These are a few of the treasures that have been discovered at the Oasis Bric-a-Brac shop: the first editions of a J.R.R Tolkien book and George Orwell’s 1984, and a small, leather-bound religious notebook with a tiny watercolour drawing once owned by world-renowned painter Irma Stern.
There’s a peaceful outside area where you can have coffee and cake; images courtesy Oasis Association
Treasure-hunting at Oasis can bring rich rewards, but contributing is the most fulfilling. The shop is just one part of the Oasis Association, which started as a school for the intellectually disabled in 1952 and has expanded to what it is today, a village with daycare centres, houses for the disabled, a bakery and recycling centre.
YOU CAN SHOP OR DONATE TO OASIS
Oasis is a vital resource for Cape Town’s intellectually challenged people and their families, and just two of the ways it thrives is from your donations and you buying it’s special treasures.
Before you go there to shop, clear out your cupboards of stuff you don’t use. Your unwanted items become the stock that the organisation puts up for sale to plough the funds back into its cause.
You can find treasures like this cute set of 6 ceramic coffee cups and saucers; images courtesy Oasis Association
SUPPORT 600 INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED PEOPLE
Without the Oasis Association, 600 intellectually disadvantaged adults and children in Cape Town would have nowhere to go during the day. There aren’t many state services to support them.
Oasis benefits are even broader, says Gail Bester, Oasis’ executive director.
Real finds have been unearthed here, like the first edition of a Tolkien novel; images courtesy Oasis Association
“It’s not just that an intellectually challenged adult comes here or that a child goes to the daycare centres, but it means their parents or carers are also free to work.”
Plus, she says, earning a living is significant for an Oasis’ adult’s self-worth. “Some are the only breadwinners in their family and have real standing in the community as a result,” explains Gail.
Curated news.
