Looking after the welfare of children
PARKTOWN – Children's welfare comes first and Childline Gauteng runs a 24-hour service provision even through the holidays, for children to reach out to for help with any issues they may encounter.
In order to build a complete community – people are needed. However, those people need to pass through childhood and be raised in a way that enables them to fit into society and contribute to it in a positive way. These people, who are still in their childhood stages, may encounter psycho, social and many other problems as they grow up.
Childline Gauteng Province (CLGP) organisation was initiated under the umbrella of the SA Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and is located in Parktown. According to the CLGP director, Lynne Cawood, the organisation has been operating since 1987 and primarily dealt with sexual abuse issues, which were problematic back then.
“However, statistics have now grown in behavioural problems. Children experience abuse or any other emotional battles in their environments and they live out those emotions through wayward behaviour such as taking drugs,” said Cawood.
She added that the organisation has the sole purpose of running projects which provide genuine care for children and building strong community relations. “We do educational tours, give information about abuse and bullying and we let the children know that if there is something wrong, they can tell us.
We also do community services where we analyse major problems within that community and refer people to social welfares as well as the Department of Home Affairs for documentation and access to grants if called for,” explained Cawood.
One of the service provisions by the CLGP is the Sunlight Safe House. This is a safe house where children from the ages of birth to 18 years old can be brought either through referrals by other organisations, or the police and/or parents. They are provided with overnight shelter, a warm meal and a bed.
Head of the department at Sunlight Safe House, Sandy Mahapi said, “The project is funded by the Department of Social Development as well as private funders and corporate funding. Children who are brought here can spend the night then the next day their case is taken to the social welfare. Initially, we would place them in foster care and we currently have 90 foster care families but have had to stop due to a lack of funding.”
A clinical social worker, Gail Lindiwe Tlomatsana said she serves as a trainer and does counselling which includes play therapy.
“Depending on the severity of the problem, we can recommend therapy for longer days and we recommend that patients complete the therapy, in order to heal.
“However, due to transport problems and time constraints, sometimes children cannot be brought in for the duration of the therapy course so that can hinder progress,” said Tlomatsana.
The CLGP organisation can receive up to 400 000 calls per day and 10 per cent of them require serious intervention while 20 per cent may be children just needing someone to talk to about family issues. The organisation expressed its need for funding, to pay the workers who take the calls, provide clothes and toys for the children as well as transport for the patients.
To reach out to Childline call the 24-hour toll-free from all service providers even during the holidays on 080 005 5555.
For more information on funding email directorgauteng@childline.org.za or call 011 645 2000.
Are you running an organisation that caters to the needs of vulnerable children? Email details of your organisation to naidines@caxton.co.za
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