9th Jun 2026 12:21:46 PM The Charities | The Children | Dorah Mokoena | Health | Schools / Training | Community | Regional Reports | UMashesha Home Ado Balombo Bambula Agnes Wabiwa Amanda Simanga Amina Mahamat Amukelani Dube Andani Mphaphuli Anele Nyongwana Babalwa Debele Babalwa Mfengu Baby Babongile Bafana Nzima Basheeba Worlotoe Benoni Boipelo Mosegedi Bongani Madlala Bongani Phakati Bonginkosi Brendan Busisiwe C Caroline Gichuki Chris M Clara Deon Slabbert Emmanuel Lawal Esihle Evelyn Minto Essono's Feleng Franklin Fursy Mugobe Gabriel Gabriel C Gamuchirai Vanessa Gohodza Gloria Gontise Mogotsi Habiba Hatendi Simbe Helen Matondo Hlumelo Dondashe Irene Peta Jabulani Malungane Jacques Abrahams Janine Barends Jose Mvula Kagiso Maphoso Kagiso Mathebula Kagiso Mphuti Karabo Thebedi Kedibone Kenyan Kezia Fern Samuel Kjetil Sandivk Havnen Koketso Sekuru Lathlehele Lee Branco Liane Grond Lida Basson Loide Londeka Ngidi Maje Mbali Michelle Ecape Michelle Mthenjwa Mimi Mlungisi Mohau Qumpula Mpho Maja Munashe Mungo Nete Musa Zwane Musiwa Neliswe Radebe Nelson Tsabalala Nkosi Ncube Nkululeko Nkululeko Jnr Nomthandazo Shongwe NonMireille Nosihle Nthabiseng Nyakallo Oscar Mlondolozi Hadebe Perlucia Phillip Lesingaran Phindile Piet Moloja Rachid Reagan Rien ne Dit Rolivhuwa Matodzi Rose Wambua Rumbi Saloma Aphanye Sameh Chiboub Samkelo Somi Samukelo Radebe Seetsa Mosoma Seif Seiso Selamawit Shaun Shaun Hart Shirley Seqobane Sicelo Simamkele Sithembiso Hlatshwayo SiyaAndile Siyabonga Morwasetla Siyabonga Nokumbi Siyamthanda Sizwe Steven Marakeng Mpyana Sthabile Sunday Mukaza Tapera Jani Tavonga Tembakazi Tendani Yaka Thando Thapelo Thingo Thomas Thulani Nhleko Tshepiso Maimela Tshepiso Sekuru Vhahangwele Matodz Violet Chibvura Vivian Vusi Mathibela William B Xavier Yassine Ben Ali Zanele Jeza Zianda Ndlovu Zipho Zwane Zeinette and Precious Van Wyke Zenette's improved hairline after tissue expanion, August 2008 Zenette van Wyk has gone through tissue expansion of her scalp for many months. The hair has been moved into position and in late 2008 she hopes to start repeating the entire procedure, so that she is no longer half-bald or a quarter-bald but simply a pretty girl with a good head of hair. Insertion and removal of the expander was carried out at Johannesburg Academic Hospital, where the regular saline injections to expand her scalp also took place. Mr Willie Neser contacted Children of Fire in March 2004 to help with three sisters from North West Province. Zenette and Precious Van Wyk were both badly burned in a house fire in which their mother died. They lost two sisters in the fire and had a third sister who was not burned but who needs psychological assistance. Mr Neser said that one of the little girls has one side of her head 'looking like a lizard, like a fin of a fish'. The 5 year old and the 6 year old came to stay with Children of Fire in April/May 2004 for initial assessment of their medical needs and their psychological needs. They benefitted from time spent with child counsellor Barbara Lancaster-Tidy and also from time spent with Children of Fire's reflexologist, Sue Richardson. Mr Neser works with a project to assist Aids orphans - increasingly a source of referral of burned children to the charity. He uses the offices of the Dutch Reformed Church's Welfare section. Birthday party Zenette had her sixth birthday on May 6th in Johannesburg and went out with all the other children for a pizza supper. It was her first ever meal in a real restaurant and her first ever birthday party. After their initial assessment, during which time the girls attended the Johannesburg School for Blind, Low Vision and Multiple Disability Children which is also run by Children of Fire, they returned to the Vryburg area briefly. They then came back to Johannesburg for surgery on July 19th 2004 on Precious's leg and foot and for surgery to straighten Zenette's right hand. This longer stay with Children of Fire had an extremely positive effect. The Tswana and Afrikaans-speaking girls became increasingly fluent in English. They both lost their initial enormous fear of dogs and they became great friends with Sicelo Maduna (6). They became relaxed and confident. When they first met Dorah they were scared of her appearance, but as time went on, they helped to feed Dorah, to walk with her, to take her on and off the swing and even to help her in the bathroom. Hatless and happy Most importantly, through a little 'tough love' Zenette learned to live without her hat. She still wears it if the weather is very cold or a sun hat in mid Summer, but she no longer hides beneath it. Zenette has accepted that she is half-bald and beautiful. She understands that when she is old enough to withstand the pain of weekly saline injections, she will have tissue expansion and her hairline will largely be restored. The girls also befriended Tryphina Mtolo, age 5, who came to stay at the school when her squatter camp home was illegally demolished by Metro Police on September 8th 2004. They shared the large number of Barbie-type dolls that they had by then accumulated from various well-wishers including volunteer Helene van Rhyn. November 2004 was an exciting month for both girls. It was decided that a young hydrologist Nolwandle Made would foster them, that they would probably start attending Rivonia Primary School, and that maybe this would lead to a permanent happy home for them. On November 8th, Zenette went into hospital for her second batch of surgery, this time to straighten her left hand. The charity supports fostering for orphaned burned children or those who would be at risk if they returned to the home environment. If you would like to foster a Children of Fire child, please email the Director on firechildren@icon.co.za Zanette and Precious with Willie Nesser, the man who brought them to Children of Fire for help. Tristan, Sicelo, Zenette on the river Updated October 2005 Zenette with Tristan and Sicelo, white water rafting near Nipika, British Columbia, on the Canadian outreach in September 2005 Zenette and Precious 2007 Updated May 2007 We would have preferred to keep the damaged toes and get them realigned, even if they could not function but beggars can't always be choosers and now in 2007 with two defunct toes removed, at least Zenette can fit her foot into cuter shoes that match her fashion sense. Zenette has started tissue expansion to restore her hairline. She has weekly injections of saline (salt water) into the tissue expander in March 2008. Once complete, the hair will be moved into position and she will not have a bald patch anymore. This material is Copyright © The Dorah Mokoena Charitable Trust and/or Children of Fire , 1998-2026. Distribution or re-transmission of this material, excluding the Schools' Guide, is expressly forbidden without prior permission of the Trust. For further information, email firechildren@icon.co.za About Children of Fire | Contact us | Advertise with us COPYRIGHT © 2026 Children of Fire. All rights reserved. Designed Developed and Maintained by Fyre Interactive