Valentine’s Day was a sweet affair at Rand Aid’s Wedge Gardens treatment centre.

The first Wedge Café for 2017 was held on February 14 and was Valentine’s Day themed.

“It was a great success! After baking 72 cupcakes and 80 brownies, we could look back on a job well done,” says Wedge Gardens occupational therapist Kendra Neethling.

The Wedge Café – which sees residents serving their own home-baked goods to customers – is used as a platform for vocational training and social skills development for the treatment centre’s residents. Planning, business, kitchen and customer relation skills are imparted, in preparation for when the residents retake their place in society and return to the work environment.

“The residents – all male – participated in baking, decorating and packaging the produce. In so doing, they learnt skills ranging from pre-vocational to social skills and team work. In addition, they learnt constructive new activities to fill their time as an alternative to leisure-boredom and substance use.

“This is imperative to building and improving self-esteem,” says Kendra, adding that equally important is the fact the residents enjoyed some good old-style fun.

* Wedge Gardens can be reached at 011 430 0320. You can also ‘like’ Wedge Gardens on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WedgeGardensTreatmentCentre) or follow them on Twitter (@WedgeGardens)