The welfare organisation, Tutela Family Care, previously known as the Christelike Maatskaplike Raad (CMR), welcomed a new team this year.
Ms Chemondre Prinsloo and Ms Priscilla Mokoena are the two new social workers and Ms Ronel McIntyre is the new administrative assistant.
Ms Jolandi de Jager is a volunteer and helps in the second hand shop at Tutela’s office.
After a consultative process in November in 2014, it was decided to change the organisation’s name and logo to renew its image.
The management team of Tutela said this was necessary because an organisation’s name should be easy and understandable across all languages, marketable and reflect its services.
The word ‘Tutela’, is Latin and means protection, safeguard, guardianship, defence, wardship and foster and was originally used when a child was taken into foster care or being adopted.
Tutela’s aims to ‘care for and to protect’ the communities they serve and thus the new name was more fitting.
The employees at Tutela get involved in communities and families’ lives and use the methods needed, such as care, defense, change, safeguard, support, shelter, protection and preservation, to help families to become stronger.
“We want to protect and care for the families and communities, as our slogan says,” said Ms Mari de Lange, assistant director at Tutela who is overseeing Tutela’s offices in Secunda, Standerton, Bethal and Delmas.
Tutela’s board of directors are Rev Willem Lubbe (chairman), Rev Hannes Reinecke (vice chairman) and Ms Nadine Dunn (secretary).
Ms McIntyre said there is often confusion among the community as to which social services organisation works in which area.
Tutela social workers work in Secunda (except Extension 22 and 23), Kinross, Charl Cilliers, Bethal, Holfontein, Syferfontein Mine area and the farms between the water towers on the N17 Highway and the toll gate between Trichardt and Bethal, while the other social services such as the SAVF’s social workers work in Evander, Brendan Village, eMbalenhle, Thistle Grove and the farms between eMbalenhle and Graceland Casino. Rata’s social workers work in Trichardt (including Terra Nova), Lebohang and Extension 22 and 23 in Secunda and Famsa’s social workers work with family and marital problems in Holfontein, while the Mpumalanga Mental Health Society’s social workers work with people with mental disabilities.
Charity and welfare organisations such as Tutela, relies on sponsorships and donations to continue operating and reaching out to needy families.
The community is welcome to support Tutela by donating items such as tinned food, bread and other non-perishable food.
Tutela currently supports 20 needy families by giving them food packages every Friday.
Men’s and boys’ clothing and shoes are always a shortage and Ms McIntyre encouraged the community to donate these items if they can help.
The community can also support Tutela’s second hand shop at their premises in the Besterecta Building in Nelson Mandela Drive.
Tutela uses the profit they make in the shop, to support families in need of food, clothes, medical needs, assessments and therapy.
Ms Prinsloo invited people who are interested in becoming foster parents, to contact the office on 079 310 2599 and make an appointment with one of the social workers.
“We very often have to find foster parents on short notice,” said Ms Prinsloo.
Tutela will have a sale at its second hand shop every end of the month and the community is welcome to support them.
