On 16 June – Youth Day in South Africa – the teenage boys of Khayelisha House hosted a wonderful, fun day of games and sporting activities for our young boys and girls to commemorate the special day.
The children enjoyed games such as an egg and spoon race, sack race, tug of war, face painting and a good old water balloon war. It was a beautiful, sunny winters day on the field and the kids had a wonderful time, all whilst remembering the importance of the day.
It’s June! Youth month … and how happy we are that our young people got to enjoy a Youth Day Celebration that we had planned for them, bathed in the warm KZN winter sun. Educating new generations of young people on the significance of this day is important to us at DCYCC. We support the setting aside of a day to remember the historical events and figures of those who stood up to oppression, as we believe that this has the power to inspire our young people and will continue to do so for future generations.
As our children and young people prepare for the mid-year break, some spending time with family and community and others remaining in our care, we get a moment to pause and look over our shoulder at what has been achieved so far this year. The spontaneous and generous reaction to our appeal for assistance following notice from the Department of Social Development of cuts to their funding of our Centre has been so encouraging. At a time when our country is struggling to stabilise and grow the economy, the positive response has been a welcomed reminder of the heart of our donors and friends for the work we do. Thank you!
It was a busy week here at the Durban Child & Youth Care Centre during Child Protection Week, with a variety of programmes to celebrate and raise awareness.
Our teenage girls participated in a Self Defense/Safety Workshop called Fight Like a Girl. This workshop was facilitated by Ann Du Plessis, Empowerment Self Defense instructor and co-founder of Fight Like a Girl. It was an active and informative morning for our young girls as they learnt ways and tips of protecting themselves.
Our Child and Youth Care team also facilitated discussions within their houses to create an awareness amongst the children. Children were encouraged to creatively express their understanding about Child Protection and their rights by creating posters/banners.
We appreciate the Umbilo South African Police Service spending an afternoon with our children. As part of their community outreach they facilitated an awareness talk on Gender Based Violence and Human Rights.
Special thanks and acknowledgement to everyone for giving their time and sharing knowledge with our young people.
During 2022 we successfully applied for funding from Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects. Two of our residential homes required extensive renovation and refurbishing, at a cost of just under a million rand (R921 569.64). The two buildings were:
Fourteen children with life threatening chronic illnesses, mental health challenges or physical disabilities live here. We provide access to appropriate medical treatment to restore their health and dignity. Many of the children are here because of poor adherence to ARV Treatment for HIV infection. We focus on the emotional, spiritual, and medical care of these children. In addition, we encourage parents and extended family members to become partners in the process, by supporting and educating them about their children’s needs. By laying the foundations for positive living, we give children and their families hope for the future.
This building is home to twenty teenage girls, between the ages of 12 and 18 years. Since our main focus is family reunification, we work in partnership with the family and extended family to enable the girls to return home as soon as possible. Or, we strive to place them in a family environment if they cannot go back to their own families. During the time they spend with us, we assess the girls and provide programmes designed to strengthen and build capacity. Ultimately, we want to help them cope more effectively with the challenges of life within their family and community.
Having met all the application requirements of the Embassy of Japan, renovations began in May 2023. Contractors, Innovative Methology NPC, managed the project, which included external and internal renovations, such as painting, refurbishing, and replacing doors, door frames and windows. Ceilings and flooring were also repaired or replaced in parts of the Amaqhawe House.
The project was completed in September 2023, with the official handover ceremony taking place on Thursday, 23 May 2024. This event was attended by His Excellency Ambassador Shigeru Ushio (Embassy of Japan in the Republic of SA), Counsellor Kubo Tomoko (Embassy of Japan), Ms Muramoto Miyuki (First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan), Thandi Hoboyi (Development Consultant of the Embassy of Japan), Ms Pamela Xuma (District Coordinator, Department of Social Development), Colonel Ximba (Umbilo South African Police Services) and board members and staff of the Durban Child and Youth Care Centre.
We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of South Africa, Mr USHIO Shigeru for the incredible kindness and support we’ve received from The People of Japan.
On Saturday 8 June, the South Africa Community Food Bank (SACFB) hosted a day of nourishment and joy for 5 000 underprivileged children (from age five up) at the Moses Mabhida People’s Park. Our young people were included, and thoroughly enjoyed a fun-filled day. What child wouldn’t – with entertainment in the form of jumping castles, clowns and games?
Each child received a delicious, nutritious meal. Thy also participated in a wonderful educational seed planting activity, which provided valuable lessons on sustainability and the importance of caring for our environment. On top of all this, the children received gifts of clothing and games to take home.
During the day, there was a weight assessment service, which enabled us to check our children’s BMI and MAUC measurements. We’re glad to report that they are healthy and ‘on track’.
Thank you SACFB for allowing our children to be a part of this wonderful initiative.
Enter the Food Lover’s Market & The Sharks Trolley Dash, and stand a chance to win a trolley full of goods AND tickets to see The Sharks play.
You have 30 seconds to dash around the store and fill your trolley, while one of your favourite Sharks players will be dashing to collect fresh produce groceries for us!
To enter you need to complete the form here, including an image of a recent till slip with an in-store spend of at least R250. But you’ll need to act quickly – the competition ends 25 February 2024.