What we do

Our main focus of work is to:

1. Work 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.
2. Empower women and men, working in community services, through training and awareness programmes.
3. Set-up 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.

These are some of our current projects:

• Evidence that our vocational training programme dramatically helps children (this page)

• Helping children to protect themselves

• Helping children in Soweto

• Helping children to be happy, healthy and safe

• We are finding out more about perpetrators

• Why what we do matters

• Making sure we know the facts

How we have helped identify and deal with suspected abuse, helping thousands of children

Through this programme we have trained over 500 crèche leaders, identified for help over 2,000 small children who are being abused, and positively impacted on the lives of over 30,000 small children plus countless other families and communities.

Since 2007 we have been working with Childline South Africa to devise, test and roll-out our vocational training programme for the wonderful ‘crèche Mamas’ who set-up and run the informal crèches that are so vital for small children in both rural and urban areas. This is our Caring for Crèches programme.

Crèche teaching

We have deliberately targeted areas that are underfunded, very deprived, and often very rural, and where there is high unemployment and high incidents of HIV/AIDS because we know that these are the areas where abuse is likely to be most prevalent and least treated.

Without these crèches many thousands of children would be left alone everyday to fend for themselves. Often these tiny tots are notionally in the care of some older or far distant ‘relative’ but largely on their own with no company and little attention or control. Imagine how vulnerable they are.

The crèche mamas [and sometimes men] set up these informal crèches in their homes or lean-to shacks and beg, borrow or acquire some basic equipment and toys. To say they run on a shoestring is a huge oversimplification!

Where a crèche started

Working with Childline SA for over three years we have been funding the training of these amazing crèche leaders in child care, child development, and how to recognise and act on suspected abuse - the results are quite stunning.

We know from the stats that Childline keep, and the anecdotal feedback of the Childline trainers, that for every crèche leader we train at least FOUR SMALL CHILDREN are identified as being abused. In many areas the numbers go as high as 25% of ALL the children in the crèche. And this is severe and sustained abuse … mostly sexual but often physical and psychological abuse as well. In addition to this, these crèche leaders have a positive impact on the lives of at least a further 50 children each - the average size of the crèches is around 60 children.

Crèche ladies in Dundonald

Both we, and Childline, know approximately how much abuse there is, but the numbers of small children being abused is extremely disturbing. And we have had to offer after-care and support for many of the crèche leaders to help them cope with these discoveries, and help them manage the next stages of reporting and living within their communities where such events occur.  It is really very hard for them.
Of course this discovery brings huge problems with for the communities, the police and the social welfare services. Where we do the training Childline takes this responsibility and is working hard with all the statutory agencies to provide support and care for the children.

So far through this programme alone we have trained over 530 women and about 20 men. They, in turn, have identified over two thousand small children who are being abuse, and impacted on the lives of over thirty thousand children.

Safe in a crèche for the day.