Masikhulisane Youth Development Centre is set in the area of Soweto on Sea. 
It started when an African Mama named Toko wanted to ensure that children who had difficult backgrounds were not running around the streets after school, so she began what was then known as “Toko’s Children”. This was a safe place where the children were not only fed, but taught life skills such as sewing, carpentry, personal hygiene, life skills, HIV awareness, bible studies etc.
Calabash Trust was moved by the plight of the people who took over this project when Toko passed away. A U.K. pensioner and her housekeeper decided to continue to ensure that these children received food after school and to date this very successful project has been running for over 10 years. They struggled to find enough money to feed the children on a daily basis and for the past 5 years Calabash Trust makes a regular monthly donation towards the food.
Many of these children had no parents and little chance of a decent meal in the evening. She began involving them in activities such as drama, music and dance, handwork, life skills, bible studies and social interaction, gardening and personal hygiene.
By involving these children in such activities, there is a sense of relief from the parents and grandparents of this community because they know that their children are safe, and not only getting a daily nutritious meal, but they are also learning life skills which will help them in the future.
The Centre has also attracted support from other organisations and companies, for example, during the 2010 Soccer World Cup holiday, 20 children from Masikhulisane attended a holiday camp/sports programme presented by the Umzingisi Foundation. In addition, each year Afrox sponsor a fun day out for the children, called Bombonani Day - 2011 was no excaption as can be seen in the photos below.
Another special event ocurred in 2011 where local supporters organised a day out to visit the centre. The Masikhulisane Youth showed off their skills and talents - traditional dancing, freestyle hip-hop, singing, paintings, poster designs etc! Next year we plan to implement a 'Ready for Success' programme with the older children so stay updated on this page and facebook.
