Angels spread their wings in Hangberg
Community Social Angels, a non-profit organisation, is tackling abuse, teen pregnancy, unemployment, substance abuse and other social problems in Hangberg.
“Our aim is to assist our community in all social aspects,” says Jacky Bowman, one of the organisation’s directors.
Family strengthening workshops, swimming lessons and daily soup kitchens are among the initiatives the group has helped to run, and last week it held a Youth Day event at the Hangberg Sports and Recreation Centre.
The family workshop is facilitated by the City’s social development department and runs over eight weeks.
A workshop is in the pipeline for families struggling to come to terms with losing a loved one, and the group is also planning a Women's Day event.
However, a lack of resources limited just how much the organisation could do, said Ms Bowman.
“With our swimming lessons, we struggle with transport and our swimming instructor needs to be paid… We are also struggling to run our soup kitchen daily, and at the moment we depend on handouts and most of the time its from our own kitchen.”
The organisation worked with the City to stage the Youth Day event. Northface, Huistoe Records, The Barbies, and Subject B provided the entertainment; Sentinel Primary School’s former principal Joe Jansen spoke about the importance of education; and Hangberg Dreams Rehabilitation Centre warned the youth about the dangers of substance abuse.
“Then we also had one of our apartheid veterans, Timothy Jacobs, who spoke about how the youth fought for a high school in Hangberg,“ Ms Bowman said, thanking all those who supported the event.
For more information about the Community Social Angels contact Ms Bowman at 082 092 3367.
