Daybreak House for Babies

22/08/2026

Forty women will spend a morning making handbags. Once the materials are paid for, what remains covers roughly one day of running Daybreak House.

One day sounded like very little to me at first. Then I sat down and worked out what one day actually holds.

I have written about it here, and about why bringing forty new people through our gate matters as much as the money does.

https://daybreakhouse.co.za/design-your-own-leather-handbag-and-buy-us-a-day/

Kleur die Lig In takes place on Thursday 10 September. There are still seats available.

22/08/2026

There is always laughter when Penny is around, and we are pretty sure our babies know exactly who is responsible for it.

Penny, God knew this house needed someone who could make a room full of tiny people break into the biggest smiles, and He sent us you. Your joy is contagious and your sense of humour is something we genuinely could not do without.

Happy birthday to the funniest person in the house. We love you! 🎂🎉

21/08/2026

BDO rounded off our Mandela Day Celebration last month, and it was a good way to end it. They arrived with a lot of donations, along with goodie bags for our staff, which was such a thoughtful touch. Our tots came home during the visit, so the team got to spend time playing with them too.

While they were here, we had the chance to share more about the work we do and what it takes to run the house from day to day.

Thank you, BDO, for the generosity and for the time spent with us.

20/08/2026

Struxit has been with Daybreak House from the very beginning, and their support has never wavered. Last month a large part of their team came to spend Mandela Day with us over lunch. They brought donations along with snack platters and cupcakes to share with the babies and staff, and then rolled up their sleeves to help feed the little ones their lunch before settling in to play.

For those on the team who hadn't been to the house before, it was a chance to see it for themselves. We got to share more about the work we do and some of the challenges that come with the child welfare system, the kind of thing that's easier to understand once you've stood in the middle of it.

Thank you, Struxit, for the years of steady support and for spending Mandela Day here with us.

Michante Davies

19/08/2026

On the morning of Mandela Day last month, the team from SEESA Pretoria spent time with us at Daybreak House. They came with generous donations, but they also gave something we value just as much: their time and attention.

They engaged with the babies throughout the morning, and it clearly meant a lot to them too. One of the visitors was in tears when it came time to say goodbye. While they were here, we were able to walk them through the work we do and what it takes to run a place of safety day to day. Support tends to hold steadier when people have seen it up close.

Thank you, SEESA, for the generosity and for taking the time to visit us.

18/08/2026

Dankie Laerskool Pretoria-Oos Amptelike Blad

🌱 OSIES GEE OM! 💚

Ons het die ongelooflike geleentheid om ’n verskil te maak wat oor generasies heen kan voortleef! 🙌

💚 Ondersteun ons liefdadigheidsprojek!

18/08/2026

Meet the second painting in The Radiant Collection.

She is one of our place of safety mothers, and the baby in her arms was one of the first little ones to come through our doors in 2023.

Look at her face. Eyes closed, cheek resting against a tiny head, smiling the way you smile when nobody is watching.
August is Women's Month, and the 9th is National Women's Day. So this month, Esté Jones turned her brush toward the women who make this house a home.

In her words: "She represents every mother, caregiver, volunteer, visitor, donor and pair of hands that has helped love, hold, comfort, nurture and care for these precious babies."

Hands that feed. Hands that hold. Hands that wipe tears. Hands that pray. Hands that work. Hands that love.

We have written the full story of this painting on The Daybreak Journal, including Este's message and why she chose this moment for Women's Month.

Read it here 👇

https://daybreakhouse.co.za/the-hands-that-love/

"Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Corinthians 16:14

Painting by Este Jones · Alabaster Box Gallery

17/08/2026

Promise has found her home.

The first painting in The Radiant Collection has been sold, and we had the joy of handing her over in person to her new owner, Madel Roos who decided it should hang in Marlene's living room.

Madel, thank you. Thank you for saying yes to this painting, and for the way your bid turned straight into care for the babies and toddlers at Daybreak House. You did not simply buy a piece of art. You stepped into a little life's story.

And to Este Jones of Alabaster Box Gallery, thank you for a generosity that is hard to put into words. Este donated the full sale price of Promise to Daybreak House.

One little life, seen. One story, held.

More paintings coming. Link in bio to follow the collection.

17/08/2026

Not a paint-along. Not another ladies' tea.

On Thursday 10 September, forty women will spend a morning at Daybreak House for Babies designing their own genuine leather handbags with Alsuli_creative

You choose the leather. You choose the colour, the texture, the combinations that should not work together but somehow do. The Alsuli team stitches and finishes it professionally, and your bag comes back to you a few weeks later, made by you and owned by nobody else.

Alicia Swart, the founder of Alsuli Creative, will also speak about colour, individuality, and what it means to walk in your own colour in a world that quietly rewards blending in.

Thursday 10 September, 09:00 to 12:30
Daybreak House garden, Pretoria
R890 per person

Your ticket includes your handbag, all the leather and materials, guidance throughout, and coffee with a Danish pastry on arrival. You are welcome to bring your own bubbly.

Spaces are limited to forty, deliberately, so the morning stays personal and hands on. The proceeds support the running of Daybreak House for Vulnerable Babies.

Book your seat: www.daybreakhouse.co.za/kleur-die-lig-in

09/08/2026

Happy National Women's Day to the women of South Africa.

We celebrate the strength, resilience and beauty of every woman in this country. You are seen, you are valued, and you are a blessing to those around you.

To all the women who pour themselves out for others, especially the little ones in our care, thank you for all you do.

The Grové Schoombee Foundation, Daybreak House and Hamba Nawe Project