On 30 August 2019, Helena
Willers, will drive through the gates of Bramley Child
& Youth Care Centre for the last time. After six years and two months
at Bramley, she will retire and move to Tergniet on the Garden Route.
She decided to study social work
as she always had an interest in people and the way in which they
function. “I always wanted to understand
why people act the way they do or remain passive…..” says Helena. “According to my dad I always had questions
about people’s behaviour”. She said her
parents recommended teaching as a career, which in their opinion would have
caused less emotional stress and she did consider this for a while – but her
passion for people won!
Looking back, she remembers how
many home visits were done in 1978, almost immediately when a report came
in. She worked in Eersterust at that
time. “I remember wanting to do group work with a group of Grade 9 girls and
how I battled to find a camping site for a multi-racial group,” she told
us. “We had interesting group sessions
with foster care parents, wrote our reports by hand before handing it to the
typists and we had to submit reports to Court 14 days prior to the hearing”,
said Helena. Today everything is done
electronically, and the social workers type their own reports.
According to Helena, one of her
biggest challenges was to appoint qualified and experienced child and youth
care workers. “The complexity of our
children is also a challenge and needs a lot of thought and planning. With
fewer children going out over weekends and during the school holidays,
reunification with the community is also problematic,” said Helena. Finding employment opportunities for children
with special needs and assisting children with peer pressure really tested her
skills as social worker during her time with Bramley.
“I am still amazed about the open
hands and hearts of Management and the community, “says Helena. It was such a blessing to receive donations
and support which enabled Bramley to provide for the children. And then I
enjoyed getting feedback about children that have successfully been
reintegrated with the community and become active members of society”, she
said.
Helena is really looking forward
to the new environment and relaxing near the ocean. She plans to do some
gardening (in pots) and do some improvements to her home. She wants to travel
and spend time with friends and family.
Starting from 2020 she will be looking for some voluntary work. “I
definitely will listen to more music and read more”, says Helena.
The best advice she ever received
was to always give your best and be your best. And the best advice she can give
anyone is to use humour, honesty, commitment and sincerity to get ahead in
life.
Her hope for Bramley CYCC is to
create the space for each child to work through their trauma and then adapt
their lives, utilise the opportunities created for them and to excel in their
school. This will equip them better to
face life in the community.
Her personal motto is a quote by
Mahatma Gandhi: “You may never know what results come of your action, but if
you do nothing there will be no results”.
Helena will be missed at Bramley
and we wish her a happy retirement.
Caren Malherbe has been appointed as the new Manager: Bramley CYCC.
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