The Natal Children's Home was
established in March 1921 as the South African Railways and Harbours Children's Home.
In 1911, George Saunders, a Railway Locomotive Driver, conceived the idea of building a home for the young children of railwaymen who died. The idea grew, but it was not until after the First World War and the influenza epidemic of 1918, which took the lives of so many railwaymen, that action was taken.
Together with Mr J R More, at the time Assistant General Manager of the South African Railways and Harbours, he arranged a meeting of interested parties, which was held on 14 May 1920 in Bloemfontein, during which meeting, the association was established.
Without financial assistance from Railway Administration or any social welfare department the railway clerks, shunters, engine drivers and workers in various other grades went to work and by collecting a shilling here and there from as many employees as possible, resulting in the first home being acquired in Grahamstown on 5 November 1920.
By this time a call had gone out all over the country and thousands of railwaymen offered a minimum monthly subscription of one shilling to become registered members of the SAR & H Children's Home Association.
Thereafter, homes were opened in Pietermaritzburg (March 1921), Bloemfontein, Pretoria, East London, Rondebosch, New Canada and Uitenhage.
Gradually the need for these homes diminished resulting in the sale of all these homes except the Pietermaritzburg home, now known as the Natal Children's Home.
However due to changes in our country, this all changed and we are now dependant on people like you and our local community and business. While we are subsidised by the Government at 42% per child this is not enough to sustain the Natal Children's Home and provide fully for the children.
At present, the Natal Children's Home provides accommodation for 72 children between the ages of pre-school to grade 12, catering for all their needs in accommodation, recreation and education.
