GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — The local branch of Child Welfare South Africa, situated in Acacia Street, Kroonvale, is doing a tremendous job despite meagre resources.
Child Welfare is a non-government (NGO), non-profit organisation (NPO), run by professionals with the support of volunteers. They provide invaluable support to some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
The Graaff-Reinet branch is part of the national Asibavekele programme, which works within communities to support children and women at risk. Volunteers are selected who identify households which are headed by children. Support is then provided to these youngsters through Child Welfare’s volunteers, ensuring that they are safe, are protected by the social system, have food and continue their education.
There are three social workers, one administrator, and one social auxiliary worker in Graaff-Reinet, to cover the areas of Kroonvale, Sunnyside, Selfbou, Santaville, Mandela Park and part of Umasizakhe. The Horseshoe area is covered by the Christian Social Council, and Social Development is responsible for other areas of Graaff-Reinet. Some of the more common problems involve dealing with children who are orphaned, abused, or abandoned.
If the organisation is made aware of cases where the child grant is abused, they work with the families concerned to try to rectify this. If a request is received, they will render services to schools, either in the form of assistance with a particular child, or to talk to children or staff about problems such as behaviour problems or absenteeism. Staff members are also trained to look for signs of possible abuse or neglect.
When they have food parcels, clothing and school uniforms available they donate them to children and youth. The office is open from 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday, and their services are free of charge.
Another area where Child Welfare provides very valuable support is in helping the police. If a child has been criminally abused, a member of Child Welfare’s staff is called in to counsel the child and provide support to the family. They can also help to prepare a child to testify in court, an experience that can be traumatic for the child even when the hearing is held in a child-friendly environment, usually in camera. “The Child Welfare social workers help up enormously, as they have the time and the expertise to build a relationship with the child,” said one member of SAPS. An example was given where a young boy was very badly beaten up and almost suffocated, and the only witness (other than the perpetrator) was the boy’s 9-year-old brother. The suspect faced a charge of attempted murder, and the children’s testimony was vital to the case. The social workers are able to determine if the child is capable of testifying in court, and support them through the whole process.
It would have a major impact on Graaff-Reinet if Child Welfare were forced to close their doors due to lack of funding. The only financial assistance they receive is a subsidy from Social Development, which simply is not enough to cover their needs.
It does not even cover their running costs and salaries, and the organisation is desperately in need of extra funding. They would be very grateful to any local businesses who could pledge their support with either a once-off or regular donations.
A concerned resident who feels passionately about the need for their services to continue has asked if there is someone in the community who could get involved with fundraising on behalf of Child Welfare, allowing their staff to concentrate on working with these vulnerable youngsters without worrying about money.
Anyone who is able to assist, either with a donation or to organise a fundraiser, can contact Viyola Nyssens at Child Welfare on 071 338 3694. They do not even have the money for a landline phone or Internet access.
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