De Nederduitsch Hervormde Weeshuis (Orphanage) - Krugersdorp

Aka: Nederduits Hervormd Weeshuis

Built: Unknown (formerly a house / hotel) : 1940

Used: 1923-1940

Status: Unknown

Source: De Hervormer, July 15, 1923. Photo: J Groeneveld.

The problem of poverty, in particular poverty among urbanised Afrikaners after 1902, was regarded by the Church as a matter of grave concern.²

The decision to found the orphanage was made on 3 August 1922 at a General Church Meeting. In 1923, 17 children were admitted, and in 1924, another seven children. Soon the house was too small, and in 1940, a housing complex consisting of three girls' homes and three boys' homes - along with a principal’s house and a hospital wing - was commissioned (unknown location).³

"So het dit dan gekom dat teen die einde van 1922 alles gereed was en kon die inrigting begin word in die gebou (onmiddellik suid van die bekende Paardekraalmonument) wat vandag alom bekend staan as die Ou Weeshuis. Min het die voorsteller op die Algemene Kerkvergadering van 1922 geweet toe hy gesê het dat die tye swaar is... Die tye sou nog moeiliker word. Deur die depressiejare en bittere droogtes heen het die Here ons brode vermenigvuldig. (1973)⁷

Translation from an open letter in De Hervormer, July 15, 1923:¹

"With thanks to God, we may announce to you here that we have our own Reformed Orphanage. The Orphanage Commission has purchased a substantial house in Krugersdorp, bordering the Paardekraal Monument (opposite the old Men’s and Women’s Home, less than a fifteen-minute walk from the station). This house was formerly a hotel and therefore possesses several beautiful, spacious halls. Behind this building lie a few acres of undeveloped land, which the Commission intends to purchase later for expansion.

... we hope to begin receiving children into our Orphanage in Krugersdorp from 1 August 1923. We were compelled to buy in order to secure this suitable house, but we did not have all the money for it. Including necessary repairs, we are approximately one thousand pounds short. To this must be added the costs for furnishing, building a cowshed, etc., so that we require at least fifteen hundred pounds to start with.

Mr. and Mrs. I.S. du Plessis of Boksburg have been provisionally appointed as Father and Mother of the Orphanage.

... our Orphanage will be officially opened on Saturday morning, 13 October 1923 (at half-past ten in the morning) by the Chairman of the Orphanage Commission, Rev. Jac. van Belkum.

The Orphanage Commission:
Ds. Jac van Belkum, Heidelberg, Tvl. Ds. A.J. Barger, Middelburg, Tvl. Ds. P.S. Grobler, Krugersdorp."

"Beter jare het gekom en gedurende 1939 is die huidige stuk grond deur die Stadsraad van Krugersdorp geskenk en met behulp van 'n sub-ekonomiese lening van die Staat is die geboue wat tans bewoon word, opgerig. Met die beplanning en oprigting van die geboue is vir die eerste keer in ons land 'n inrigting daargestel wat afgewyk het van die "eengeboukoshuis" idee, naamlik na aparte huise waar die kinders in kleiner getalle onder die sorg van huisouers saam kon woon. Hierdie sogenaamde 'villa-sisteem' van kinderinrigtings-beplanning is sedertdien met groot vrug en verbetering deur ander instansies nagevolg. 

Gedurende 1947 is `n gebou te Pretoria (51 Malherbe St, Capital Park) aangekoop en is 'n tak van die inrigting daar begin. Die Pretoria-inrigting het die naam gekry van die Andries Hendrik Potgieterhuis en is die toe reeds gevestigde kinderhuis te Krugersdorp vernoem na ds. Jac van Belkum (die eerste voorsitter van die bestuur)." (1973)⁷

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Sources

1. De Bruin, C.J. (2023) Die begin van die Jac van Belkum-kinderhuis.
2. Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa
3. Kok, W. (2024) Die ontwikkeling van die Kinderhuise - van weeshuis tot ouerhuis.
4. Fourie, K. (2024) Kinderversorging 100 jaar.
5. Rev Paul Stephanus Grobler
6. Die Hervormer, November 1, 1970.
7. Herbst, A.B. van N. (1973) Die Nederduitsch Hervormde weeshuis - vyftig jaar oud. Die Hervormer, Jan 1973.