HANGKLIP/KLEINMOND - National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is celebrated every year in March as an awareness campaign to express support for those who have Cerebral Palsy. On Saturday, 26 March 2022 I walked from Rooi-Els to Kleinmond, wearing green not only to create awareness for Cerebral Palsy but also aim to raise funds for Kleinmond Special Daycare; Mthimkhulu Village; Kleinmond. The special needs daycare officially opened its doors in January 2021 but continues to face many obstacles along the way. And I know we can’t accomplish everything overnight, but surely we can start by allowing them to keep their doors open. They are a ‘haven’ for nine special needs children whose parents don’t have alternative caring options. In South Africa, it is estimated that ten out of every 1 000 babies born in a specific year will have CP. World Cerebral Palsy Day celebrates the achievements of individuals who live with CP. It is a developmental disability that affects children’s capacity to control their movements and posture. Children with CP have weak muscles during their first few months of life, and later these muscles stiffen. They can also have repetitive movement, shakiness, and problems with balance. According to Dr. Thembi Katangwe, a pediatric neurologist at Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University: ‘CP occurs when there is an injury to the developing brain during pregnancy, birth, or in the first few months of life, especially less than two years. This causes problems with brain development in parts that are responsible for muscle movement in different parts of the body.’ I believe that my 24.89 km meant something to these Kleinmond Special Daycare children and that it was worthwhile to not only create awareness but to help raise funds needed to keep them going – if you can help in ANY way possible (even an R10 donation) you can make a difference when we all pitch in to help! We want thank Ross Zondagh, Founder & CEO @VeldskoenSA, who sponsored a special edition Cerebral Palsy ribbon green Veldskoene – and I can vouch that these shoes can be worn brand new and walked in comfortably from Rooi-Els to Kleinmond (and NO I didn’t swap shoes anywhere along the way)! Thank you to Daniël J van Zyl (Die Kleinmond Ontwerp-Ateljee) and Warren van Heerden (Garage Rehab), that ensured a safe walking journey and kept me hydrated all the way. Thank You to Valencia & Wynand Botha for the support and end destination décor. I would also like to thank the community and businesses in advance for the support and financial contributions you would consider. Please donate to Hangklip Community Kids Project, Capitec Acc: 169 378 14 58, Hermanus Branch. Reference: KSD (name or business name).
