Help a child in need

Rose photo courtesy of Beth Dewsbery

“A relationship is like a rose, how long it lasts, no one knows. Love can erase an awful past, love can be yours, you'll see at last. To feel that love, it makes you sigh, to have it leave, you'd rather die. You hope you've found that special rose, ‘cause you love and care for the one you chose.” ~ Rob Cela

Every February, across the country, chocolates, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St Valentine. With Valentine's Day around the corner, the decision of what to buy for your special someone looms in the back of your mind.

For centuries, the rose has been a gift that speaks of love wordlessly, in a language known only to the heart and soul. If you are looking for a rose that will speak to the heart, bloom for more than a week and better yet, help a child in need, then the ‘SOS Children's Rose' hybrid will make the perfect gift this Valentine's Day.

The pretty apricot orange bud opens into a deep tone of golden red with pale gold flecks in the petals, which ages into a glowing blend of pinks. The rose bushes are known to blossom for a full season and are available at all major nurseries countrywide. A percentage of the profits of every rose purchased goes to the SOS Children's Village Association.

SOS Children's Village relies heavily on donor support and funding to survive, so why not help a child in need by purchasing a rose for only R59.50 or sponsor a child for as little as R1,500 per year.

SOS Children's Villages Association of South Africa is a non-profit organisation and has been taking action for children for the past 25-years.

For further information about SOS Children's Villages and the rose, call Rae Bagus from the National Office on (011) 801 0100 or visit http://www.sosvillages.org.za/