FOR the month of May, why not wear a green ribbon to promote child protection month.
By going green you are making a stand to encourage society to protect vulnerable, abused and neglected children. This year’s theme is ‘Working Together to Protect Children’.
During the month of May, staff from Child Welfare based in Port Shepstone, will be visiting schools to educate children, selling green ribbons and working at clinics to raise awareness about child abuse. Some of the topics will include safety rules for children, children’s rights and responsibilities, as well as how parents can be involved in keeping their children safe.
The green ribbons can be purchased from the Child Welfare offices for a generous donation.
Child Welfare Port Shepstone spokesman, Sagree Naicker, said the biggest problem it was currently facing was that of parents who neglect their children and leave them unattended.
“The problems also result from the knock-on effect of HIV/Aids, where grandparents have to care for their abandoned grandchildren, and the high rate of unemployment,” she said.
She said they are also seeing an increase in domestic violence cases, which results in the children being badly affected.
It was disclosed at a monthly anti-rape meeting held at the Port Shepstone SAPS offices that there were 56 reported cases of domestic violence during the month of March.
Miss Naicker said the centre is financially not in a good position, and as a result it is short-staffed. “We need a therapeutic counsellor for children and there are insufficient funds to hire one,” she added.
She said the centre has a temporary counsellor employed who deals with traumatised children.
Her short-term goal is to refurnish one of the offices into a therapy play room, and calls on the public to assist by donating a carpet, toys, bright paint and educational materials.
Miss Naicker said currently there is a big need for society to invest in school leavers. She said they work and nurture children until they turn 18, however, there are no resources to see them through to study further. One of her long-term goals is to create a bursary fund to help give talented individuals a kick-start in life.
“Should society invest in school leavers, we would see less children walking in the streets and less crime,” she said.
She encourages everyone to join. Membership forms are available at the Child Welfare offices in Connor Street in Port Shepstone.
Contact Miss Naicker or Lolly Kannai at 039 6820073.
