In this episode of Vat Jou Goed en Trek, the team renovate a centre that provides education, meals and shelter for street children.
Paster Todd and Social Worker Vanie are in charge of the Icare hospice centre for children who live on the street in Brixton, Johannesburg. The centrum provides education, meals and a safe haven for less privileged boys.
This week the "Vat jou goed en trek!" team embarks on a renovation unlike anything they every attempted on the show before. Instead of helping a family move they are helping this great centre by providing a safe and maintained home for those most in need.
The idea is not only to do renovations but also to provide an infrastructure that will benefit the kids long after the show is over.
On arrival Henck learns that Pastor Todd has been running the centre for the past 10 years. Over the last couple of years, the centre has fallen victim to various break-ins and vandalism. As a result, the hot water in the bathrooms does not work, leaving the occupants only with cold water to shower.
Vanie first points out that the cement flooring gets extremely cold during the winter periods and poses a big challenge. After some deliberation it is decided that tiles won’t fix the problem but that a novylon floor would.
Another problem is that the center only has one big open space. It gets problematic when different classes are being taught at the same time so Vanie suggest a partition wall to divide the area. Kevin is unsure if that can be done due to the time constraints.
In the garden area, Kyle explains his plans with the space. He suggests putting up a reflection corner and a garden to bring colour and beauty to the centre. He also says that he plans on planting a vegetable garden to benefit the children and centre.
The team are shocked by the state of the bathroom. The ceilings are ripped out, the hot water pipes were stolen and there’s no hot water. The team agrees that the bathroom is a major problem and will need plenty of work.
The team are motivated by the challenge and jumps to work.
Whilst the team is busy Henck tells Lara that he has a surprise in store for the kids but that he does not want to give to much away just yet.
Lara pulls Paster Todd aside and shows him something that she has come up with. It is a game with a purpose. Each child's name gets put up on a wall, next to a long list of chores follow. Each child gets assigned a chore and the one who did their chore the best gets moved up the list. The child who is on top of the list gets to choose his or her chore.
Pastor Todd tells Lara that he is very impressed with the game as it promotes a sense of pride in one's work.
Kevin informs Henck that the partition wall will definitely go up and everyone is overjoyed.
Lara and Henck rearrange the layout of the centre and create different stations. There is now the reading station, the lounge area where the bigger kids can chat whist enjoying a cup of tea. Kyle shows Henck posters that he wants to put outside with instructions on how to grow the vegetables that he has provided.
Day three arrives and the last bit of work gets done. Henck prepares to show Vanie and Paster Todd the completed renovations. They are blown away and thankful for the difference that it will make.
The partition walls create a nice class room area for the bigger kids and the novylon floors are soft and will be warmer in the winter.
Computers has been donated and sits proudly in the new class room ready to open up a new world for the children.
The biggest joy is the bathroom. Kevin has completely redone it and restored it to be fully functional. The children can now enjoy hot showers, the ceilings have been replaced and painted and the walls painted to look better than new.
The tears flow as everyone is overwhelmed with the work that’s been done and the change that’s been made.
Henck says that he has one more surprise waiting outside. The team walks into the main centre and see all the kids waiting there. They are having a big party, there is a clown, kids’ faces are being painted and food and drinks are served.
Marika Grove from RE/MAX Randgro surprises everyone as she shows up with her RE/MAX agents. They brought care packets with toiletries and toys for each one of the kids.
The episode ends and everybody congratulates each other on a job well done.
Enter the competition and win
Private Property is running a Vat Jou Goed en Trek competition for the duration of the series, where one lucky entrant will have the chance to win a R50 000 Cashbuild voucher.
To enter, simply visit the Vat Jou Goed en Trek competition page on Private Property, answer the simple question and submit your entry.
Vat Jou Goed en Trek airs every Friday at 17:30, on kykNET, DSTV channel 144. Weekly repeats : Sundays at 11:00, Monday at 11:30, Tuesday at 1:30 Wednesday at 02:30
