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

• Helping children to protect themselves (this page)

• 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

"Kids R Special"

Helping children to protect themselves

Ann Parker is a trained Primary School teacher and has noticed a significant increase in the numbers of young children being abused over the last few years. In trying to help them protect themselves Ann has produced a puppet show for children aged 3 – 9 years and travels around to the delight of the children hoping they take away the safety messages.   However Ann has never had the funds to be able to produce material for the teachers and the children to reinforce the message.

With our help Ann has produced a music DVD to warn all children about Stranger Danger and child trafficking – this will be shown in between children’s programmes on the South African Broadcasting channels [like our BBC] as well as in schools. Before we came along the rap music was already written and recorded. In time Ann will also produce a workbook for teachers and nursery /crèche leaders so they can teach all aspects of preventing child abuse plus a number of teacher resources for when a child discloses abuse.

Ann is not working alone in South Africa; she is supported by Botshabelo Home in MidRand, Gauteng. Botshabelo is a Not-For-Profit organisation that, as well as providing a home for abandoned and abused children, and an outreach service for local vulnerable people, also undertake Early Childhood Development Teacher Training. So all the material has been tried and tested.

The initial aim was to get the music DVD on television during the world cup, and then the whole package of puppet show, work book and DVD into all schools first schools.

This is SUCH an exciting initiative and we are delighted to be able to provide a substantial amount of the funding required to get this project off the ground.

Their video can be seen here on Youtube