The Durban University of Technology (DUT), in collaboration with Lenovo, celebrated Heritage Day at the St Monica’s Children’s Home on the Bluff, in Durban, on Saturday, 23 September 2023.
St Monica’s Children’s Home which is situated on the Bluff in Durban is a non-profit, non-government residential facility offering care to vulnerable children who are admitted from the entire KwaZulu-Natal region. These children are either orphaned, abandoned or at risk in their home environments and are placed at the home through a court of law.
The day included lots of fun activities with the children and renowned speakers taking to the podium to share their support to the home and share their expertise’s in their respective career fields.
The founder of the ‘Women Serving Our Community’ group, Vimla Naicker, said she was happy to be part of the celebration and advised the children to be the person they want to be and to achieve being who they want to be they must work and study hard to reach their goals. “Show respect for the people that you meet and in return you will be respected. Be responsible for yourselves and remember you are the future,” she stressed.
Senior lecturer in the Department of Information Technology at DUT, Ebrahim Asmal urged the children to study and finish school so that they can join the institution to further their studies. He encouraged the children to study Information Technology (IT), adding that they have the DUT and Lenovo’s support.
He also brought with him technology gadgets for the kids to explore at St Monica’s Children’s Home. “This is what we call the Fourth Industrial Technology (4IR) which are drones, robots and virtual reality headsets and you get to be part of it. The first year to fourth year students are responsible for these great inventions,” he said. He also invited the children to visit DUT to get to know and to understand the 4th industrial Technology taught at the institution.
Motivational Speaker, Nosipho Mncwabe shared her talk focusing on the plethora of losses in her family during her personal upbringing. She then spoke of how she had to move from one family member to another until she could fend for herself. Despite all the pain she had experienced, she managed to turn her life around and establish her own company. “In everything that happened to me, God never stopped being God! I don’t know what you have lost but always remember it is your choice to make something out of your life,” she expressed.
Mncwabe further explained that it is okay to lose things and people that one loves but one must make sure to keep three things which are: faith, hope and believing because with these three things one would never lose oneself despite it all.
Jane Govindsamy, executive assistant at Lenovo South Africa, thanked everyone for celebrating the day together. She promised to continue working with the St Monica’s Children’s Home. The event concluded with a delicious braai, gifts for the children and stakeholders and a networking session.
Pictured: Senior lecturer in the Department of Information Technology at DUT, Ebrahim Asmal talking about 4IR at the event.
Patience Makhaye
