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MAMA SHIRLEY MERIME

Ebenezer Hannah Home

When your childhood is as traumatic as Mama Shirley’s was, you have two choices, rise above, or suffer from, and luckily, she chose the former. Orphaned at the age of eight when her mother passed away from cancer, her alcoholic father abandoned her. She is one of those remarkable people who have compassion and always place the needs of others above her own, and her childhood provides a unique insight into the needs and emotions of those in her care.

“Usually, kids from the street are full of anger and hatred through what has happened in their lives. These kids have to be treated with lots of love, compassion and patience. It is important that we do not give up on them,” she says, and she never does. She started Ebenezer Hannah Home in 1995 (1992). Ebenezer means ‘rock of hope’, and hope is precisely what she provides to the orphans and senior citizens in her care. She has a preschool on the premises, and all the teachers have been appropriately trained. Her headteacher was raised at the orphanage and is continuing the cycle of love and repair.

Sadly, Mama Shirley Merime, passed away in July 2021. Mama Shirley was a devoted and hard-working Clover Mama Afrika for 13 years. We will all miss this Clover Mama Afrika as she was our one and only MISS PERSONALITY.

IMPACT

CMA provided skills training to 53
Mama transferred skills to 329
Mama provides employment to 10

PROJECTS

Bread baking
Cooking & baking
Food Gardens
Sewing

FACTS

Joined CMA: February 2006
Children in her care 66
Elderly in her care: 77
Outreach: 150

Facts about Mama Shirley

Ebenezer Hannah Home
Ennerdale, Gauteng

 

  • Nationality and Language:
 Afrikaans
  • Date of Birth:
 30 July 1955
  • Marital Status:
 Widow
  • Own Children:
 6 children

Achievements

2011 – Mama Personality of the year Award
2009 – Won a vehicle courtesy of Eqstra Flexi Fleet
2011 – Clover Mama Afrika Personality of the year
2015 – Clover Mama Afrika “My Pride & Joy” – laptop courtesy of Unicode Systems
2018 – “How will technology help you?” competition – won a tablet courtesy of Unicode Systems
2019 – “The World of Technology” competition – won a tablet courtesy of Unicode Systems
2019 – Clover Mama Afrika “Top Achiever” Award

“Clover Mama Afrika has

brought new hope and light to Ebenezer over the years. We give thanks with joyful hearts.”