Teddy bears and toys donated to east children
Laerskool Witpoort also made a significant contribution to add hope to the vulnerable children and youth at risk with a donation of 233 teddy bears.
Christmas came early for the children at the Bronkhorstspruit Children’s Court after the community and police donated hundreds of toys and teddy bears.
This initiative was taken by Welbekend police with the community of Sector 4 Grootfontein and Sector 1 Witpoort.
Laerskool Witpoort also made a significant contribution to add hope to the vulnerable children and youth at risk with a donation of 233 teddy bears.
This forms part of the 16 Days of activism campaign raising awareness on no violence against women and children this week.
Welbekend police spokesperson Sergeant Tsietsi Lamola said this was also made possible thanks to Captain Matthys Strydom through judicial consultative engagement with the children’s court magistrate Maryke de la Rey.
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De la Rey received, on behalf of the Bronkhorstspruit Children’s Court, 118 teddy bears from the community of Welbekend through partnership policing.
“The children’s court deals with children from all walks of life, from newborn babies to children up to the age of 17 years. The common denominator for those children is that most of them were exposed to traumatic events,” she said.
“(This includes) children who were removed from their homes, children found alone wandering the streets or abandoned elsewhere, scared children in need of care and protection.
“In an attempt to make their experience in court less traumatic and to help them understand that our main focus is to help them, the magistrate allows each child to pick out his or her own toy,” said De la Rey.
She thanked all the parties that contributed to this initiative saying that this will help the children with self-confidence going forward.
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“A teddy bear actually helps a child to build self-confidence. It may be easier to think of the perfect teddy bear as a magician. This magical stuffed animal can ease stress, build confidence, sooth tears and aid in social development.
“It helps the child to handle fear, anxiety, separation and the unknown. The teddy bear is a very traditional and timeless toy and is often given as a keepsake to a young child,” De la Rey added.
The bear helps to stimulate and develop their imagination, said Captain Strydom.
“Vulnerability is the exposure to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. A vulnerable child is in need of special care, support or protection because of age, disability or risk of abuse,” he said.
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