City of Ekurhuleni leads child protection awareness drive at Germiston crèches
As part of National Child Protection Week, five Germiston crèches were visited by city officials and safety stakeholders to promote child safety and caregiver training. Children were given vital tools to recognize and report abuse while crèche operators received legal compliance support.
To commemorate National Child Protection Week, various stakeholders visited crèches across Greater Germiston on June 3.
The stakeholders included representatives from the City of Ekurhuleni Mayor’s Office, Ekurhuleni District Health Services’ Clinical Forensic Medical Services (Bertha Gxowa Care Centre), CoGTA, Ekurhuleni social workers, and Germiston SAPS.
From the mayor’s office, Nonhlahla Ngwenya, acting divisional head of the Women’s Directorate, addressed the media, stressing the importance of protecting children, raising awareness about their rights, and teaching them how to report abuse.
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“As the directorate, our mandate includes women, children, and people with disabilities. We conduct workshops and roadshows for ECD practitioners to ensure compliance and to empower women who run crèches to operate within the legal framework,” said Ngwenya.
Mmakwena Ramushu from CoGTA highlighted the department’s role in bridging the gap between government and the community.
“Through this programme, we bring stakeholders together to provide a variety of services to crèches. Crèche operators are informed about who to contact when facing challenges.
“Additionally, children are taught how to report abuse and are given the contact details of the police and Childline,” said Ramushu.
On the day, the stakeholders visited five crèches, engaging with both caregivers and children as part of the awareness campaign.
