Family Strengthening Programme

Why Family Strengthening?

Stable, healthy families are at the heart of a strong society - yet many children in South Africa are orphaned, have absent fathers or experience maltreatment in their family or community. There are an estimated 3.7 million orphans in South Africa, about half of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS; and 150 000 children are believed to be living in child-headed households.

Our Response

One way of dealing with the vulnerability of children is to make families stronger. We support children, families and communities through psycho-social support services, training and community mobilisation so that children are cared for, families are preserved and the communities become a safer place for children.

For children:

• Identify children's vulnerabilities and needs. 
• Provide access to essential services such as social grants and birth certificates.
• Support children to stay in school. 
• Offer psycho-social therapeutic and developmental services.
• Offer child abuse prevention training.

For families:

• Identify families' vulnerabilities and needs. 
• Provide access to essential services  such as social grants.
• Offer psycho-social therapeutic and developmental services.
• Offer Parenting Skills and training on Financial Management.

For communities:

• ​​Create safe parks for children to play and learn.
• Conduct community awareness events around issues affecting children.
• Offer Child Protection Training.
• Train Community Mobilisers to establish child care forums within existing community structures.

Meet Nobuhle

Nobuhle (27 years old) has faced many challenges in her life, yet she remains so hopeful and courageous. Her mother’s death left her and her three siblings stranded without proper housing or anyone to look after them. Nobuhle tried finding a place them for to stay but they ended up staying in a small shack in Marikana Squatter Camp. 
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Her siblings are now enrolled in the Beautiful Gate After School programme and we help them with food parcels, school uniforms and are supporting them as they rebuild their lives. 
She also attended and completed the Parenting Skills course and when she received her certificate, she said: “Now I know how I am going to do a Succession Plan for me and my sisters!”  

Nobuhle is hopeful for her family’s future and so are we.

Help us support families to raise thriving children in a safe community. 

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