We were delighted to read this wonderful piece by South African publication Spotlight, highlighting the marvellous work done by Sr Sally Duigan OLSH and the team at the Holy Family Care Centre in Limpopo.
Calling the Holy Family community “the biggest and happiest family in Limpopo”, this Spotlight story gives us a glimpse into daily life at the centre, where Sr Sally and her team care for over 70 infants and children. The majority of these children are battling serious illnesses, such as HIV, and many have been orphaned or abandoned.
Founded in 2002, the centre is run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with the support of the MSC. We are very pleased to work closely with our Sacred Heart sisters, from fundraising efforts here in the Irish Province to our annual volunteer programme at Holy Family.
“Each child that comes through the gates of HFC is guaranteed two things, regardless of how they arrive or where they come from, they will be loved and well taken care of,” reads the Spotlight article. “At the moment this is home to 70 children (Sally sheepishly admits that they never turn a child away, sometimes the facility cares for up to 80 children) eight of whom are babies. There is a large staff contingent who care for the children 24/7, bathing them, feeding them, clothing them, teaching them, helping them with homework, playing with them and showering them with heaps and heaps of love. It is absolutely clear that this is one big family.”
It’s a big family, and a happy one. The sense of unity and love at Holy Family is in abundance from the moment one steps through the doors, and Sr Sally is dedicated to ensuring this remains the case for every child that comes into her care.
“Above all, we continue to give our children love, security, and care, in the hope they will thrive,” she wrote in a letter to our MSC Missions. “We want them to have the energy to enjoy playtime, be able to learn and live a happy life.”
We are very proud to see Sr Sally’s tremendous work being recognised – congratulations to all the team at Holy Family!