Kinderbeskermingsweek is vanjaar van 29 Junie tot 5 Mei. Terwyl ons dit herdenk, is dit ook nodig dat ons erkenning gee aan ons onbesonge helde en die werk wat hulle doen – die maatskaplike werkers in kwesbare gemeenskappe. 

Dit is luidens ’n onlangse artikel vanaf The Love Trust, ‘n Christelike welsynsorganisasie van Midrand, Gauteng. 

Lees verder (artikel is in Engels).

Child Protection Week is observed annually in South Africa, and runs from the 29th of May until the 5th of June this year. This commemorative week serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting our children’s rights and fostering a safe environment in which they can grow and flourish.

Our constitution states that the power is in our hands to put a stop to the cycle of abuse that sees our most vulnerable members of society suffering.  Sadly, we often see terrible cases of abuse in disadvantaged communities, such as the recent deaths of the five and six year-old boys abducted and killed in Soweto in April 2023.

Not only are these communities already facing dire socio-economic realities, but the immense violence some of the children are faced with is hard to imagine. In vulnerable communities, social workers play a vital role in assisting families to promote the overall psychosocial well-being of their children, supporting their rights, and promoting a sense of safety.

A great example of a social worker fuelled purely by passion is The Love Trust’s Elsie Lekana, who is the social worker supporting the learners at their Nokuphila School in Thembisa.

Turning negative events into positive outcomes

Lekana is admirable as a leader in her community. Having been raised by a team of strong women including her influential grandmother, Elsie is a single mother to two boys, who has also managed to complete her degree via correspondence.

She states that what influenced her to become a social worker was growing up witnessing her mother’s abusive marriage. She says that being aware that parents are at times oblivious to the long-lasting effects of their negligence on their loved ones, she felt the need to teach others how to avoid repeating the cycle of abuse.

Lekana emphasises the importance of establishing open communication with our children from a young age, stating that the correct time to start these conversations is as soon as they are able to verbalise themselves. This needs to be done at an age-appropriate level, and can start as simply as teaching your children the names of their body parts.

She says speaking to them in a relatable way is how we will best communicate to them that their bodies are their own, and are not to be taken advantage of. It can also help them identify their emotions and name them, which plays a big part in helping them circumvent difficult social situations like bullying.

Lekana says that the overarching long-term benefit to a child receiving the right psychosocial support is learning to be empathetic. “If a child receives the correct psychosocial support, they will know what it means to care for other people.”

Children’s rights are fundamental to ensuring their overall well-being and safety. By educating them about their rights, we empower them to assert themselves and seek appropriate help. 

• Hierdie artikel is ’n mediavrystelling of storie wat aan Kerkbode gestuur is. Dit is geredigeer vir lengte, maar basies gepubliseer soos dit ontvang is. 
• Het jy nuus? Kontak ons gerus per Whatsapp by 072 149 1969 of e-pos: kerkbode@tydskrifte.co.za.