Woodrock Sterilisation Clinic - a good news story!

 Co-founders Nicholas Meldau and Estelle Meldau cut the ribbon to open the Woodrock Sterlisation Clinic with Deborah Blane and the lovely Rosabella Catherine Merle Blane the 2nd from Schnauzer Friends South Africa.

We love to hear stories with a positive outcomes. Especially when there are animals involved. Woodrock Animal Rescue in Hennops River was able to the raise their goal of R1-million to build a state-of-the-art animal sterilisation clinic. It was a dream because their mission states that they are pro-life and want to better the lives of all the animals they rescue and take care of.

The celebration for the sterilisation clinic was held this past weekend. We could unfortunately not attend, but I send a few questions to the co-founders of the rescue centre, husband and wife team, Estelle and Nicholas Meldau. They unveiled the initiative that will go far in helping Woodrock to make a difference to the lives of so many animals. The centre works to educate the surrounding communities about pet care, health and sterilisation, as well as medically treating rescue animals.

Had a good laugh about the anecdotal stories, Woodrock... (see below)

SA Musician Garth Taylor to fight for children fighting cancer

Garth Taylor #YouPledgeIFIGHT

Fridays are for caring! On this blog, at least!
There is so much wrong in this world, but fighting for a good cause and channeling your energy into giving or helping someone are what this world is all about! And what makes it worth the while!

That's why I get all excited when I see local musician Garth Taylor getting involved into a fundraising effort for the Little Fighters Cancer Trust. He was the South African Amateur Kickboxing Champion in 2014 in the Light Contact category. (I did not know that!!) The Childhood Cancer Charity, Little Fighters Cancer Trust, offers individualised and practical support to children fighting cancer, and their families, across South Africa. 

Little Fighters Cancer Trust

Garth says, “After having my sister, Joanne, taken away from me by cancer, I have even more of a soft spot toward people who are fighting cancer. Having watched what she went through as an adult fighting this disease, I can only imagine how much worse it is for children who are suffering from cancer, to fight this battle. So, I figured, how bad can it be? Me, stepping into the ring and getting punched around for kids who are fighting for their lives every single day. I might as well see what I can do, if not through my singing, then by getting into the ring and doing something more exciting, so that people and companies pledge money and hopefully we can raise enough funds to help these little kids. I see cancer as a big bully hurting these children, and that is what I will be fighting for.”

Pledges and donations to get Garth into the ring will be administered via Garth Taylor You Pledge I Fight
Once the target amount of R100 000.00, has been raised and/or pledged, Garth’s boxing match, which will be part of “White Collar Boxing 14” will be confirmed and his opponent will be announced.


Read more: Garth Taylor You Pledge I Fight
 

The Little Toys that Aren't - Great project from the Topsy Toy Project!

The Little Toy that Aren't

A toy project that involves a Toy Library! This is definitely something that has been added to my online Christmas Shopping list!

Little Miss was sent a "Princess Jewellery"-item from the series of The Little Toys that Aren't - which are available for purchase on Spree. The donations are helping to stock a Toy Library in Mpumalanga.

We all know how important play is to our children, and that they do not play enough!  

The Topsy Foundation is an NGO that cares for orphaned and vulnerable children in rural Mpumalanga. There is often not enough money to put food on the table and keep the household going, let alone provide toys for the kids to play with. These circumstances are robbing them of the opportunity to develop some of the vital skills they’ll need later in life. 

The Topsy Toy Project is trying to right this wrong. Kids in the communities where Topsy work end up playing with whatever junk they find lying around. Their makeshift robots, dolls, cars and fairy wands inspired our own range of toys – The Little Toys that Aren’t.

Through a partnership with Spree and Your Parenting, these bits and pieces are being virtually sold online as real toys. Shoppers are able to make a donation by “buying” one of ten different toys, with the full amount going straight to Topsy to stock their Toy Library.
Through the Topsy Toy Library, partnerships have been formed with twenty-three day care centres in the area, as well as a centre for physically disabled kids. With Topsy’s help, more than 1 400 children are now getting access to specialised educational toys and better-trained teachers. We’d like this campaign to also spark a bigger conversation about early childhood development and how important it is for parents, teachers and nannies to help kids learn through play.

Spree is available on mobile as well, and it is very easy adding one of these Little Toys that Aren't as a R20 donation on the site.

Spree on Mobile

Princess Jewellery - The Little Toy that Aren't

We are struggling to contain the overflow of toys in our house, and it is humbling to see that kids can play with make-shift toys like these.

I hope that this project will help more children to play with the real thing!

Doc McStuffins expanding her services to pets - Kennels donated to the SPCA in celebration! #disneyafrica

Doc McStuffins, the favourite Toy Doctor on Disney Junior will be expanding her services to pets in the new season starting today on Disney Junior (DStv, Channel 309) at 07:20am (repeats at 09:30, 13:00 and 14:45). The multi-episode story is "Doc McStuffins: Pet Vet."

Cute things to look forward to:
- Two new songs "Get Your Pet to the Vet," as well as "Stuffy's Pet Vlog," will premiere.
- DisneyJunior.com/Doc have a Pet Care checklist designed to help kids nurture and care for their own pets. Johannesburg vet, Dr Colin van Rensburg of the Radiokop Animal Clinic, helped with top tips for children in caring for their pets.

- Two new mobile apps in the Disney Junior Appisodes app for iOS devices have already debuted: A "Stuffy and Squibbles" episode with interactive elements including the ability to help Doc diagnose and treat Stuffy's pet Squibbles when he runs low on energy. A "Doc McStuffins: Pet Vet" mobile game with several mini-games allowing players to diagnose and treat pets. (R99 each, unfortunately!)


In celebration, Disney Junior, will be donating special Doc McStuffins kennels to the SPCA!
They also asked us to take part in the Doc McStuffins Pet Vet Drive. It involves decorating a dog kennel to be donated to the SPCA.

The MomAgain@40-clan had so much fun this weekend. We also got a dog kennel delivered, and if you were watching my Twitter and Instagram, you would have seen some of this fun!

Here are some more photos from our decorating adventures yesterday!