Johannesburg, 24 May 2019: Today saw the Ellen Glen for Special Needs Centre in Snake Park, Soweto, celebrating being the recipient of a handover which included much-needed nappies and other essential healthcare products. The handover stemmed from a collaboration between the National Council of & for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), a national NGO that works to promote and protect of the rights of persons (and especially children) with disabilities, and Alpha Pharm, one of South Africa’s largest national group of independent community pharmacies.

The Ellen Glen for Special Needs Centre is a registered home for children with psychological and physical impairments – founded and run by Mrs Pontso Madona in Snake Park Block 5. The centre currently accommodates 16 children between the ages of 4 and 18 years old, and also operates as a day-care facility.

“At the NCPD, we see the nappy as an essential health item and incontinence management product, which many children with disabilities rely on. The sad reality is that most children with disabilities, South Africa’s most vulnerable and marginalised group of children, often sadly go without nappies due to their cost,” says Andre Kalis, Specialist: Advocacy, Policy and Children’s Matters at the NCPD. “We are therefore thrilled that we, in collaboration with Alpha Pharm, can assist in making a difference in the lives of the children at Ellen Glen for Special Needs Centre.”

Madona started the centre in 2006 for children with disabilities after discovering her son had a mental disability / psychological impairment. In the initial stages of taking her son for medical treatments, she discovered the vast number of children with disabilities who are sadly neglected and abused. “We are incredibly grateful for the generous support from the NCPD and Alpha Pharm – this contribution will go a long way in our home.”