Eleos Community Centre Verified listing

Eleos believes in empowering a community to help themselves. We strive to show love and compassion and pay attention to the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of our clients. Our main goal is to care for and empower underprivileged children and their families, assisting through early intervention and social development programmes. All our activities and workshops are aimed at acquiring the necessary skills, tools and self-confidence to bring about change and a better future.

Our history:

Eleos is a Greek word that means MERCY IN ACTION and that is what a group of women from Pretoria East started doing. In August 1998, a group of women visited a playgroup in Booysens. The desperate need and struggle of the children touched the women in such a way that they immediately decided to get actively involved. They not only realised how many families lived in dire need of basic items, but that social upliftment and ongoing projects were needed to make a difference in the people’s lives. Over the years, various community projects were launched, focussing on the family as a whole. A Community Centre in Wilhelm Street and an Early Childhood Development Centre in Market Street soon became beacons of hope for many destitute families. Eleos also has three After School Care facilities in close vicinity to the schools in the area.

Our community:

We focus our work on the community in Booysens, Claremont and surrounding areas in Pretoria West. This community not only struggles to obtain the necessities but also has the burden of tremendous financial, physical, emotional and mental challenges.

OUR PROJECTS:

GiGgles:   Empowering women to play a stronger role in the community as a mother, wife, girlfriend and employee.

ECD:    Focus on the specific needs of mothers regarding their marital relationship, relationships with their children. Teach them to be able to guide and care for their children as a parent, help with positive education and discipline.

Baby therapy:   To identify and establish milestones early on through occupational and speech therapy intervention. To guide parents to optimally develop children's potential. Prepare the children for nursery school.

Cookie Project (providing an extra income to 2 women from the community): Our delicious cookies, rusks, and treats are freshly baked and hand-packaged in the Eleos kitchen at the Community Centre in Wilhelm Street. Our master bakers come from the community and sell their products to individuals and companies.

Soap Opera - where soap spells hope (providing an extra income to 9 women from the community): Handmade bath products, candles, diffusers, men's products (Real Men Do), and baby products (Divas & Darlings) are sold at various outlets as well as at markets.

Hope Comforts (providing an extra income to 5 women from the community): This project produces warm blankets, play blankets, cot blankets and picnic blankets. Blankets are distributed to our clients and are also made on order.

PeakPals: This project has been in existence for over a decade and is one of our great success stories. Women from the community have been taught how to make the peaks. The peaks are sold at markets and leading golf shops nationwide. Over time, it has developed into an independent project.

Agapè:   Emotional support for women who often function alone and without a support system. To create a place of belonging.

Generaal Nicolaas Smit Primary After-care:   Dedicated to preventing statutory actions, empower families and children to overcome the cycle of poverty, and create two jobs for people living in the area.

Booysens Primary Aftercare:  Learning-oriented programme for children who don’t have the infrastructure at home to complete their homework. Homework support is the main goal, but should the child need therapy, the system is in place to develop skills and deal with trauma. Create two jobs for people living in the area.

Teenager Aftercare:   Our children are motivated to make the most of their lives. The after-school programmes provide a safe and tranquil environment where they can push themselves to reach their full potential.

Eleos kitchen:  The Eleos kitchen prepares sandwiches for the 90 children in our aftercare centres three days a week. They also provide a cooked meal for the 90 children in the aftercare centres, as well as 60 adults in Man Alive and Agape on a Wednesday and 45 adults in Women Alive on a Friday.

General counselling:  People who are given the opportunity to process their personal baggage are more healthy individuals and positively influence their family systems. Career planning for teenagers helps them to be motivated to further their studies / acquire specific skills that broaden their career opportunities.

Transport:  The focus is to be able to collect donations to redistribute in the area. It is also a job creation opportunity, as the person we hire is from the community as well. The driver also helps with the delivery of baked goods on order.

Man Alive:  To give underprivileged men the opportunity to get to know the Lord through weekly group sessions, to provide group counselling on problem solving skills and therefore giving them a foothold in trying to change their lives.

Woman Alive:  To share the gospel with women who are not fluent in Afrikaans. To guide and empower these women with good parenting skills so that it will filter to the community.

Storage rooms:   Addressing group members' physical needs for clothes and linen, families are allowed to visit the storeroom on a regular basis to choose what they need. Extra goods are also offered cheaply to non-members who can buy them and sell them again at a profit (job creation).

Food parcels:   Food shortages are addressed, especially for families with children and the elderly who has a limited income.

Creating job opportunities:  Eleos created 11 permanent jobs employing people from the area to provide a service to the community.

Soup kitchen:  To provide warm meals three times a week, as well as spiritual support. To refer people to existing projects for further, more long-term services.

Holiday programs:   To expose children to new experiences and create opportunities to learn new age-appropriate skills. Holiday programmes focus on fun and creative activities for the children in the afterschool care programs.

Parental guidance:  Parents are often referred for parental guidance, but there are very few opportunities available. Anyone can attend – Cost only covers material used in program. The program is aimed at parents (moms, dads and caregivers) who want to be given the opportunity to change and improve their skills as a parent.

Therapy for children: We partnered with FACT to provide therapeutic services for traumatised children. We also provide Occupational Therapy for our children in the afterschool care centres with the help of a donor.

Student education:  Students get the opportunity to do their practical work within the existing structure. We help them to complete the needs assessment faster and thus spend more time with the members and gain more learning experience. The member gets the benefit of the group therapy / skill offered.

Booysens Beertjies:  Eleos supports Booysens Beertjies to provide basic education for the toddlers and pre-school children in the community.

Affies kitchen:  Eleos give a monthly donation to the Affie- Kitchen at General Nicholaas Smit Primary School to provide nourishing food to less fortunate learners.

SERVICES:

ACCOUNTABILITY, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

Eleos helps a community to help themselves. We have a systemic approach when working with families and the services we offer make it possible to address family issues at different levels. This holistic approach addresses the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual needs of the people we help through the various programme we provide. We serve and assist from a Christian perspective, and it is important to us help clients develop and grow. We support responsible giving in our projects – our members learn to also make a contribution to improve their situation and take responsibility for the change needed in their families.

Eleos builds relationships, regardless of race and culture. Eleos is a faith-based NPO and upholds Christian values. We focus on prevention, primary care and community upliftment.