Nurse volunteers and founded clinic in Rynfield
In light of International Volunteer Day, Christa Rollins explained why she is a volunteer.
Founder of the Sexual Assault Clinic Christa Rollins said she founded the NPO in 2011 because she saw the need to give special attention to abused children.
“The name will change to SA Child Abuse Clinic in January because the clinic’s services expanded to attend to at least 18 types of child abuse and not merely sexual abuse,” she explained.
The Rynfield clinic conducts the following:
• Forensic examinations of child abuse victims
• Medico-legal consultations
• Testify in matters Rollins attended to as well as an expert witness in matters of child abuse
• Post-sexual abuse testing such as HIV/pregnancy
• Photographic and colposcopy recording of all injuries
• Collect DNA evidence from rape victims
• Assist families in reporting child abuse
• Provide abuse awareness workshops to anyone working with children
• Provide training to magistrates, prosecutors and lawyers on the interpretation of injuries and medico-legal mediation
• Provide consultation to the courts and lawyers on matters of child abuse.
“I work closely with other organisations and individuals to ensure children receive the ultimate care after abuse. I am also involved with organisations fighting against child trafficking, which has taken a concerning turn within Benoni and surrounding areas,” she said.
Rollins trained as a forensic nurse and worked at iThemba Rape and Trauma Centre from 2009 until 2012.
“I am a paediatric trained nurse and my passion was always to work with children. To specialise in child abuse was just a natural progression for me,” she explained.
“I work alone. I am the Jack of all trades, founder, director, employee, volunteer, admitted advocate, forensic nurse, mediator and medico-legal consultant.”
Rollins said she provides this service free-of-charge because this is what she is passionate about.
“Working with child abuse victims is my calling. Children do not ask to be abused. By the time children are brought to the clinic, the parents have exhausted all funds as the process of reporting and convicting child abuse cases are expensive and the services around it come at a great cost,” she explained.
“For most parents and children, reporting child abuse and going through the process is extremely traumatic and for a person to believe them and to believe in them can change their world and bring some sort of healing.”
She told the City Times she would like to, at some stage, be able to have staff who can assist her.
“The clinic’s services are expanding rapidly and I will not be able to manage all on my own for much longer. It would be awesome to have a stable income into the clinic, not to be constantly worried about keeping the services available for all children and to appoint full-time staff to assist in dealing with the ever-growing need for child protection,” she said.
To find out more about the NPO visit www.facebook.com/childabuse.services/, www.saclinic.org, email info@saclinic.org or call 073 549 6678.
ALSO READ:
Covid-19 cannot stop letters to Santa
