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Daily News Milk Fund brings light and love to babies at the Shepherd's Keep home on World Milk Day

Daily News Milk Fund brings light and love to babies at the Shepherd's Keep home on World Milk Day

IOL News02-06-2025
THE DAILY NEWS MILK FUNF: Ayanda Mdluli, editor of the Daily News, Sushi Munsamy, Independent Media, Michelle Potgieter, Sameera Kareem, CSI Manager & Project Coordinator at Independent Media and Sarah Pratley sharing some love and celebrating World Milk Day at the Shepherd's Keep home.
IN CELEBRATION of World Milk Day, The Daily News Milk Fund paid a heartwarming visit to Shepherd's Keep, a sanctuary on the Bluff, Durban, that has been providing unconditional love and care to orphaned and abandoned babies affected by HIV/AIDS since 1998.
Founded by Colin and Cheryl Pratley, the home has been a beacon of hope for the most vulnerable members of society-babies.
Currently caring for seven precious babies, Shepherd's Keep relies heavily on community and donor support to sustain its vital work. Their values of unconditional love, integrity, excellence of care, and the unwavering dedication of staff underpins everything they do.
To mark the special day, the Daily News Milk Fund delivered much-needed items on the home's wish list, a gesture that brought smiles, tears, and immense gratitude.
Ayanda Mdluli, the editor of the Daily News said as a media entity that is connected to communities, the opportunity to make a difference at the Shepherd's Keep home was greatly appreciated.
"As the editor of the Daily News, I'm proud to say that our Milk Fund is dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of disadvantaged children.
"We've come a long way as a media brand, and one thing that's always been close to our hearts is easing the suffering of vulnerable kids in KwaZulu-Natal. Organisations like Shepard's Keep inspire us to keep doing the right thing for our precious little ones."
Sameera Kareem, CSI Manager & Project Coordinator at Independent Media, described the visit as deeply emotional. 'It was an incredibly heartwarming feeling to hand over the much-needed items, knowing the difference it will make to the babies and the home itself,' said Kareem.
'There is so much power in community support and upliftment. It was amazing to spend time with these precious little ones,' she said.
Michelle Potgieter, the current director of Shepherd's Keep, was visibly moved. 'Our stock of essential items was running critically low, and we were deeply concerned about how we would manage,' she shared. 'This generous support came at exactly the right time. It is truly a huge relief for me and my team.'
As the world celebrated the nourishing gift of milk, the special day served as a reminder that nourishment came in many forms, love, care, and the kindness of strangers being some of the most powerful of all.
Please also add the Milk Funds Baking Details should anyone want to donate to the milk fund. This should be on your records.
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