Nokulunga, or affectionately known as Noks, arrived at iThemba in 2008 and initially did not speak any English. She has recently made incredible strides to strengthen her ability to speak and read the language.

She has settled into her new family life extremely well and has moved from a shy nervous child to a confident bubbly little girl. As with all the iThembaKids she has endured challenges in her young life but she was fortunate to be offered a path of hope at iThemba. Noks is described as by others as kind, gentle and as having a loving nature.

Despite her great efforts at school and learning English she is in need of remedial education. For the 2012 school year, she is attending Kenmont Remedial School in Grade 5. She says her favourite subject at school is Art because “it is so easy”. She also enjoys netball and swimming. On weekends she likes to watch movies and during the week after she has finished her homework she enjoys listening to music.

“My family and brothers and sisters are all so funny and kind. What I like best about iThemba is that they teach you and they give you a beautiful wonderful family.”

Ezra goes to Hillcrest High School and is in Grade 8. His favourite subject at school is History as he loves to learn about what happened in the past. He is a good sportsman and enjoys rugby, swimming, soccer, cycling and tennis. He one day hopes to be a teacher or a sports coach. His message to the youth is to "obey to your parents because they were once where you are now."

Jessica is a bubbly friendly little girl who has fortunately gained stability and love from her new family at iThemba. She is loyal and caring and has quickly formed strong relationships with her new siblings. Jessica shares a very close bond with her older sister, Casey.

Quality foster care is what differentiates iThemba as each child is offered the very best family environment possible, coupled with excellent education. In her new home she has been encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and her parents have made every attempt to meet her spiritual and emotional needs.

She is attending a wonderful local school, Hillcrest Primary School, where she is in Grade 5.  Her favourite subject is Art. She also enjoys netball and hockey.  On the weekends she likes to eat pizza, swim and play with her friends.

“My brothers and sisters are kind and my Mom and Dad are good parents. I really like the people at iThemba, the children and the families.”

Harley goes to Hillcrest Primary School and is in Grade 6. Her favourite subjects at school are Art, Music, PE and Life Orientation. She says she likes these subjects because she enjoys drawing, singing and playing sport. On the weekends she likes to spend time with her family and friends, listens to music and reads. Her favourite colour is blue and her favourite food is pizza! She says the best thing about her family is "their hearts."

Today Casey is flourishing academically and personally. In 2010, after only a few months attending her school, Casey obtained excellent academic results. Her hard work and dedication have paid off as she has achieved her dream and obtained a scholarship to a leading private girl’s high school, St Mary’s DSG, for 2011.

She is now in Grade 9 and her favourite subject at the moment is Art, “I like Art because you don’t have any tests and the work is all practical, and you can listen to music while you express your feelings and emotions”.

She is motivated by her new family, by trying to be a good role model for her younger siblings and by her determination to do her absolute best in all areas. She is described by those near her as friendly and focused. Outside her studies, she enjoys participating in netball, action netball, hockey and swimming.

Casey has expressed she would like to own a beautician company in the future. With her dedication and drive, she aspires to study for two years to become a beautician and another year to study business.

Her message to the youth of South Africa is: “Never live in the past or use your past as an excuse to get out of trouble, because it only makes things worse. Live in the moment and enjoy life, do that and you will find out life is great. Take your opportunities with both hands! Life is fun if you make it.”

Marcus was welcomed to iThemba in 2010 and is the newest member of Anna House. He is a humble and a polite young man who has a lovely big smile.

He attends Hillcrest Primary School where he is in Grade 7.  His best subject at school is Natural Science because he enjoys the experiments! He enjoys cricket, soccer, swimming and rugby. He is a natural sportsman. He is very excited about his new home and he has formed a bond with his siblings.

This young man loves luminous yellow and likes to eat mince with grated cheese. He describes his family as “funny and cool.” He is very grateful to have a secure family environment once more.

He has responded well to his family routines, strong belief systems and celebrations and he now understands that Anna House is his home and where he belongs.  We trust Marcus will have the ability to change his world and to bring hope to others and his own family one day.