“We help children in Johannesburg who are abused, abandoned, disadvantaged, poor, neglected, orphaned, underprivileged, and vulnerable…”
Magical Moments, based in Johannesburg, South Africa,is a non-profit organization that strives to meet children’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs by fostering joyful childhood memories through early childhood development experiences and education – lead by Ilana Friedman as the chief operating fairy and fairy godmother.
Providing for each child’s fundamental requirements, ‘magical moments’ in the form of playtime, toys, and/or other ‘niceties’, as well as education, sets Magical Moments apart from other philanthropic non-profit organizations.
For children to view a world of possibilities, it is intended to provide a window into the realm of play, an opportunity to wish and possibly inspire hope. “We feed and nourish children’s minds, bodies, tummies, hearts, and spirits, planting positive seeds and investing in their Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Learning, Early Childhood Education and foundation phase years”, says Ilana Friedman.
To further clarify, Salem Makwarela, Magical Moments’ ambassador said that they either construct an enjoyable activity in their surroundings or take kids on “field trips to child-friendly locations to awaken their curiosity and enlighten their senses”, which provides them with a full-body learning experience.
In light of the fact that children in South Africa fall into three age groups—rural and urban—with respect to money-metric and multidimensional child poverty, with the 5–12 age group having the highest multidimensional poverty rate (63.4%), followed by the 13–17 age group (62.5%) and the 0–4 age group (59.9%), it goes without saying that every family would prioritize their children’s basic needs, such as clothing and food, and view any recreational items or moments as extravagance.
“We help children in Johannesburg who are abused, abandoned, disadvantaged, poor, neglected, orphaned, underprivileged, and vulnerable; their homes may be in different towns, villages, or provinces. Most of these children are under the age of seven. Many of the children suffer from TB, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses”.
In addition to offering enjoyable and constructive intellectual and emotional experiences, the goal of Magical Moments is to introduce the kids to extracurricular activities that are widely accepted as essential to the development of young children. “Millions of young children in South Africa lack access to educational toys that could improve their skills and stimulation during their early childhood years. Particularly in the areas where we interact, they are playing with beer bottle caps and trash”, Salem explains.
Having worked closely with the children, leaving enchanting memories and impressions on their hearts, the volunteers are referred to as Fairies. To become a Fairy, fill out the Fairy Application Form after getting in touch with Magical Moments to become a regular team member. However, given that fairies work with children, all applications are vetted for approval. Contact the organization to learn more about the procedures and to express your desire to donate to it.
By: Mulondo Nethengwe
