by volunteer instructors, and some of the instructors are previous pupils who have gone through the training programme themselves.
All dogs on the programme are given a collar and a lead and are dewormed. The children are given training treats during classes to help with training and sent home with a small bag to continue training in a familiar environment.
The organisation works on donations from the public. They accept all dog-related items which are used during the classes or sent home with the children. They also regularly get other types of donations which has helped them start a jumble sale to raise funds for the charity.
Recently we wrote a story about the Rotary Club of Hilton and Howick and how they packed 120 hampers for the children and dogs. The hampers were handed out at the year-end class. After the hampers were given out, one hopeful young student passed a letter along to the Sara asking for a helping hand.
In her letter, Sasanda started by thanking Sara and wishing she had a way to repay her for all that has been done over 2019. She then went on to explain that she would love to build a little library for young children.
What she doesn’t know is that Funda Nenja already has plans to start a library in 2020. The news was music to the ears of Funda Nenja supporters, and already the organisation has been flooded with offers to donate books.
The children enrolled in the programme come from poor backgrounds, and these packs may be the only festive gifts they receive. Their faces brought so much joy! Take a look below.