Homeless teen moms offered hope at workshop
Youth For Christ KZN - Tennyson House hosted its first workshop for homeless teen moms this year. A spokeswoman for the group of homeless moms said things were dire, as some of the moms are addicted to drugs, such as glue and whoonga.
A GROUP of homeless teen moms were given a platform to voice their daily challenges at a recent parenting workshop hosted by Youth For Christ KZN – Tennyson House.
The spokeswoman for the group of homeless moms said a common issue they all faced was to provide their children with basic needs such as wholesome food and shelter.
“Our children eat food that we beg from people, our children have to sleep in abandoned buildings or bus terminals and municipal recreational parks. We struggle with safety and security from aggressive adults. We date people only to get food from them,” said the group’s representative.
She said there were also homeless teen moms addicted to drugs, such as glue and whoonga.
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“And some people want us to do things for them or even work for them without compensation,” she said.
Marcel Tantij, a Child Welfare representative who spoke at the workshop, said teen moms needed to learn to take responsibility and protect their children from situations of abuse, neglect and other forms of maltreatment.
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Tantij said foster care programmes and adoption options could be considered for the sake of children’s safety, security and development.
“Our organisation is here to assist and advocate a safe environment for the best interest of the babies. We also assist with medical assistance, facilitate life skills programmes that cover the issue of teenage pregnancy,” said Tantij.
Nonku Ndima, a Tennyson House Outreach Coordinator, said their organisation and its programmes helped people living in the streets of Durban by reuniting them with their families, rather than helping them manage to survive in the street.
“Street life is a nightmare. Children are neglected and do not get proper care and they are used as bait to get money that will later be spent on drugs and alcohol. We still believe that it takes a village to raise a child. It is our responsibility as an organisation to give hope, support and make a positive impact in the lives of teen moms living in the streets of our city,” said Ndima.
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