Well it seems that lots of our readers have expressed concern that they haven't heard from us for such a long time but things have gotten so exciting, its been difficult to keep up with the newsletter, though I have tried to keep my blog up to date as best as possible.

So let me give you a quick run down of the current events that are shaking and moving this organisation:

1. We have been filmed by Heartlines for SABC2 for a documentary that they want to do on organisations like ours. It was exciting and the story of this can be read here .

2. We have our NPO number (061 - 441) which took 3 months of pensive expectation and now we are an official non-profit organisation.

3. We have 3 wonderful children in our care - and watching them make progress daily as their lives are being restored and given new meaning - is a privilege. (We are able to accommodate up to 6 per home.)

4. We have another house mom, Debbie Roberts (her photo to the right) which is exciting as we now have 2 homes taking care of these babies. Debbie already has her first baby and I know she is enjoying every minute of being "mom" to this precious little girl. We will add her blog to our website in due course too.

5. We have had some donations from various businesses and schools and some caring individuals listed below on our 'Wall of Fame' , each of which we appreciate for their contribution.

6. Due to the generosity of Kevin's Keys we will have an intercom system soon so you won't have to stand shouting at the gate anymore. Thank you for your patience for all of you that have had to deal with this frustration.

7. We have started our child development courses which is open to volunteers as well as the public. They are once a month on a Saturday from 9 - 11am and are courses which assist parents with children aged 0 - 5 years on how to best stimulate their child to reach his/her fullest potential and understand what makes him tick.(In fact anyone who spends time with children which includes domestic workers, moms, grandparents, friends etc would benefit from this course). If you would like more details, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will send you the relevant details.

8. We are getting our first international volunteer in April for a month which is exciting. We have been flooded with enquiries from individuals in other nations who want to spend from a few months to a year at iKhaya LikaBaba. With that we are approaching various families to host these individuals or couples and thereby giving them a real South African experience. If you would be prepared to host a volunteer, please contact us.

As you can see from this short list, lots has been happening and if you want to keep up to date with the daily happenings, why not look at our blog . (I know that the last time I sent out the newsletter, the links did not work but better luck this time).

Now I know that a lot of you have emailed me to ask how you can get involved. Well read on and you could get some ideas. This list is not comprehensive but probably the most pressing. If none of these fit your profile, why not read about further ideas here .

SOME AREAS WHERE YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

1. Volunteer - if you are in the Richards Bay, Mtunzini, Ngwelezane or Empangeni area, why not come and volunteer an hour a week. The children love visitors. You can choose a time that suits your schedule. Bring your children, there are jungle gyms, sand pits and lots of toys to keep your children busy.

2. Vegetables and Fruit - we needs lots of these. We have volunteers who are ready to cook your donations into wonderful nutritious meals for our babies. Next time you pop out to your local store, consider buying a little extra.

3. Donations - Our bank details are: Account Name: iKhaya LikaBaba Bank: Nedbank Account No: 1303124955 Branch/ Sort Code: 13033040 Swift Code: NEDSZAJJ.

4. Invite us to Speak locally or nationally - We are trying to create awareness of what we are doing and the impact that companies or individuals can have in this organisation. If you are part of a book club, company department, school, church, homegroup or organisation - invite us to do a presentation. We would love to meet you, and over a cup of coffee share our vision and heart for children. (Our contact details are below)

URGENT NEEDS at the moment
Due to the generosity of the community with regards to baby clothes we are in desperate need of large plastic storage boxes, where we can separate clothes into age groups and gender. (you know what its like pink and blue) They can be bought at GAME or maybe you have some spare plastic boxes at home you wouldn't mind donating to us. It would add some order to the chaos in our home!

Companies or individuals who have made a contribution to iKhaya LikaBaba. No gift, service or donation is too small and we appreciate each one of these individuals:
Rene and Cobus Nel, Lythan and Justin Emslie, Patience ZIbani, Heloise Dent, Vanessa and George Patterson, Debbie Roberts, Megan and Mike Mills, Anne Henderson, Arlene Robertson, Paul and Niky Scherzer, Wendy and Andrew Oxley, Dr Lizzie Thirsk, Ngwelezane Hospital Ward B, Standard Bank Empangeni, Thandaza Covenant Church Youth Group - Element 26 , CARE Eshowe - Loueen Chittenden, Anne Fernandez, Leonie Tanser, Theresa Fernandez, JET - Empangeni, Builders Market - Empangeni, Vince and Michelle Reid, Kerry Rothcher, Vee Gekate, Coastline Electrical - Ben Burger and Karen Knoetze, Shabach Bikers, Zimbabwe Pensioner Support Group, Jo and Andrew Pienaar, Umfolozi Wood Creations, Abigail and Ryan Smith, Musawenkosi - Gavin and Elaine Charlton , Dr Andre Naude, IsiZulu Orphan Project - Kate and Chad Bain , Janet Harris, Dr. Jill Schermbrucher, Empangeni Baptist Youth , Kevin's Keys , Felixton College