DCC Report: May to July 2026
Simphiwe's quarterly report from the Dullstroom Community Centre: attendance through the winter term, the elderly feeding scheme, Mandela Day outreach, and the move to the new building.
Every month, Simphiwe Skhosana, the Facility Manager at the DCC, puts together a report on how the centre is running. What follows is that report for May to July 2026, written up for the website. All figures are taken directly from the daily registers kept at the centre.
We Are Moving
Our new building is ready, and we will be moving in soon. A heartfelt thank you to Megan, the Mackenzie Foundation, and every individual who donated towards this project.
As we move into this new chapter, we remain committed to serving our community and giving our children the best possible environment to grow, dream and thrive. You can see more of the new building in our July update.
We also want to thank the friends of Megan who travelled all the way to Dullstroom and spent several days with us, helping move our belongings into the new building. We truly appreciate your time, hard work, love and support.
Attendance
The centre is open to children every weekday afternoon. Over these three months we recorded attendance on 61 days.
| Month | Days recorded | Average daily attendance | Busiest day |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 19 | 166 | 221 on 27 May |
| June 2026 | 19 | 155 | 237 on 2 June |
| July 2026 | 23 | 129 | 254 on 31 July |
| Date | Number of children |
|---|---|
| 4 | 143 |
| 5 | 145 |
| 6 | 128 |
| 7 | 144 |
| 8 | 155 |
| 11 | 170 |
| 12 | 175 |
| 13 | 175 |
| 14 | 132 |
| 15 | 164 |
| 18 | 194 |
| 19 | 159 |
| 20 | 146 |
| 22 | 189 |
| 25 | 121 |
| 26 | 185 |
| 27 | 221 |
| 28 | 212 |
| 29 | 200 |
The monthly averages hide the real pattern, which is the school holidays. During term time the centre is full; when the schools close, many children travel to family elsewhere and our numbers drop sharply.
Term timeSchool holidays
| Date | Number of children |
|---|---|
| 1 | 229 |
| 2 | 237 |
| 3 | 190 |
| 4 | 186 |
| 5 | 179 |
| 8 | 202 |
| 9 | 214 |
| 10 | 139 |
| 11 | 169 |
| 12 | 207 |
| 15 | 165 |
| 16 | 169 |
| 17 | 180 |
| 18 | 102 |
| 19 | 68 |
| 22 | 95 |
| 26 | 88 |
| 29 | 73 |
| 30 | 61 |
Term timeSchool holidays
| Date | Number of children |
|---|---|
| 1 | 87 |
| 2 | 98 |
| 3 | 73 |
| 6 | 62 |
| 7 | 44 |
| 8 | 52 |
| 9 | 45 |
| 10 | 56 |
| 13 | 61 |
| 14 | 77 |
| 15 | 86 |
| 16 | 154 |
| 17 | 191 |
| 20 | 203 |
| 21 | 215 |
| 22 | 178 |
| 23 | 185 |
| 24 | 189 |
| 27 | 112 |
| 28 | 123 |
| 29 | 213 |
| 30 | 210 |
| 31 | 254 |
Read that way, the numbers are steadier than they first appear. In term time we averaged 190 children a day in June and 186 in July, against 81 and 67 during the respective holidays. Attendance also grew through the period: our busiest single day of the whole three months was the last one, 31 July, with 254 children.
Feeding Scheme
The Sakhelwe Feeding Scheme serves the elderly of our community two to three times a week, alongside the daily meals for the children.
| Month | Serving days | Meals served | Average per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 13 | 556 | 43 |
| June 2026 | 13 | 509 | 39 |
| July 2026 | 14 | 502 | 36 |
Across the three months that is 1,567 meals served to elderly community members over 40 serving days. Roughly two thirds of those attending are women.
Our thanks go to Bryte Insurance for their continued support of the Sakhelwe Feeding Scheme. Because of them we are able to feed both the children and the elderly. Your generosity is making a real difference in our community.
Jar of Hope
Thank you to the team at Pam Golding Properties for their kindness and generosity, and for helping us put smiles on the faces of our children and the elderly. Their “Jar of Hope” donation, layered soup jars under the banner Small Jars, Big Impact, brought so much joy. Some children even came back the next day asking for more, because it was delicious.
Mandela Day
Our youth spent their 67 minutes walking around Sakhelwe, reaching out to elderly community members and handing out blankets and warm drinks. It is one of our favourite days of the year, because the children are the ones doing the giving. They learn what it means to show love to others.
We were also joined by community members and supporters who came to spend the day with us.
Every year on Mandela Day the children of Dullstroom Primary School show incredible kindness by buying bread and filling, and making sandwiches to share with the children at our centre. This donation feeds our children for several days. A big thank you to Principal Monique, the teachers, the parents and those wonderful children.
Community Support
Some of the support we receive comes from within Sakhelwe itself. A young man from the community who grows and sells cabbages donated part of his crop to the DCC, so that the children and the elderly could have a meal. We are grateful.
Helping Hands Organization, an NPO that supports children and families with clothing, shoes, school essentials and food, stepped in to buy new school shoes for one of our children who had been coming to school in takkies that no longer fit her. They also donated sanitary products and toiletries. Small things like a pair of shoes make an enormous difference to whether a child stays in school with their dignity intact.
We were also given a large donation of soft toys, which went to our youngest children, and which were received with a great deal of noise and delight.
Fun at the Centre
Beyond homework support, the children work on their school projects at the DCC, where they have space, materials and someone to help. Over this period they built model towers, cranes and bridges out of cardboard, dowel and lolly sticks, and made butterfly crafts with the younger groups. For many of our children the centre is the only place they have the table space and the supplies to complete this work.
How You Can Help
We are open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 16:30, and we always need:
- Food: sugar, beans, cabbage, potatoes, chicken, bread, teabags, juice, rice and maize meal
- Art supplies: crayons, paint, A4 paper, erasers, pencils, blue and black pens, and glue
- Social welfare: sanitary pads, deodorant, toothpaste, toilet paper, clothes, school bags and shoes
If you would like to contribute, please get in touch or donate. Every gift brings a smile and helps our children grow.
Together we can make a lasting difference.
Simphiwe Skhosana
Facility Manager, Dullstroom Community Centre
ERF 290, Sinethemba Street, Sakhelwe, Dullstroom, Mpumalanga