Opti-Baby shares for Mandela

Opti-Baby and Kids Northcliff nursery school spent 67 minutes support of Matla A Bana and Mandela Day. All the children aged three months to five years helped their parents to pack and donate comfort packs to learn that sharing is caring. Matla A Bana is a charity project initiated and managed by the Callie and Monique Strydom Charity Trust. Monique Strydom founded Matla A Bana – a voice against child abuse in 2001 after the horrific rapes of two babies in South Africa.

“Child rape victims are mainly girls between eight and 12 who are raped by someone they know, like a father or a brother,” said manager and owner of the nursery school Marita Louw. “Matla A Bana helps [about] 13 000 children every year who report abuse against them.”

She added that the project’s main aim is to minimise the secondary abuse children suffer when they report crimes against them. “A comfort pack is given to a child rape or sexual abuse victim by police officers when they report the crimes against them. It contains comfort and emergency goods needed during the first hours of reporting. It also assists the police to establishing a relationship of trust with the baby or child.”

The nursery school managed to donate 64 comfort packs, which were donated by Matla A Bana to Honeydew Police Station on 23 July. Honeydew Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs received the gift packs. She explained that there are various kinds of comfort packs given to children and adults for various crimes. “It helps take their mind off the situation,” she said. “It helps a lot. We really appreciate it.”

Details: Opti-Baby and Kids Northcliff 011 431 3980.