The KwaZulu-Natal Children’s Hospital was once a beacon of hope – a place where sick children could gaze out from their hospital beds and watch the ocean. Where warm sun and sea air wafted through the windows to provide healing and comfort.
Opened in 1931 (then named the Addington Children’s Hospital), it was the first children’s hospital in Africa. Today, over 90 years later, the KZN community still shares stories of the kindness and care received from doctors, nurses and staff.
But in 1984 the hospital became a casualty of apartheid with the government closing its doors for offering care to children of colour. The hospital’s beautiful old buildings went to ruin and the community suffered the loss of a vital asset for the province’s children.
This landmark building is now being restored, with new additions and exciting plans to become a world-class healthcare facility for the children of KZN, with a special focus on neurodevelopmental and mental health needs.
This week, The Hardy Boys (THB) signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the KwaZulu-Natal Children’s Hospital Trust (the Trust) committing to support the Trust with strategic and creative marketing and campaigns to aid their fundraising efforts to raise R500m over the next three years to complete the hospital’s restoration in its entirety.
“We are incredibly proud to be partnering with the Trust and look forward to leveraging our brand building and marketing communications expertise to help get this immense and important project completed. This hospital has the potential to change the healthcare landscape of South Africa and to positively impact so many families. As a proudly KZN business, we knew we had to play our part to see this vision come to life,” said Taweni Gondwe Xaba of The Hardy Boys.
Taryn Millar, CEO of the Trust said: “We are so thankful for the support of The Hardy Boys team and their guidance to date. Having such a skilled team of individuals working in partnership with the Trust, gives us an even greater sense of confidence in realising our goal of a fully restored and operational hospital. The children of KZN need this designated healing space and THB, as part of our community, have come on board by committing to this much needed cause.”
Some of the hospital facilities are already fully operational and others are making great progress. You can view a video tour of the hospital as it stands here.
If you would like to help support the restoration of Africa’s first children’s hospital, a simple donation of R100 will allow you to buy a brick. Brick by brick, the community of KZN is helping to bring this incredible facility back to life. It will be a hospital built by the community, for the community.
