Child abduction or rape – how can I support them?

In light of the recent uproar in the media of little Amy-Leigh’s abduction as well as the current ongoing trial of the alleged rape incident occurring at a Dros restaurant in Silverton, we as a child protection organisation would like to make a definite stand against these acts and express our dismay regarding these two horrible incidents and all the other incidents of this nature. These kind of unfortunate incidents give a clear indication that children are a vulnerable group that easily gets victimised and needs extra protection from those aiming to damage the lives of our young ones.

One of the first feelings that parents and families experience after their children went through some trauma, is guilt. Yes, it is natural to feel that way, but guilt brings about other negative feelings towards yourself such as worthlessness and feeling as though you failed your child. Our feelings always impact on how we act – in other words, negative feelings cause negative actions. Therefore, feelings of guilt might cause you to act in a negative way, without you even realising it. This is where self-forgiveness is really vital so that your thoughts and feelings about yourself can change which will bring about positive reactions. Never underestimate the sensitivity of your child and how they are able to sense your feelings of incompetence. This will then make them feel insecure and that nobody can take control over their situation and pick up the pieces on their behalf. Therefore, is you as a parent need to speak to a professional in order to rebuild yourself, do it.

After trauma, children either react out heavily or suppress their true feelings. Children are different and will react differently to their trauma. It is therefore important to be present – physically and emotionally. Provide even more nurturance than before. Children are able to process their trauma a lot better when having a strong support system. If you decide to take your child to see a therapist, do not expect the therapist to fix your child on their own, but rather commit to play “co-therapist” and work together with the therapist so that your child has support throughout. Introverted children tend to bottle up their feelings after trauma and we have seen how some children appear emotionally weak due to a lack of support at home.

Even though children go through tough times following trauma, practicing discipline towards them should never be avoided as it provides them with structure as it something they are in great need of after trauma. Children also thrive on predictability and it is therefore important to try to, after a traumatic event, to communicate effectively to them and inform them of any plans considering them. Give your child a voice to articulate their needs to you and assure them of your commitment to try to adhere to it. For those children experiencing nightmares, allow your child to tell the traumatic event over and over to you so that the memory could form part of their consciousness, which can decrease nightmares.

Even though I mentioned that you need to forgive yourself and move on after a traumatic event happening to your child, we acknowledge that you will do your best to survive this ordeal. We further acknowledge that you as a parent are also a victim when your child gets targeted and that you have not done anything wrong. Despite this, we have found that when parents apologise to their child for what has happened to them, it brings about healing for both. This does not mean that you admit doing something wrong, but that you apologise to your child for what has happened to them.

Sometimes it will be needed to engage in family therapy as siblings and other family members might also experience a great deal of fear and uncertainty regarding their future safety. This is an ideal opportunity to work out a safety plan as a family where you decide on the best possible ways to protect one another and yourself. Children need to see that they are not alone.

Lastly, even though your child and family you might struggle to deal with the trauma form whatever incident involving your child, it is important to try really hard to get back to your daily routines as quickly as possible so that you do not give the trauma the upper hand and allow it to control your life. This will also help your child and family to find your rhythm again. Survivor thoughts and feelings will lead to survivor actions.

If you need assistance with trauma relating to your child, contact us at 012 460 9236 so that we could provide your child and family with debriefing support.

Stay safe!

Written by Yolandi Singleton (Supervisor: Assessments and Therapy Unit)

Bramley Child & Youth Care Centre bids farewell to Helena Willers

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.

Teen suicide is PREVENTABLE

By Yolandi Singleton: Therapy Unit

Being a teenager these days are tremendously challenging. There are many stressors they have to deal with and mostly feel that no one understands them. Hormonal changes as well as developing their identity are factors amongst many others that plays a role in teenagers experiencing confusion, moods and emotional distress.

Suicide is always a topic that should be dealt with in the most sensitive way possible. It is a mental health concern. Individuals who feel the need to commit suicide really believe that the world will be a much better place if they are not in it. They truly believe and have convinced themselves that the people nearest to them will be better off. They have completely lost hope and don’t see any way out. 

They are not selfish, but merely want to end their lives in order to feel relief from all the stressors they are facing and overwhelms them.

Teenagers who want to commit suicide can deal with many stressors such as being bullied, being a victim of sexual, physical and emotional abuse as well as abandonment from significant figures in their lives which most probably occurred from a very young age or even during pregnancy. Research have shown that trauma has a large negative impact on the functioning of the brain. Therefore, when a person deal with multiple trauma, it causes a chemical imbalance in the brain. This happens in the part of the brain where logic plays an important role. As a result, individuals that experience multiple trauma lose their logical thinking.

Here are some warning signs that a teenager wants to commit suicide:

• Talking about wanting to commit suicide or wanting to harm themselves
• Writing about wanting to commit suicide by means of poems, assignments or essays
• Not taking anti-depressants that was prescribed
• Being isolated – not have a need to engage with his/her peer group
• Change in personality and habits such as eating and sleeping habits
• Constantly and excessively verbalising that he/she is good enough
• Change in behaviour – the teenager is completely different to how he/she use to be
• Not having any hopes and dreams for the future
• Having severe anger outbursts, being very aggressive and have unpredictable mood swings

Many times teenagers threaten to commit suicide and it is then viewed as that the child is seeking attention. No suicidal thoughts should ever be ignored or seen as a mere threat. Here are some tips on how to prevent your teen from committing or attempting to commit suicide:

• Have an open relationship with your child where your child feels free to communicate with you. The best way to improve on the relationship is to be on par with your child’s needs and to listen attentively to what they say
• Identify your child’s emotions whilst listening and do not dismiss how they feel about anything. Don’t make them feel that they are overacting, rather acknowledge the feeling and provide support.
• Share your feelings as well so that your child learn to meet you halfway
• Encourage the child to mingle with his/her peer group
• Do not expose your child to violence in the home for example partner-violence
• Act immediately when your child disclose sexual, physical abuse or being bullied
• Encourage your child to exercise in order to prevent stress
• If your child verbalised suicide thoughts or has made attempts, hide any harmful weapons and objects such as firearms, knives, ropes, medication, gas and alcohol.

If you as a parent or caregiver followed the abovementioned steps and still see troublesome behaviour regarding suicide with your child, contact a professional such as a social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist for further assistance. Do not feel alone. Seek help and guidance immediately.

If you need to talk to someone, please contact Child Welfare Tshwane on 012-3439392.

Warning signs and red flags for possible sexual abuse

Written by: Yolandi Singleton, Supervisor: Assessment & Therapy Unit

Recent court cases regarding alleged sexual abuse and neglect of children brings this matter to the fore again. Sexual abuse is probably the type of abuse that upsets the society the most. As adults we are extremely aware that it causes physical, psychological, social and emotional damage to a child when being sexually abused - not to mention the other challenges the same child might be facing at the same time.

Children mostly display problematic behaviour to show the world what they are experiencing, without verbally expressing it. When it comes to sexual abuse, children will often subtly make disclosures in order to test the reaction of the receiver. All too often children do not want to disclose abuse as they are afraid they will not be believed or that the receiver will be angry or think that the child was in some way responsible for the abuse.

Many times we find that parents who battle their own unresolved issues due to childhood sexual abuse often project their hurt and pain onto their children as a way to cope with their own trauma or to gain control over their personal experience. Due to their own trauma they tend to place their child in the victim seat when any possible threatening situation arises, resulting in the sexual abuse of the child.

The signs and symptoms of children who have been sexually, emotionally or physically abused are more or less the same. It is therefore challenging to determine what type of abuse the child was exposed to by merely looking at behaviour. The following warning signs can however be reasons for concern when considering the possibility of sexual abuse:

• Excessive masturbation, still continuing even after boundaries were set to the child;
• When a child wants to sexually engage with another child by attempting to enforce penetration of the genitals or any form of object;
• Encopresis (soiling in pants) or enuresis (bedwetting);
• When a child makes a disclosure and thereafter recant (withdraw their statement);
• Expressing strange and overly anxious comments about a specific person;
• Infection in the genitals (consider that some genital infections might be due to medical reasons);
• Age inappropriate sexual behaviour (the child displays sexual behaviour when not supposing to have such knowledge);
• If a child displays inappropriate sexual behaviour, explore it in a non-leading way such as: “I am wondering where you learned to do… or tell me more…”;
• When the sexual behaviour put the child or someone else in a position to get hurt:
• When the child’s main focus during play is to engage on a sexual level; or
• Sudden change in behaviour such as sleeping and eating patterns (consider that these symptoms are also present when children have been physically or emotionally abused).

What to do when a child made a sexual abuse disclosure:

• Children do not verbally communicate like adults and find it difficult to express the experience. It is important to stay calm and find help. Do not overreact. It causes more harm.
• Do not interrogate the child.
• Do not say anything negative about the alleged abuser (this will scare the child and cause possible withdraw. Remember, perpetrators are threatening and manipulative).
• Do not make empty promises, such as “you will never see that person again”.
• If you are not trained to explore abuse by means of forensic interviewing, limit your questions regarding the abuse and the alleged perpetrator. Avoid questions that leads the child to a specific answer you want. Resist the temptation to gather all the information. Leave it to the professionals to explore properly.
• Let the child know that you believe him/her and that you are proud of them for telling you something you know must hurt a lot. Assure the child that you do not blame them and are not angry and that it is not their fault.

Remember that for a child to disclose sexual abuse is a very brave step, but a difficult step at the same time. Children must be free to experience life in a non-threatening way. At times they can engage in innocent sexual play without having the intention to receive sexual gratification, but merely to explore body parts, which is an interesting topic for youngsters at times. Treat them gently and assure them of your support and understanding.

If you suspect sexual or other abuse, please contact us on 012-4609236.

Child Welfare Tshwane – serving the community of Tshwane with pride since 1918.

Women’s month 2019 : #WhatWomenWant

Wellness 2019 - The realness of the ‘invisible load’ – and how to take control.

By Anja van Beek, Agile Talent Strategist, Leadership Expert, and Coach

The ‘invisible load’ is real. Think about it. Think about all the roles you have to switch to daily.  Perhaps this scenario will resonate: “The alarm goes off at 04:30 am and you pack all the lunchboxes. From there you finish off a presentation that you worked on last night. Whilst delivering that presentation you remind yourself you need to quickly stop at Woolies as you need to get something for your youngest teacher’s birthday tomorrow. On your way home to fetch the kids from aftercare, you also phone your husband to remind him that he needs to arrange with the gardener for this coming weekend. Oh, and you need to send your close friend a message to arrange a coffee for this weekend as she has been a bit off lately.”

Could this be you?

The theme for Women’s month 2019 is #WhatWomenWant and all women are encouraged to state, without any fear, what they really want.

Something beautiful happens in women when they stand up for what they believe in and see their voice carry power.

I have noticed that many women, at one point or another, struggle to find the time to cope with the demands of modern-day life (invisible load), especially as we are surrounded by technology. We are all ‘expected’ to strike a reasonable balance between the needs of our personal lives and professional careers. But it is a very tough task.

We will often hear “there just is not enough time in one day” (sounds familiar?) and sometimes they even feel run-down, frustrated or anxious. As a working and ambitious mother, I understand the importance of finding a balance between all the roles and responsibilities.

For me, it is summarized in the quote “Balance is not better TIME management, but better BOUNDARY management”.

This all boils down to BOUNDARIES.

If you are a go-getter and crave to feel less overwhelmed, consider one of these 5 suggestions:

1.       Make time to reflect

Life goes "up and down"; like a heart rate's rhythm going up and down on a chart. Daily reflection can be a way of creating mind space as it allows you the opportunity to gain perspective on the situations, we find challenging. Many successful people make it a daily habit of taking time to reflect.

By reflecting, we can consider what didn’t work, acknowledge what went wrong and choose a different way to prevent it from happening again. It is also helpful to recognize your emotions in the “up and down” times. Ask yourself "What does the emotion mean and how can I use it to move closer to my goal?".

An easy way to start reflecting is to do a one-sentence journal every day; also list and incorporate something that you are grateful for. If you need some inspiration, Ulysses.org

provides a few good sentence starters: http://bit.ly/2GbBtD3

2.       If you take on new things, consider what you’re going to park for a season?

All we have is time. The way you spend your time determines the quality of your life. I’m a strong believer in having a growth mindset and being a life-long learner; we all should find time to pursue goals and interests outside our family and work life. Having said that, I’m mindful that we sometimes take on too much. If you take on a new hobby, venture or enrol for a course, consider choosing something that you are currently doing that you can “park” for a season.

3.       Learn to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty

‘No’ is also an answer. The truth is: if you say no, you are in fact just taking control of your life and prioritizing what is more important to you at that current time. Warren Buffet says, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.” Read that again.

We can’t be all “yes-people” – imagine what the world would look like? When saying no, don’t beat around the bush or offer a weak excuse; just say it. In a study done by Prof Hagtveld he suggests one uses the words “I don’t” rather than “I can’t”. The latter might sound like an excuse whilst “I don’t” implies you have established certain boundaries for yourself.

4.       Choose a support system you can trust

Most working women feel trapped. They feel they need to take control of every single aspect in their lives – personal and professional… and that is exhausting! We need to remember that we don’t have to do everything ourselves.

As we successfully delegate certain tasks at work; similarly, we need to delegate duties (invisible load) in our personal lives as well.

How do you get out of this overwhelmed feeling?

·       ‘Perfect’ can be a blind spot. We so often want to control everything and letting go or asking for help might be the first step in finding balance.

·       Get a support system in place that you can rely on. It could be arranging a lift-club at school, assigning a tutor or an au pair helping the kids with homework or choosing to do your grocery shopping online.

·       Discuss sharing chores with your partner. Many modern partners are more open to taking on non-traditional tasks e.g. cooking dinner, doing the washing or putting the kids to bed.

·       The best advice that I have received as a working mother was: “Be present in the moment”. This simply means choosing to focus on what you’re doing and not allowing your mind to wander to other urgent matters. I often find that when I’m busy helping the kids with homework my mind is already busy with the presentation for the next morning. I then need to refocus and choose to concentrate on the important and not the urgent.

You don’t have to be superwomen; decide what is important to you and stick with that.

5.       Be intentional about “me time”

Many of my clients say they feel overwhelmed by what we need to do and achieve in a day. The reality is that women need to fill their own cup. When last did you make yourself a priority?

Be intentional about scheduling “me time” and decide what will really help you to recharge your batteries and relax. For some it will be choosing some sort of exercise, for others a little reading every day or unwinding with a glass of wine, will do wonders.

It all starts with you!

My wish for you is that Women Month 2019 marks the start of a journey owning your voice. May you be able to speak up and state, without fear, what you really want.

To track any newly made commitments, download the FREE Mandala Habit Tracker, which will help you in a creative way.

#WomenMonth2019 #WhatWomenWant #InspireWomen

Anja is a Talent Strategist and Leadership Coach. She was one of the first to be authorised as an Agile People professional and facilitator in 2018. The ex-Sage HR Director now consults with leaders and HR teams on all people-related aspects with a specific focus on adopting an agile mindset integrating agile principles and practices. She is a leadership coach and an expert in supporting teams to remain relevant and thrive in the future of work. She also works for various companies as a facilitator focusing on leadership development, mentoring and change management.

Mamma Zamma - Changing Lives

The name “Mamma Zamma” means to try hard to change the circumstances for your children and this is exactly what Child Welfare Tshwane envisaged when we developed this development programme for mothers and children.

We often find mothers who did not reach their full potential, owing to the limitations of the milieu in which they grew up, and they in turn are not equipped to develop the potential of their own children.  

Parents often do not know how to “switch on” their developing child’s brain and respond to the toddler’s natural curiosity with harsh control or lack of interest.

The goal of Mamma Zamma is to bring elements of enjoyment and involvement back into the parent/child relationship. Parenting is hard work, with lots of repetition and little short-term satisfaction for the parent. Many parents and primary care-givers “tune-out” when children attempt to get the adults involved in their activities and play.

Their lack of response, however, means that parents miss out on a lot of valuable experiences with their children that will be stimulating for the child and will strengthen the relationship between the parent and the child.

The programme consists of sessions  aimed at developing the relationship between the parent and the child during the development phase of 3-6 years.  The aspects covered include cognitive stimulation (encouraging the child to think), child and parental guidance and support and developing and strengthening the bond between the primary care-giver.

Bonding is facilitated through three input levels, namely touch, trust, and feeling. Touch activities develop appropriate physical and emotional closeness between the mother and the child; trust activities develop the experiential value of the parent/child relationship  through deepening the level of trust between them (the child fosters the feeling that the “parent will be there for them”); and tell activities develop the parent’s level of comprehension of the child’s needs and accomplishments by encouraging positive verbal praise and warm emotional comments.

Bonding is the relationship glue between the child and parent or primary care-giver.  It keeps families together and by building a strong relationship with your child, you create more glue to make this bond stronger.  This gives the child the assurance that even is he or she makes mistakes, they will be loved for who they are.   Children who feel loved and have a strong sense of belonging will bounce back and try again if they make mistakes. 

The personal growth of the mothers and children are measured mostly through self-evaluation, but the facilitator also keep process notes and reflection on which parts of the session worked and which not. Often support-groups form in communities so that care-givers and children who have completed the programme can continue to give support to each other.

The programme is offered in the community so that the mothers and children are not inconvenienced through travel and we try as far as possible to use everyday items and materials for activities, thus making it easy for everybody to participate. Lessons also contain three segments, namely an activation (including basic numeracy, colours, shapes and concepts), relate (activities to develop the bond between mother/carer and child which includes touch, trust and tell) and empower (a section in which parental guidance and support is facilitated within the metaphor of building a Kid-safe house).

Anomalies are used to explain somewhat challenging concepts like responsibility, independence, support, structure, socialisation and a safe environment.  A house is for example used in this instance where the floor is the basic needs and love a child can expect.  The walls are the discipline and structure, support and engagement and the roof represent the responsibility.

By explaining it this way we also assist parents to meet the basic needs of their children, which are food, shelter, clothing and care. Children are totally dependent on their parents and care-givers for their wellbeing and safety.  They need balanced meals to develop and grow healthy and strong and parents are taught what balanced and healthy meals consist of.  Good hygiene is very important so that children don’t get sick. The parent and child are taught the importance of keeping their bodies and the environment clean.  During this process, the facilitator also follow-up on the immunisation status of the child and make sure that clinic appointments are kept.

The safety of children is also emphasised.  The programme highlights safety in the house and specifically refers to the storage of dangerous chemicals, cleaning material and other harmful items. Parents are encouraged to also share their fears about the safety of their children and the facilitator then assist them with a plan to make the home environment safer. 

Mamma Zamma is also aimed at increasing the parent’s involvement with the child. Parents need to understand that they are their children’s favourite toy – they will much rather spend time with the parent than with anything or anybody else.  Children perceive their own worth as good when their parents spend time with them and are involved in their lives.  When a parent is interacting emotionally, physically and on a thinking level with the child, the child will experience this as engagement.  When a parent engages with the child, the child will be fully responsive to the parent or care-giver. We often see this when an only child spends a lot of time in the company of the parent(s) or other adult company and thrives on the attention and inclusion. 

Parents are also assisted to be mindful of their own level of frustration and are encouraged to cool off before disciplining the child. When you are too angry it is difficult to stay in control of the situation and someone might get hurt. To manage frustrations, the facilitator will encourage the mammas to set a basic routine in the house, get the children to help with age-appropriate chores and to set rules in the house.  This helps to create a peaceful and harmonious home in which children will respond positively to predictable routine and structure.  This all makes a child feel safe!

The programme also assists parents with the skill of talking with their children rather than to their children.  Communication is a two-way street which requires listening and responding and it is important that both the parent and the child can do so.   We encourage parents to share with children what they are thinking and feeling – in a language that the child will understand. In this process children learn social and emotional behaviour and the skill of effective communication.

Mamma Zamma is available to all people who are interested to develop the relationship between themselves and their children and we have found that it works best in groups as people share experiences and form support groups to monitor each other as well.  All of this is aimed at creating better circumstances for children to live in, so they can grow and develop to their full potential. 

Families trapped in survival mode can learn how to enjoy the relationship with their children, be better parents and see that their children develop despite the challenges they face.  It helps to keep families together as there are structure and routine in the home.  And it means that children will not be abandoned, but loved and nurtured.

For more information, please contact Child Welfare Tshwane on 012-4609236 or email winnie@childwelfare.co.za. 

It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving ― Mother Teresa

During winter time you sense that many people are extremely aware of poverty, children and youth suffering of hunger and cold as well as different charities and the work we do.  People reach out in numbers to support the various causes with donations and labor – all in the good name of Mandela Day and the 67 minutes of your time campaign.  And as a charity we are excited to welcome the kind and caring citizens into our circle as we appreciate the money and the time they donate to us, to help us improve our service or our facility. The goodwill of people outnumbers those who turn a blind eye.

Unfortunately, once the excitement is over many of these kind donors and volunteers return to their normal business, only to forget that the service of welfare is rendered all year round and that the needs of the charity remains the same.  We do however get people that ask how they can get involved on a more permanent basis.

Volunteerism is a service by a person or a group, that benefits others. At Child Welfare Tshwane, where we work with the most vulnerable members of society, namely the children, we rely on the support and active involvement of volunteers on various levels.  We have tutors helping with homework, we have legal and financial people assisting us with guidance and processes and we have (mostly ladies) helping us with fundraising.  People that give of themselves (time and money) to help us meet the needs and alleviate the poverty and hardship in the community.

Should this be something you are considering, remember to select a charity that is close to your heart., and portray your passion. If you care deeply for the cause, working as a volunteer will be so much easier for you to do and be rewarding. You will also recognise and identify opportunities for your cause if it is something dear to you. You also need to decide if you want to do a good deed, once off, or if you would prefer to be part of a process at the cause and then sign up for a longer-term commitment and see the change that your efforts bring about. 

At Child Welfare Tshwane, we prefer that tutors, for instance, commit for at least one year as children need time to bond with the tutor and we do not want to introduce a new tutor every few months as this disrupts the continuity in the child’s academic support process.

It is important that you be clear on the impact you want to have with your volunteer or charity work.  It may be that you want to bring immediate relief against the cold and therefore decide to distribute blankets, beanies or jerseys in the community.  Or maybe you want to have a lingering impact and therefore decide to donate a fixed amount per month, to be used for food for children who often receive only one hot meal a day.

“Where do I start?”, you may ask. You can contact Child Welfare Tshwane, so we can get your personal details, a copy of your ID and SAPS clearance (if you wish to work with the children).  Then we do a short orientation session with you and see where best we can use your skills and energy in our Organisation.

“What do I have to offer?”, you may ask.  Well, sharing your knowledge, skills and time with others is important.  You may teach a child to read or use your professional skill and e.g. help us with marketing.  You may be able to fix and maintain the property or help to transport children to sport or medical appointments.  But we all have certain unique skills that can add value to the cause we support.

Our children need to have positive examples of people who are making a valuable contribution in their communities. They need positive role models – people who can inspire them to greatness!

Volunteerism will also give you a new perspective on life. Maybe you think all people who are dependent on welfare support are strugglers with no dreams and hopes. Yet, when you meet some of these people you may find that despite the blows life has given them, they are still proud people.  People who want to be in a different position but who simply do not have the means to change their unfortunate circumstances.

You will learn what humility means and how a simple gesture can be significant!  A beanie, a jersey, a hot cup of soup in the winter or maybe some products to help restore the dignity of a woman may change a perception, may lift someone’s spirit and may save a life!  To use a changed version of the famous words of Neil Armstrong: “One small gesture of love by man, one giant contribution to uplifting the community”.  No support, no effort is too small.

The rewards of volunteerism last longer than a cash reward. The warm feeling you get when you see the smile of a child, accepting a new jersey or blanket is priceless.  The happiness you see when you help a child read their first words cannot easily be matched.

We have volunteers that have been helping some of the children in Bramley Child & Youth Care Centre with homework and the results we have seen are amazing.  We realise that the hour a week they spend with these children have helped the children to grow in confidence and to master certain skills.  We have seen the difference having a weekend family (also volunteers) to visit bring in the lives of children – they get to experience family life as it should be.

Our fundraising events, like golf days and gala dinners, are very successful, because volunteers run with these projects.  The commitment and dedication of a group of mostly ladies have been astonishing and we are so grateful that these ladies have taken on the task of raising funds for our Organisation.

Our Board of Management, Financial and Risk Committee and Bramley Specialised Committee also consists of volunteers – people who decided to devote their time and skills to helping with the management of the Organisation. So, there is really a place for every person who wants to do some volunteer work.

We want to ask every person out there to consider getting involved in some or other volunteer project. Do good to others.  Offer your time and skills not only your money.  You will be surprised at the difference it will bring to your life!

For more information on volunteering at Child Welfare Tshwane, contact Hanlie, Mongezi or Yolandah on 012-4609236.  You can also visit www.childwelfare.co.za or email info@childwelfare.co.za.