#ChildProtectionWeek: St Francis joins the country in celebrating Child Protection Week
The St Francis Care Centre hosted a special event in light of Child Protection Week on June 9. Child Protection Week, May 30 to June 6, is commemorated in the country annually to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and Children’s Act (Act …
The St Francis Care Centre hosted a special event in light of Child Protection Week on June 9.
Child Protection Week, May 30 to June 6, is commemorated in the country annually to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and Children’s Act (Act 38 of 2005).
The theme for this year is Putting Children First.
About 50 stakeholders attended the event. Representatives from Hope and Homes, Tambo Memorial Hospital, Boksburg Children’s Court, Boksburg Child Welfare, Boksburg North Clinic, DSD Canalization, CMR Boksburg, Igugulethu, FAMSA Boksburg, Kids Clinic Boksburg, Boksburg North SAPS were guest speakers at the event.
Centre manager Tilly Brouwer gave her child protection message and explained the purpose of the day.
“Today is an opportunity to network and build partnerships so that service delivery to the children of Ekurhuleni can be affected and be of a high standard.
“In a perfect world, children should be fully protected in the family, school and community so they can grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential. The reality, however, is that millions of children worldwide are not fully protected. Many children deal with violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, exclusion or discrimination every day.”
Brouwer said it saddens her to say that South Africa is not a child-friendly country.
“Daily we hear and read about cases of newborn babies that have been abandoned or even discarded like rubbish at rubbish dumps, small children that have been sexually abused or murdered. Just this week our local newspaper, Boksburg Advertiser, ran a front-page story about Boksburg Child Welfare appealing to the community to help them reopen its Keep Me Safe House due to the large number of children requiring alternative protection and care,” she added.
The children of St Francis also entertained guests by singing.
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