Siyabonga Dorah’s Ark Orphanage received a face-lift recently. The renovations were done by non-profit organisation Wings of Inspiration and made possible by a R250 000 donation from asset management company Stanlib. The project was dedicated to Dorah Nomalanga Mazibuko, the co-founder of the orphanage who passed away earlier this year. The renovations had to be completed within 10 days, while the children and staff members were in Soweto for the holidays.
The staff from Hammer It worked day and night painting, fixing, tiling and a lot more. There were new beds for the 45 boys and girls as well as toys and cupboards. With the help of companies such as Italtile, CTM, Timbercity, Cashbuild and Toria, there was enough material to make the house look brand new from the floor to the roof. The big reveal was done in the style of television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. A minibus was parked in front of the home to obscure the view. When the children arrived, they could barely contain their excitement. After shouting “MOVE THAT BUS!” and the ribbon-cutting ceremony, they went on a tour of the house. It was an emotional event for some, especially Dorah’s husband and co-founder David Mazibuko and Thembi Radebe.
“I am so happy and amazed by what has happened to our home. We are still hurting because of losing Dorah, who was the heart of the home. But to see there are still people in the community willing to lend us a helping hand – this can only be God,” said David.
The children and staff were all screaming with excitement while they were touring the home. They could barely believe their eyes.
“I almost did not recognise where the bathroom or the other rooms were. Everything is so different. It’s unbelievable. But to see everyone smiling and being happy warms my heart,” added David.
Stanlib executive Jerry Mnisi was at the unveiling and said as financial services company members, they do not believe in just being concerned about profit.
“We strongly believe that if you don’t look after your people, especially those who cannot do so themselves, you won’t have a business. We at Stanlib want to leave a legacy of touching people’s lives,” he said.
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