MALVERN Child and Youth Care centre’s new director, Andile Ncamana, is no stranger to hitting the ground running.
Ever since he joined the home as a social worker last year, he has been working non-stop to change lives and make a difference.
A big fan of deep house music, Ncamana has his finger on the pulse of the lives of the children who are under his care at the facility that is home to more than 120 children.
The home is a place of safety and also, for many of the young people living there, the only one they have ever really known.
Since joining the staff he has been dedicated to the care of the children and when the post of director became vacant, he applied and was appointed from in October.
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No one is more surprised at the direction his life has taken than Andile himself. “Trust me, this was the last thing I imagined,” he said with a laugh when asked if he considered this type of work when he was growing up.
He said his training as a social worker prepared him for the career, but his love of children makes the work even more rewarding for him on a personal level.
“Being a qualified social worker allowed me to be more empathetic when dealing with children and adults. I have always had a soft spot for children,” he said adding that being able to take care of their needs on a larger scale is a bonus. “It is challenging most of the time, but its all worth it.”
Making the move to Durban for his work has been a significant step for Andile.
“I was born and ‘bread and buttered’ in Johannesburg, attended the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape and had my daughter while I was doing my second year,” he said.
The father then began his working life in Matatiele.
“That is where I met the love of my life. We have been married for six months now, but have known each other for three years. We both moved to Durban last year.”
For a newly married man, the work he is doing takes up much of his time. Asked about how his wife feels about having to share him with his duties at the centre, he said they have managed to find a balance which works for them.
“We live on the property. It was difficult at first for the both of us, because whenever there’s an emergency you have to drop whatever you are doing and attend to it, but we are used to it now,” he said.
Andile said as a couple they make a point of making the most of their opportunities to do things together.
“After work, we both go to the gym and at weekends we always go out of the premises,” he said before quickly adding, “not for long though, because something might happen.”
Andile is acutely aware that each and every child he comes into contact with has a singular story.
“The sad truth is that people think children that grow up in this environment are all the same, not keeping in mind that they all have personalities, come from different backgrounds and also have dreams and aspirations, like any other child.”
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Fortunately, the children at Malvern Child and Youth Centre are all quite able to speak their mind.
“The children we have here are very vocal and opinionated, they will make sure you are in the loop,” he laughed when asked how he managed to keep up-to-date with all the lives he is part of.
“Also, you simply cannot be in the loop if your staff isn’t, so I depend so much on my management team and the childcare workers. I am grateful to God for my team. It isn’t easy but we will get there.” he said.
If you would like to help the centre in any way, visit the website at www.malvernchildyouthcarecentre.com, or contact the office on 031 464 0236 and find out how you can get involved.
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