Our vision to CREATE an opportunity for ADULTS with SPECIAL NEEDS, to SERVE society through the potential of Bethel Home with their unique abilities.
Parents are always worried about what will happen to their children when they reach an age where they are unable to attend the Wings for Life school any longer or even worse, what will happen to their adult children when they cannot take care of them anymore due to ageing or death. This burden is a reality to us as well as we engage with these children every day. Currently our oldest learner are 18 years old.
Without adult programs and a long-term vision of the Wings for Life School, these adult children have a bleak future being absorbed in society and finding their purpose. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have the ability and desire to work, but there are still several obstructions. Research overwhelmingly demonstrates disappointing employment outcomes for this group. The vast majority is unemployed and for those who do have gainful employment, underemployment is common.
It is the dream and vision of Wings for Life to create skills development opportunities, employment prospects and sustainable income creation for these individuals.
Bethel Home is the house that Wings for Life purchased in May 2018 making this dream and vision a reality. It is situated in 4 Beethoven Street, Vanderbijlpark and it is the ideal place to create the opportunities we have envisioned for our maturing learners and other individuals with special needs from outside. The potential and skills we can teach and through the house generate work and a sustainable income, include the following:
- Routine work like housekeeping tasks where we use rooms in the house as a Bed and Breakfast to generate sustainable income (Airbnb and Private listing)
- Venue hire facility – Bethel home are currently used as a venue hire facility to generate an income. The venue has potential for weddings and family gatherings.
- It is our vision to start a coffee shop in a part of the house where our adults can be part of the coffee shop through baking, cooking and management of the coffee shop.
- Gardening skill development and management
- Computer skills where interested adults can assist with the management, invoicing and general computer administration duties of Bethel Home
- During the week the hall is the ideal venue to be utilised for Protective workshops. These workshops already started in 2018 and proof to be a successful program where an organised schedule is followed from 7:30 to 13:00 and it include household chores, craft workshops such as needlework, mosaic, woodwork and cooking, praise and worship and physical training such as walking and stretching.
- One of the wings of the house lean itself to be residential rooms for special needs adults. Our vision is to give them a safe place that can become home but also where they can find a sense of belonging and stay busy doing some duties/” work” in and around Bethel home
Contact us today if you want to view the venue or need a quote:
admin@wingsforlife.co.za or +27169335408 or +27832540632.