Child Protection Week at Natalspruit Hospital
The awareness campaign focused on educating the community about children’s rights and parent’s responsibility.
ALBERTON – The campaign which took place from Sunday June 1 to Sunday June 8 made was designed to make people aware that child protection is everyone’s responsibility.
Everybody should ensure that no child is abused, irrespective of whether it is one’s own child or not. This was the message during Natalspruit Hospital’s Child Protection Week (CPW) commemorations.
“When you suspect that your neighbour’s child is being abused, do not turn a blind eye and say it’s not my problem. Report cases of child abuse to child welfare or social workers, and if you fear backlash from the neighbours, do so anonymously,” pleaded Natalspruit Hospital’s social worker, Lindokuhle Khanyile.
To commemorate CPW and create awareness Natalspruit Hospital’s Social Work Department in partnership with Thuthuzela Care Centre, Faranani Clinic and NGOs from surrounding areas held a campaign at the hospital and at various schools at Katlehong, Thokoza and Vosloorus.
The awareness campaign focused on educating the community about children’s rights, parent’s responsibility and about ways in which parents could pick up if their children were being abused.
“Mothers, it is your responsibility to ensure you know the people who are caregivers to your children, because you could find that some of them abuse your children in your absence, while they pretend to love them in your presence,” warned social worker Lindiwe Moleko.
At Faranani Clinic, which administers antiretroviral pills, parents were urged to ensure they looked after their kids by certifying that they stay away from unhealthy food, which could destabilise their treatment.
Auxiliary social worker at the clinic, Nkhensani Mkhari, said: “Parents please ensure that your kids who are taking treatment for HIV and AIDS stay away from the Kotas (hollowed quarter bread staffed with chips, atchaar, polony, and cheese) because it has atchaar and atchaar has garlic. Garlic is an antibiotic, so it flushes out the antiretroviral in the system. It lasts for three day in someone’s system, so even if you are taking treatment, because of the garlic in your body it will be like you are not taking the antiretroviral.”
To speak to a social worker for assistance and counselling, please call this toll free number: 0800 428 428.
