Our children at Die Sterreweg Day Care Centre have seen a significant reduction in absenteeism over the last year. A quarter on quarter comparison shows an improvement of attendance in school by 79% due to kids being healthier and not staying home due to sickness, thanks to a generous monthly donation from Dis-Chem Pharmacies.
Sabrina Love Foundation has been receiving this Dis-Chem donation since August 2016, which consist of superfoods, nappies, first aid items, cleaning material, food and therapy equipment. It has enabled us implement a healthy eating programme incorporating superfoods into a newly designed menu for our children. Day to day, we have noticed a general improvement in the children’s health with less common ailments (colds, chest infections, skin conditions). Clinic appointments for children with concerns regarding weight and illness have declined and our children appear to be in better general health this year than in any of the previous years.
Amongst the food items donated is Chia seeds, Psyllium Husk and Flaxseed. A typical day includes these superfoods with oats for breakfast, lentil, spinach and tomato soup for lunch with fruit for snack time. Sugar has been replaced by honey and fatty oils replaced by coconut oil. This has helped improve our children’s energy levels, digestive systems, brain function and has helped our children to stay healthy and fight disease.
The children who attend Die Sterreweg are all moderately to severely cognitively impaired which excludes them from mainstream education settings. Approximately half our children have physical difficulties, many of whom are severely disabled, wheelchair bound with permanent deformity. All our children come from lower socio-economic areas, many with parents/carers who struggle financially to provide healthy alternatives and a diet rich with the correct nutrients. Many of our children have special dietary needs and their immune systems are compromised. For many of our children, the healthy meals and snacks that they are given during the day are the only balanced and nutritious meals they receive. These children’s physical and cognitive development is directly affected by their nutritional intake.
We gratefully thank Dis-Chem Pharmacies for their ongoing support and generosity.
