What will you leave behind?
It’s a question that goes beyond possessions, property or finances. Your legacy can also be the difference you make in the lives of others – the hope you leave behind and the future you help build.
For more than 120 years, the Durban Child & Youth Care Centre has been a place of safety, care and opportunity for children who have experienced neglect, abuse or abandonment.
Children’s needs haven’t changed. They still need somewhere safe to call home, adults they can trust, nutritious meals, education, guidance and, most importantly, the chance to believe in a better future.
That’s why we’re thinking beyond today.
This National Wills Week, from 14–18 September 2026, please consider leaving a lasting gift to the Durban Child & Youth Care Centre in your Will.
Including us in your Will is one way to help ensure that our work can continue for generations to come. Whether you choose to leave a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, property or another valued possession, your gift can help provide care and opportunity for children who need it most.
And you don’t need to be wealthy to make a difference.
A gift in your Will can be small or sizable. What matters is your decision to invest in a future where vulnerable children are protected, supported and given every opportunity to thrive.
Wills Week is also the perfect opportunity to put your own affairs in order. During National Wills Week, participating attorneys offer members of the public the opportunity to have a basic Will drafted free of charge.
Your Will can do more than distribute what you leave behind.
It can leave behind hope.
If you decide to name the Durban Child & Youth Care Centre in your Will, please let us know. We would like to thank you personally and, if you wish, hear about the legacy you hope your gift will create.
Thank you for helping us make sure that vulnerable children will always have somewhere to turn.
Grateful thanks to our corporate Christmas Angels – your generous support brings so much joy into our Home
children deserve to be safe & happy
But it’s not a perfect world.
The Durban Child & Youth Care Centre strives to give children who’ve been orphaned, abandoned, neglected or abused, another chance of a happy childhood. We provide a safe home, all the daily necessities, education and encouragement to help them develop into healthy, well-adjusted kids.
Wherever possible, we work with the family to enable children to return home. Because every child needs a place to belong.
WATCH OUR VIDEO TO FIND OUT MORE
SOUTH AFRICA’S CHILDREN ARE HURTING
In mid 2018, South Africa was home to 19.7 million children under the age of 18
Of these:
million orphans
million dependent on grants
thousand live in
child only households
%
live below
the poverty line
HOW WE HELP
OUR PROGRAMMES
RESIDENTIAL CARE
OUR PROGRAMMES
RESIDENTIAL CARE
Up to 60 boys and girls, between the ages of 2-18, live in three units. They attend local schools and receive counseling, remedial teaching, therapy and other activities designed to encourage them to develop skills, talents and confidence.
OUR PROGRAMMES
AMAQHAWE CENTRE
OUR PROGRAMMES
AMAQHAWE CENTRE
This is a home for 14 children suffering from chronic life threatening illnesses (mainly HIV) and disabilities. We focus on their emotional, spiritual and medical care. Wherever possible, families are encouraged to be involved.
OUR PROGRAMMES
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
OUR PROGRAMMES
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Professional support to other child & youth care centres, the National Association of Child Care Workers, Regional Youth Forum, etc.
OUR PROGRAMMES
RESIDENTIAL CARE
OUR PROGRAMMES
RESIDENTIAL CARE
Up to 60 boys and girls, between the ages of 2-18, live in three units. They attend local schools and receive counseling, remedial teaching, therapy and other activities designed to encourage them to develop skills, talents and confidence.
OUR PROGRAMMES
AMAQHAWE CENTRE
OUR PROGRAMMES
AMAQHAWE CENTRE
This is a home for 14 children suffering from chronic life threatening illnesses (mainly HIV) and disabilities. We focus on their emotional, spiritual and medical care. Wherever possible, families are encouraged to be involved.
OUR PROGRAMMES
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
OUR PROGRAMMES
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Professional support to other child & youth care centres, the National Association of Child Care Workers, Regional Youth Forum, etc.
Play your part
Although we receive a government subsidy for each child, this is nowhere near the real cost of caring.
Your donation helps provide food, shelter, education, medical care and the therapeutic programmes
these children need to overcome their unhappy past and develop into confident, happy young people.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Gifts in Kind
We appreciate donations of non-perishable food items, clothing and toiletries. Please contact us for a list of our most pressing needs.
Get a MySchool Card
Choose the Durban Child & Youth Care Centre as the beneficiary of your MySchool card and help raise funds every time you swipe the card.
Volunteer
Helping with homework, mentoring older children and sewing clothes are just some of the ways you can make a difference.
Maintenance
Provide a regular monthly service like removal of garden refuse, or general maintenance like replacing light bulbs and tap washers.
Fundraise for us
Run a marathon and ask your friends to sponsor you … or ask for donations to DCYCC in lieu of birthday or Christmas gifts.
Set up a monthly payment
Even small donations – made regularly every month by debit order or recurring EFT – add up to a whole lot of help.
Leave a bequest
One sentence in your will could make a lasting impact on a child’s life – and costs you nothing right now!
Sponsor a child
Contribute towards the cost of caring for one child, with a regular monthly donation towards food, clothing, education and medical bills.
What’s happening at our Home
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine …
We all know the importance of saving for a rainy day. But when funds are stretched to the limit, it’s just not possible. That is why we launched the Sunshine Campaign – our rainy day emergency fund. Thank you to all those who have joined already. You are like a ray of...
You light up our hearts
Maintaining five buildings, four of which are over a hundred years old, is near impossible when you also have 74 children to take care of. There just aren't enough hours in the day! Thankfully we have loyal service providers who help keep our Home in tip top...
The Pinnacle of support
Most households will understand the importance of a tumble dryer, especially in winter when the sun just doesn't have the power to get all the clothes, bedding and towels dry quickly enough. With 74 children in our care, you can imagine what our laundry baskets look...
Look at our gardens grow!
Lindsay Hamilton and her friend Megan Howes, an independent garden designer, have made magic happen! When Lindsay offered to take on the landscaping of our gardens at 222 Lena Ahrens Road, never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined the beautiful garden spaces...
Full steam ahead
These 'before' and 'after' photos tell their own story. At the top, brand new and modern flooring has just been installed at our Amaqhawe Care Centre playroom. And (below) an old garage has been converted in an office for our Social Workers and Child Care team. We...
Message from the Director
Is it just me or does it feel like the days of each week are like beach sand, sifting through one’s fingers? Here we are approaching the middle of the year, a year that has been nowhere near the normal we once took for granted. With most state schools functioning with...
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