Communities need to stand together for child protection
ZANDSPRUIT - Child rape, abuse and negligence concerns community workers.
The number of abused, neglected or ill-treated children is still high in Zandspruit.
This, according to Eunice Hlatshwayo, headmistress of Golang Aftercare, an education outreach in Zandspruit and operating under the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) called Emthonjeni. She said they have children from age six to 14. “They are either verbally, physically and mentally abused, and they come to us with a desperate need for help due to domestic violence,” said Hlatshwayo.
She added that in Zandspruit they do not have orphanage homes to refer these children to.
“We give them counselling and unfortunately, they go back home to face the same challenges. We do have a social worker who comes to Zandspruit once a week from 9am to12pm. We are really struggling and have to refer rape cases to police and to the nearby clinic. At times they do not get immediate help,” she added.
Hlatshwayo said there is a need for more resources to address these challenge in an adequate help systems.
Golang Education Outreach director Margaret le Roux said they run a pre-school and aftercare in Zandspruit. “We do have cases of children who come to us and share their home experiences of abuse and rape. Very often, these cases are caused by alcohol intake by both parents, neglected children left alone the whole day without supervision and domestic violence. Also, we have a case of an orphan, who is at the aftercare, of a neighbour whose husband abuses the child,” said Le Roux.
According to her, they only have cases of those children who come and report to them and she is worried about those who are scared to report abuse and rape.
Region C Department of Social Services’s communications manager Silo Mokoena said, the department is aware of the children’s needs in Zandspruit. “We have a field social worker who goes to Zandspruit twice a week to render supervision services and to do investigations on cases of new foster care and other cases referred to the department,” said Mokoena.
He added that the Gauteng Provincial Government will launch the 2014 Provincial Child Protection on 2 June under the main theme Working Together to protect children and sub-themed Each for all and all for each: Communities protecting their own.
Teddy Bear Clinic’s director, Shaheda Omar said they do render services in Zandspruit as they visit schools and communities upon request. “We do not have offices and if requested, a social worker visits the area,” said Omar. Teddy Bear Clinic is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that render services at no cost. “One in three girls and one in four boys are victims of abuse before the age of 10. We provide medical, legal and phsyco social services,” added Omar.
Details: Emthonjeni Community Centre Eunice Hlatshwayo 011 782 2181; Golang Education Outreach Margaret le Roux 011 268 4778; Region C Department of Social Services Silo Mokoena 011 761 0111; Teddy Bear Clinic director, Shaheda Omar 011 484 4554/4539.
