The History of Casa Caritas
Casa Caritas - meaning "Home of Compassion".
Francois Keulder
Inspiration for Casa Caritas
Francois Keulder was a normal child until he was 3 years old when he became severely ill.
Due to an incorrect diagnosis he became a handicapped person. In 1971 his parents
realized that Francois
had to be placed in a special institution, as he would not have been
able to function in a normal school.
Nowhere in the Kempton Park area was there such an institution or any suitable facilities.
A committee was established by the three sister churches of the Dutch Reformed Church.
As a result thereof the 'Committee for Handicapped People' was established.
In 1973 Casa Caritas was officially opened in Maxwell Street Kempton Park.
At that stage there
were only 8-day residents. However there was also a large
demand for permanent residential
facilities.
Due to the insistence of the Department of Education the residents at Casa Caritas were divided into two groups, those who could be educated and those who could not. The residents who could be educated were relocated to the Con Amore School, which operates under the Gauteng’s Education Department. Those who could not be educated remained residents of Casa Caritas.
In November 1975 Casa Caritas started working independently.
The current premises of Casa Caritas at De Villiers Street, Terenure, Kempton Park were
opened in November 1985.
View some highlights from the past
Previous Governing Body's
(Click on images to enlarge)
Back:
Mr J Keulder; Sr M Greyling;
Mr W Spies; Ms J Fritz;
Rev T Janse van Rensburg; Mr L Zeelie
Front:
Mr A van Wyk de Vries (vise-chairman);
Ms t Niemandt;
Mr A D Niemandt (chairman); Ms J Muller (Superintendent); Mr H H Hees.
Back:
Me Mariaana van Heerden; Me Rusti Botha; Sr Ronel Rossouw; Mnr Hannes Keulder; Me Marie Marais; Mnr Natie van der Merwe
Front:
Me Joan Muller; Mnr Willem Spies; Me Saaretjie Olivier (chairman); Mnr Piet Jacobs; Me Maggie Coetzee (Superintendent)
Back:
Ms M van Heerden;
Sr M Greyling; Mr H Keulder; Adv J Boshoff;
Mr L Grobbelaar;
Ms M Coetzee (CEO);
Mr J Rossouw;
Sr R Rossouw
Front:
Ms R Joubert; Mr B Blignaut; Ms J Muller (chairman);
Mr N van der Merwe;
Ms M Marais
Back:
Mr S Wybenga; Dr F Coetzer; Ms M Coetzee (CEO);
Mr A Naude; Adv J Boshoff
Front:
Mr N van der Merwe;
Ms J Muller (chairman);
Mr H Keulder; Ms M Marais
