Up with Down’s in George is a special needs school and part of their programme teaches the students’ kitchen skills; they set up a soup kitchen for those in need.
George, South Africa (18 June 2021) – Teaching practical skills to special needs children is the best kind of education. Up with Down’s is a special needs school in George, Western Cape and they provide education to differently-abled children and young adults.
The school currently has 21 learners in the school and 17 adults in the Training Centre. On the school side, they focus on basic education – literacy, numeracy and life skills – with a lot of fun thrown in between.
At the Training Centre, the adults focus on developing life skills including cooking, baking, woodwork, and sewing to name a few. Jan Seegmuller, the centre’s director heard about a local soup kitchen and thought it would be a great way for the adults at the training centre to use their cooking skills to do good for their community.
Since October 2020 the training centre students help prepare and cook 20 litres of soup each week. The food helps people from the Golden Valley area. Aside from a warm meal, they also help with pet food and clothing when possible.
“As a parent of a child with special needs, I know how much care and attention differently-abled children and adults require. Many accommodations and adaptations need to be made in their daily lives and to us, as parents, it sometimes feels hard to imagine that our children will ever be able to make a contribution to society. That’s why I am writing this post. Our small school, Up with Down’s Centre for learners with Special Needs in George has started a programme in their Training centre which cooks 20 litres of soup for a soup kitchen for the nearby township of Blanco every week. Each class (of which there are only 5) get a turn to donate the ingredients and lend a hand in making the soup.
I feel very proud that our small school, with learners that face many challenges themselves, has found a way to make a difference in others’ lives, and in the process gives our children a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. Other small centres can really learn from Up with Down’s!” – Tanja Holtzhausen
If people in the area would like to support this soup kitchen they can contact Alet Marais. Up with Down’s is a private centre dependent on fundraisers and donations to keep its doors open and to keep making a difference in the lives of people with special needs.
Visit the Up with Down’s website at www.upwithdowns.co.za or phone 044 870 8770 to find out how you can support them.