Valley Development Projects wishes to employ two dedicated full time child counsellors , one based in Masiphumelele and another in Ocean View, South Africa. Valley Development Project targets disadvantaged communities in South Africa that are characterized by unemployment, poverty, illness, crime, violence and substance abuse; and reaches out to children and their families.
The Social workers at Valley Development Projects target communities characterized by unemployment, poverty, illness (TB and HIV), substance abuse, crime and violence. Over half of all children in South Africa experience some form of violence or trauma from an early age . Crime as a result of gang violence is on the increase. In our communities children are exposed to substance abuse and domestic violence in their homes, which impacts on their development on all levels.
Having a dedicated child counsellor on site ensures that the children who need it will have consistent access to the support and care of a professional whom they can trust. The counsellor will work with these children through times of trauma and difficulty, connecting them with the necessary resources and interventions. Currently our social workers are overextended, dealing with children's court investigations, foster care placements, family counselling, substance abuse counselling and more.
Helping children to work through times of trauma/ abuse improves their development, self -esteem, learning ability and emotional security. As children begin to thrive; long term consequences on life expectancy and employment prospects benefit households and communities. Targeted intervention can break the cycle of abuse/violence which is present in many homes in these two communities. Through individual and group based therapeutic interventions, we aim to assist 400 - 500 children yearly.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
