Dear Friends of Golden Sunbeams
For weeks now, the happy Easter bunny has been smiling at us from his supermarket shelf – friendly and harmless, as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
If he knew what a marathon we would complete with him this week to make many little childrens hearts beat faster…
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we toured the townships. We stopped at Asanda Village, Nomzamo, Strand and Sir Lowry’s Pass and visited 7 of our 17 kindergartens.
Please Google the route and you’ll see – there are many kilometres that the Golden Sunbeams Easter Bunny Crew covered this week.
And that’s why it’s unfortunately not possible to consider all kindergartens in a single year. We juggle between Santa Claus and Easter and try to give presents to as many children as possible in one year. And those who do not receive this year will have their turn again in 2024 at the latest. Because our Chocolate Easter Bunny Marathon has become an eagerly anticipated tradition for the children, the kindergarten teachers and, last but not least, for us.
It’s the moment when the little ones hold the colourful bags in their hands in amazement and can hardly wait to show their families at home this treasure. This is the moment that always enchants us.
Muriel, the principal of Sikuthale Pre-School in Asanda Village, was in a very good mood together with the children when the Chocolate Easter Bunnies arrived.
Sikuthale, Great Beginning and Bright Future in Asanda Village were on our route on Tuesday. Britta’s parents and Leon, who had his first day as a volunteer, helped out at Great Beginning.
Britta’s parents from Germany have been members of Golden Sunbeams themselves for many years and are currently visiting South Africa. The two were finally able to experience this “magical moment” for themselves, because it was their first Easter celebration in the Cape area.
Lena, Leon, Carmen and Rosa – volunteers in the kindergartens – also supported us in distributing the colourful Easter bags.
At EmfundiSweni in the township of Nomzamo we only met Nomalizo with her granddaughters, as the kindergarten children were already on their short Easter holidays.
The highlight of this year’s tour was Wednesday with Sabine, our busy baker, whose sweet creations you already know from photos at last year’s Easter and Christmas. For Easter 2023, she again baked and decorated hundreds of little Bunnies and Easter eggs, which we then distributed to 70 boys and girls at Kingdom Kids in Sir Lowry’s Pass township.
The group shot shows how much Sabine’s Easter present impressed them: they didn’t even touch a biscuit, but proudly carried the bags home to their families.
Afterwards we drove to Lekker Bekkies, a kindergarten in the township of Rusthof, and surprised the children with chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs.
We took the last 86 Easter bags to Covenant Kids in Rusthof on Thursday, where Chrizell, the principal set up an Easter egg hunt corner for the little ones.
And that was the end of this year’s Chocolate Bunny Marathon and we look back on 3 eventful days, 7 kindergartens with happy boys and girls, 350 colourful Easter bags and 70 bags with homemade and decorated Easter biscuits.
Many thanks especially to our dear Sabine, who has transformed her kitchen into a fragrant bakery again. And many thanks to all donors who make projects like these possible.
We wish you all a sunny Easter with your family – celebrate well and enjoy the many chocolate bunnies!
Best regards
Yours, Britta & Bernd