THE limited vital resources at the Pinetown Highway Child and Family Welfare Society is making it difficult for the shelter to continue with its day-to-day work.
The welfare organisation is 86 years old and offers child welfare and community development services to the community.
In particular, services are for the poor and indigent in relation to social challenges such as child abuse and neglect, HIV /AIDS, youth and women empowerment.
Acting director, Sibongile Manyathi, said they are in need of computers as they compile many reports for the courts.
“We deal with a lot of cases of child abuse and everything is now done electronically. We need proper computers to communicate with various people and departments.”
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Manyathi said their cases require that their staff travel to various areas. “The staff is forever on the road, and I can safely say we have only four cars which are in a good condition, the rest are very old and unreliable.
“Our social workers travel mostly in rural areas through gravel and lots of potholes, we really are in dire straits. We also deal with children with special needs, we need at least two wheelchairs, we had one, but we had to give it away as we had a child who desperately needed it.
“We have a case of an eight-year-old child who still has to be carried around by her mom because she does not have a wheelchair to get around,” said Manyathi.
The welfare coordinator, Ellen Attwell, said their food room is constantly in need of food donations, preferably tin food.
“Children’s clothes from newborn to 12 years are also always appreciated,” said Attwell.
Those able to assist can contact Ellen Attwell on 084 016 8913 or drop off the donations at 35 Livingstone Road in Pinetown.
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