Vrystaat Nasorgsentrum is a non-profit organisation for adults with Intellectual Disability. Intellectual Disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning as well as adaptive skills that includes all activities of daily living.
Our core values include respect, encourage, support, passion, enthusiasm, communication and teamwork.
Our vision is to become a centre of excellence where beneficiaries can find a loving home and learn a valuable, meaningful work skill.
The centre is home to approximately 150 residents and 30 dayworkers. The beneficiaries are referred from Lettie Fouche School or other Special Schools within the Free State. A total of 50 beneficiaries are orphans and have no family to support them.
The centre is funded by government departments (35%), parent contributions, sponsorships, donations, disability grants and our workshops.
The centre has two focus areas for serving the needs of beneficiaries:

Residential Facilities:
Our residential facilities accommodate both male and female beneficiaries. We have 5 hostels where the beneficiaries live in shared accommodation space of between 2 and 4 beneficiaries together.
The centre has different protective workshops. Within the protective workshops the beneficiaries are taught a specific skill. The focus within these workshops are to grow their potential and teach them a meaningful skill that could assist them to be placed within a sheltered employment in the Open Labour Market of the Free State Province.
Protective Workshops include:
Needlework and art workshop – Producing handmade products such as crochet products, wire work products and paintings made by our beneficiaries.
Woodwork workshop – Restoration of furniture, wooden toys, Major John bow ties, Toyota Braai box and pallet gift range.
Moulding workshop – Producing candles and soap.
Bread of Life Bakery – In partnership with Anchor of Hope, this bakery bakes bread, cookies and rusks that serves the community of Bloemfontein. Approximately 300 loaves of bread are baked daily.
Laundry and Cleaning workshop – Ensuring that all the beneficiaries’ laundry as well as hostels are neat and clean.
Gardening and Maintenance – Ensuring that the Centre’s gardens look neat.
Tokoza High Care Unit – This is a specialized workshop created for beneficiaries that are severely intellectually disabled who requires individual attention.
Kitchen workshop – Assisting in ensuring that all beneficiaries enjoy a healthy daily meal.

The centre also believes to have a balance between teaching skills and having fun. Our sport team is involved with Special Olympics and participates in quarterly events. Interstate Bus Lines assists us with the daily transport of dayworkers, staff members and residents that returns from a weekend at home. This bus makes it possible to teach skills to a wide variety of beneficiaries that cannot be placed within our residential facility. Interstate Bus Lines also assist us to make a bigger difference within the community of Bloemfontein. The bus service enables us to reach more beneficiaries with intellectual disabilities – making them aware that they have a purpose within society.