Denis Goldberg House of Hope

WE ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS – AND FUN!

On 9 April 2022, approximately 200 people attended the official opening of the Denis Goldberg House of Hope (DGHOH). The date was especially auspicious because Denis married his first wife, Esme, on the same date in 1954. Further, two days later would have been his 89th birthday. Denis’s son, David, and his grandson, Jack, travelled from the UK to attend the opening. They used the occasion to scatter half of Denis’s ashes in the memorial garden in the DGHOH grounds and half into the sea in the bay. Other guests included several of Denis’s comrades whom he had trained in the first Mkhonto we Sizwe training camp in the country, held in Mamre in December 1962.

At the other end of the age spectrum, the guests included two groups of Hout

Bay children. The first group performed on the xylofuns which they recently started learning to play. The second group showed off what they had learnt in our regular Saturday hip-hop classes. Pedro Espi-Sanchis, who introduced us

to xylofuns and many other musical wonders, entertained participants before the formal proceedings began. He also led us all in singing the national anthem through colourful kazoos at the end of the programme.

Besides the children’s performance, the programme included a plate of delicious akhni made by Chicktays, and short speeches by Andre Oosthuizen, our chairperson; Jonty Dreyer, director of the Hout Bay Museum; Guy Redman, head of department of the provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport; Jo Noero, trustee and architect of the building; local singer and teacher, Zine Gwija; Neo Moathlodi, mother to several of our child beneficiaries, and Denis’s co-resident of his home at 12 Neptune Street; and David Goldberg. Jack Goldberg was the master of ceremonies.

Since the official opening, we have added new activities for young people to our "menu" - circus skills classes, group music-making, a monthly movie... and more to come.

Please contribute to this fundraiser to help Denis's dream project grow stronger and flourish.