Safe house for children unable to open due to lack of sponsorship

Boksburg Child Welfare has renewed its appeal for help to reopen its Keep Me Safe House, in Boksburg South, a safe haven for children in need of care and protection in Ekurhuleni.

The property, located in South Street, had to be temporarily closed due to a lack of finances and resources in 2016.

The Keep Me Safe House was established to serve as a temporary safe house for many vulnerable children found in need of care and protection.

Our sister publication Boksburg Advertiser is a sponsor of the house and played a critical role in procuring the property for child welfare.

Its closure has seen Boksburg Child Welfare grappling with the problem of finding alternative safe accommodation for vulnerable children.

According to Boksburg Child Welfare’s director, Vanessa Naidoo-Pillay, the closure of the centre has severely dented their mission to speedily rescue children from serious harmful circumstances.

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“We feel that the Keep Me Safe House needs to be reopened because there are so many children who are abused, orphaned and abandoned and there is no place for them to go.

“We often deal with dozens of children who are orphaned and abandoned. The Keep Me Safe House used to help us to offer children immediate and safe temporary placement.

“Now we only rely on government centres, which are also battling to meet the demand. The red tape also hinders the speedy placement of children in distress, because these accredited government centres are obliged to undergo lengthy processes, which involve filling in lots of forms for children to be placed,” explained Naidoo-Pillay.

It is for that reason the executive board of management has been vigorously trying to find donors and funders since 2016 to reopen the Keep Me Safe House.

The facility is still in a good condition, and only need funds to pay for the housemother, households expenses and touching up of certain areas.

All the other items, which were donated by previous sponsors and community members, are still at the house and in good working order.

According to the director, children placed in the Keep Me Safe House were placed in temporary safe care with a court order, under the care of a temporary safe care parent.

The children were afforded love, care, support, developmental stimulation, life skills and family life here.

Any individual or company which can assist to reopen the Keep Me Safe House or would like more information can contact Vanessa Naidoo-Pillay on 011 039 4679/011 074 5028 or email director1bcw@gmail.com 

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