by Nozizwe Ginindza
For an organization that is largely sustained through the generosity of individual donors, we find it important to celebrate the end of each year by showing gratitude to our partners and teaching the children themselves the value of appreciating what you have, who you are, and the opportunities that lie in being alive and a part of today’s society.
To achieve this sense of gratitude and appreciation, SJBH (St Joseph’s Boarding House) hosts an annual “beauty” pageant where the children are encouraged to participate and show off their personal personality flairs and hidden talents. This event is designed to stray entirely away from society’s normal standards of beauty but instead, it is designed to highlight each participating child’s creativity, uniqueness, confidence and ability to create a positive self image and self love. With the only rule being; Be Yourself, the children joined in on the fun and once again voted their own 2018 SJBH King and Queen. The crowning ceremony included a final dance by last year’s winning couple, which featured a physically impaired queen and an able bodied king.
Furthermore, this year’s winners featured a visually impaired king and able bodied queen. Both sets of winners bearing a true testament of our commitment to creating fully inclusive activities where every child, regardless of their disability, if encouraged to participate stands a chance to no only outdo their peers but also excel in whatever areas that they put their minds to. They day was filled with tons of fun, games, party packs, a massive cake, laughter, cheering, music and lots of superb dancing. In the spirit of gratitude; please receive this message from all the children at SJBH, along with the dedicated team of caregivers and administration, a heartfelt thank you.
Compliments to the season, and wishing all of you a merry Xmas and prosperity filled New Year.
