Quiz fund-raiser for Cape Flats moms

Thula Baba Project, a Tokai NGO helping underprivileged mothers on the Cape Flats, will hold two quiz nights at Christ Church Constantia on Tuesday April 30 and Wednesday October 16 as part of its efforts to raise R50 000 for its work.

Founded in 2018, the organisation last year supported more than 1000 new mothers, according to its annual report.

Spokesperson Wendy Purdon said meeting the mothers’ essential needs relieved their stress and helped them to focus on their babies.

“The Thula Baba Project is about creating a safe space to talk about their worries, have support systems in place, to know their and their babies’ rights, to teach them about breastfeeding and the importance of literacy.”

To offer this support, the organisation works with women in the communities known as “smart aunties”. One such community-based worker is Ntombesizwe Basso, the founder of Intyatyambo Yesizwe Teenmoms Organisation, a non-profit that helps more than 300 teen moms in Mandalay. She said the collaboration with Thula Baba Project had been crucial during Covid in making sure teen moms received mental health assistance.

Ms Purdon said they hoped to expand their services.

“When we first started it was in our local area, Retreat and Westlake, but people reach out from some of the most impoverished communities which we would love to get deeper into, including Khayelitsha and Delft. We are very blessed in having a lot of blankets, clothes and toy donations. However, one of our biggest expenses is petrol because we have to go out to make deliveries and the money has to come from somewhere.”

The organisation is seeking donations of raffle prizes for the quiz-night fund-raiser, which will include a raffle and auction with prizes up to the value of R15 000. Tickets are available through Quicket at R100 for a single ticket and R700 for a table of eight.