#BigFavour: Durban family get their happy ending after much despair
If you heard last week’s Big Favour, you’d remember Merie and her family. Just like many other South Africans, they’ve had a really tough year. Damon caught up with them to see how they're doing.
Take a listen to this week's #BigFavour or read the details under the podcast.
Merie’s two boys are her life and she would do anything to help them. Both are keen sportsmen and needing cricket kits for school, she wrote into the Big Favour looking for help.
Her self-employed husband, the boys' Dad, had a hip replacement in January that’s had him off work, and without employment, things have just gone from bad to worse.
While wondering how she was going to afford cricket gear for the boys, Merie then found out that the younger of her sons also suffered from ADD. The added pressure of now having to put him into remedial school just added to the family’s problems. Read last week's Big Favour here.
Right after the show last week, I had a mail from Catherine Phillips, the head of Roots Remedial Centre. Catherine had heard the show and immediately contacted us wanting to help by offering a year’s free schooling to Luke to help ease the family’s burden.
Read: Watch: Mshwati Memorial learners say a big 'thank you' to the #BigFavour
As you’ll hear in the podcast, Merie was overjoyed and very tearful when she received the good news from me. The centre was founded by Phillips, a Remedial Education Specialist with many years of experience in both South Africa and abroad.
Roots is pending registration as a Non-Profit Organisation and will operate as a centre that will accommodate learners who do not meet the requirements for other special needs or remedial schools yet still require daily educational stimulation.
They aim to offer a firm foundation not only for children but for their families too, making their experience one of balance and growth while learning in harmony.
Read: The #BigFavour puts an end to a family's tough times
Roots is offering a unique approach to learning for those with disabilities and learning delays who require customised assistance in order to meet their potential and learning goals. Roots endeavours to accommodate all learners, but currently can only provide limited assistance for those with severe mobility disturbances.
Currently, children with Autism, ADD, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Genetic Disorders, and Undiagnosed Developmental Delays that compromise Cognitive Functioning are accommodated.
Read: #BigFavour: Supplying wheelchairs for those who need them most
Roots aims to offer a multidisciplinary holistic and eclectic approach combined with a gentle and natural guiding hand to all their learners and families
They put an emphasis on outdoor education and the role of the body and muscle tone in sensory learning.
Fees are R2,400 per month with one-month fees as a Non-Refundable Deposit. Parents are advised timeously of the annual increase. Currently, they have 15 learners, four teachers, and an assistant to keep staff learner ratio optimal.
Their website is under construction, but you can go to their Facebook page to see them in action.
Call Cathy on 072 575 9695 or Dave on 076 112 7341 for more information.
You can also email: [email protected].