We at Heartveld Adventures feel very blessed to have been a part of the Tony Waite Children’s Christmas Party this year. Every year the Tony Waite Organisation hosts a luncheon party for approximately 60 orphans and vulnerable children, between the ages of 6 and 12 years old, from the Kariba area. The Executive Director, Ellen, told me an interesting fact, although the organisation has been hosting the party for eight years now, each year different children are invited, and since the first one in 2010, not once have the same children been invited back! This just shows how many needy children there really are and this is only from the Nyamhunga Section of Kariba!
With support and donations from a few local businesses and individuals we were able to ensure the kids had a memorable day. The Tony Waite staff set up a gazebo and chairs for the children to sit under when they started arriving at 10a.m, all in their very best outfits. Solomon, who works for the Organisation, kicked things off with a ‘Share and Care’ half hour, where the kids all have a chance to share a story with their fellow party goers, be it a nursery rhyme, a song, a poem or a joke. My favourite was a girl who didn’t look more than 8 or 9, reciting word for word (twice as we wanted to record her the second time) a poem about the effects on children when their parents spend all their time tied to social media, instead of with their children. Very deep thoughts for such a little girl.
After the ‘share and care,’ a local pastor’s wife and daughter organised some games for all the kids to play in the open car park. There were squeals of fun, especially at the ‘dodge em’ game, most of the kids never having played it before. The kids were then given a couple of soccer balls to entertain themselves while the adults continued to get things ready for the hand out of gifts and goody bags, to be followed by lunch. I thought it so funny to observe how the boys played a very spirited and aggressive game of soccer (one young chap even lost his shoe he kicked the ball so hard), while the girls played a very organised and much quieter game of ‘pass the ball’ – it seems no matter where in the world you are, boys will be boys and girls will be girls!
With a bit of the energy run out of the kids, Monica settled them down and then they were organised into single file lines to receive their age appropriate presents. The kid’s faces when they received their gift-wrapped presents was something to remember. What struck me most, was how all of the kids took absolutely ages and ages to unwrap their presents, pulling off the sticky tape piece by piece, prolonging the process as long as possible. I wondered for how many of them, this would be their one and only gift this year. They even saved the little piece of ribbon on each present, which they later used to make bracelets, proudly showing them off to anyone who would take the time to look. Small things we all take so much for granted.
Following the opening of the presents, the children were once again lined up, and issued a goodie bag each. These were filled with items that the children could take home and hopefully share with their family, including biscuits, peanut butter, sugar, sweeties and the like. This year we included a plastic plate, cup, fork and spoon that the kids could then use when they got home and keep as their very own.
By now, everyone was very hungry, which was compounded by the fact we had all been smelling the tasty meal the cooking ladies had been preparing over the fire throughout the course of the day. The well-behaved children lined up once again for their meal, using their new crockery and cutlery with great pride. It was so sweet seeing the older children helping the smaller ones if they were having difficulty carrying their plates. Lunch was a quiet affair as everyone tucked into their meal, and there was plenty left for the ladies who had cooked, as well as the staff. To end off the day, handmade and decorated cupcakes were handed out to one and all. I think all kids have a sweet tooth, and therefore this was a special treat for them.
We, at Heartveld Adventures, will most definitely be involved in the Tony Waite Children’s Christmas Party 2019, and will start planning and gathering donations much earlier. If anyone would like to be involved or donate to this very worthy cause, please get in touch with us. You will not regret it, just take a look at the children’s faces and judge for yourself.
A reconciliation is done of all the monies donated and spent, and we are very happy, upon request, to share this with anyone who donates.
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