Thu Dec 18 07:10:45 UTC 2008
South-African singer/songwriter/entertainer Nataniel recently joined forces with Shoprite Checkers to bring festive cheer to children and social workers at the Eersterus Community Centre in Tshwane. The Eersterus Community Centre is a project of Child Welfare Tshwane, one of the 260 affiliates of Child Welfare South Africa (CWSA).
Nataniël, a national ambassador for CWSA, showed up at the Eersterus Community Centre on Friday, 5 December like a true father Christmas with a Shoprite sweets parcel for each of the 320 children - aged 3-6 in the nursery school, and ages 7-18 in the drop in after-care centre. Nataniël declared that he has fallen deeply in love with the Eersterus community and their children, and that he is no stranger to the songs, tricks and spontaneous comments of the mostly Afrikaans-speaking children in the centre. The children were extremely excited by the surprise visit from Nataniël to whom they refer lovingly as the "kaas-oom" (cheese-uncle), remembering him from the television commercial The Clover Cooking Minute.
This year, Nataniël was supported by Shoprite to not only give the children their sweet treats, but also to hand out a brand new cell phone to each volunteer and staff member who only earns a honorarium when funds are available. The staff members were overcome with tears of joy and appreciation, and Nataniël was very touched by this moment. "We take everything for granted, and coming here with simple things like sweets, telephones and love, let me realise how very little can mean so much to someone else", said Nataniël.
Nataniël is passionate about helping the children of our country and in 2007 he was appointed as a national ambassador for Child Welfare South Africa (CWSA) to speak out for the protection of children. CWSA is the largest Child Protection and Welfare non-government non-profit organization in South Africa, that together with its members provides care and support to more than 2 million child victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation each year.
