Liewe Heksie brings magic for children in need
Liewe Heksie brings magic for children in need
This coming Saturday Margit Meyer-Rodenbeck (Dowwe Dolla) wil be performing in her newest children’s production Liewe Heksie en Die Rolskaatse.
The money raised from this production will go to Amado Animal Assisted Therapy.
Amado which means beloved is the brainchild of M’Lani Basson.
M’Lani has been riding horses since she was three years old. After obtaining degrees in art and psychology she spent one year doing animal-assisted therapy in Scotland.
M’Lani returned to South Africa to realise her dream – to help children who would benefit from the interaction between human and horse, especially to take the hand of those who have no one to reach out to.
The mission of Amado is to influence others to look past race, intellectual ability and so-called norms. To help these children take charge of their own lives and their position in their communities through the therapeutic qualities of horses.
Amado has one goal in mind: to help the children of South Africa develop into empowered individuals who can stand on their own feet, proud and tall.
Amado helps 60 special needs children every week. Lives have been changed forever.
Says M’Lani:”Six years ago when we started, 7 of our children were wheelchair bound. Today, not one of them uses their wheelchairs for much more than a seat. One girl could not bath herself at age 16. Her father had to help her in and out of the bath. Today, three years on, she works as a librarian on the farm she grew up on. Her favourite pastime is taking long bubble baths by herself! We need your help to continue creating these miracles”
567 Cape Talk and The Dis-Chem Foundation gave hope to the children in the care of Amado earlier this year through the Random Acts of Kindness Campaign. Every year 567 Cape Talk teams up with the Dis-Chem Foundation to provide help to worthy causes – within communities – that are in need of assistance. The Dis-Chem Foundation donated R20 000 to Amado in order to assist them with their incredible work.
567 CapeTalk presenter, Kieno Kammies, interviewed Amado founder, M’Lani Basson, on the Breakfast Show a while ago.
A passionate M’Lani expressed the huge need for such therapy and discussed the emotional and physical benefits to the children when interacting with the horses and dogs. She explained that the demand is so great, but “unfortunately we can’t take all the children, so we try and take the worst of the worst case scenarios. This is often the first form of therapy that the children receive in their lives.” M’Lani continued to explain that their biggest challenge is finances and getting the message across to people of the enormous impact that their work has on so many lives. “Children who haven’t spoken, speak because they have to stop the horse, children who have never walked in their lives are now, two years on, walking.
Its big things, community changing things, job creating things and the programme works.”
To help these children take charge of their own lives and their position in their communities with the therapeutic qualities of horses, they need your support. Contact M’lani on 083 604 4037 or email info@amado.co.za to book tickets for the show or to give a donation.