Little Eden : caring for persons with intellectual disability

Aerial pic of Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home

How to get to the Domitilla & Danny Hyams Home in Edenvale

How to get to Elvira Rota Village in Bapsfontein

Respect ... Sanctity of Life ... and Love & Care. Our core values are encapsulated in a series of symbols that guide the way the staff and volunteers at LITTLE EDEN respond to children and adults with intellectual disability; to each other as staff; to the environment; and to the larger community.

We believe in the sanctity of life – these special people are precious in the eyes of God and they have a right to be here and to be helped to reach their full potential despite their limitations.

We offer them love and care, provide for their needs, and protect them from harm.

Value symbols

Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home from the air. From left, A: Our Lady of the Angels Chapel; B: Administration block; C: Reception;
D: Laundry; E: Recycling area; F: one of the seven wings where the children live; G; Therapy Centre

Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home

Smaller children and those requiring intensive medical care generally live at our Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home, situated on the corner of Harris Avenue & Wagenaar Road in Edenglen.

Built on one level for wheelchair accessibility, the home comprises seven wings, a kitchen, laundry, administration office, therapy centre, chapel, games hall and workshop.

Each of the 180 children who live here has his or her own bed or cot; many also have specially adapted wheelchairs to assist them in sitting upright. Their days are spent in bright, airy and colourful rooms, where they are encouraged to participate in various activities and therapies according to their needs and level of development.

Days of our lives

Learning to walk

The day starts early with each child needing to be bathed, dressed, have teeth and hair brushed and fed their breakfast. Then it's time for therapy or play - depending on each child's needs and abilities.

Singing, painting, watching TV and outdoor play are favourites. But it's during speech- and physiotherapy that miracles sometimes happen.

Often progress is painfully slow - months can be spent teaching a child to hold a spoon or make the sounds that lead to recognisable speech.

But the reward – when we see a child who used to lie still and unresponsive now sitting up, smiling, feeding himself, talking or even walking – are indescribable.

Facts and figures

laundry

Every day, 3 tons of washing is done at LITTLE EDEN - including 2 500 nappies. We choose to use towelling nappies rather than disposables as part of our commitment to caring for the environment.

In our kitchens, staff are kept busy preparing 300 meals, five times a day. Nothing goes to waste! Many of the meals are specialised to suit children who are unable to chew hard foods.

Visitors

Paws for people

PAWS for People is one of several voluntary organisations that add a little extra excitement to life at LITTLE EDEN. The therapy dogs are extremely well behaved and seem to understand that our children are different.

We welcome visitors - individuals or groups - who are interested in meeting the children and seeing first-hand the work we do. If you would like to visit, please call 011 609-7246 to arrange a convenient time.

Click here for directions to the Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home.