Objectives of the infant trust
We are a ground-breaking charity - the only UK-based organisation exclusively setting out to break the cycle of violence and abuse against small children in South Africa and to protect the most vulnerable.
We don’t just give money; we visit frequently, listen intently and work with many organisations in partnership setting up projects that make a real and substantial difference to children, to individuals, to families and to communities. By now, we know what works -
The main focus of our work is to break the cycle of abuse through:
- Working with pre-schools
- to train the women to recognise and act on suspicions of abuse;
- to provide a safe place for children
- to provide a knowledgeable place for people in the communities.
- The empowerment of women and men, working in community services, through training and awareness programmes.
- Diversion programmes for vulnerable or potentially violent young men and/or young women, we:
- encourage and promote a different pattern to their lives through development programmes
- work with children whose lives are disrupted by poverty, abuse, malnutrition, illness or abandonment.
Quick Updates
- Encouraging words from one of our partners in South Africa – evidence of how much our work is valued and how much impact it is having. Read it here.
- Information just in from one of our partners
- Read the story of Lesley’s latest visit
- The annual report for 2008-2009 is available here (warning - large file!)
- It seems as if the abuse of small children is getting worse in southern Africa – see this story from the BBC from Zimbabwe, similar problems, similar causes http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8349788.stm and almost certainly similar ways to help resolve the situation.
- There was, recently, an article in the Star newspaper from Johannesburg highlighting the terrible abuse against some infants – infants who are, literally, just thrown away. Read it here.
- Fred Bridgland, award winning journalist, has just written an in-depth article about the situation in South Africa - you can read it at http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/world-news/a-girl-born-in-south-africa-has-a-better-change-of-being-raped-than-learning-to-read-1.919503
or download a pdf copy here. It is gripping reading.
- Hillary Clinton, Cape Town 8th August 2009:
"I have travelled literally all over the world and when people organise themselves and are given the tools and the training to really empower themselves and their future …. and communities, that's what's lasting."
This is what the infant trust does through their training programmes for local people – it really helps to protect children and stop abuse
- Read the latest news here
- How you can support our work
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What one volunteer wrote....
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