By Omar Bahar | Marketing and Development Associate
Thank you for continuing to believe in the work of Afrika Tikkun and for investing in the children of South Africa. We believe all children should have equal access to education and services that help foster their development into adulthood, allowing them to become productive citizens and break the poverty cycle. It is through your generous support that we are able to change the lives of over 1,000 children who are in disadvantaged positions. We hope you continue to partner with Afrika Tikkun to educate and empower the children of South Africa.
A Child is Saved from Homelessness: The Story of Xoliswa
Xoliswa started the Early Childhood Development (ECD) program at Afrika Tikkun in 2013. She was a shy and reserved girl, who rarely spoke and avoided interactions with her classmates. Xoliswa slowly began to open up as her teacher gave her more individual attention.
A year later her teacher noticed she was coming to school unwashed and took it upon herself to bathe Xoliswa. A volunteer later witnessed Xoliswa eating from a dustbin on her way home from school. It was in that same week that Xoliswa came to school with bruises on her face and burns on her arm. She revealed that she was getting abused by her older brother and her grandmother initially denied any knowledge of this abuse. Upon further investigation, her grandmother disclosed that Xoliswa’s mother had abandoned her and her two siblings, leaving them without any food. The grandmother could not take the children in as she herself was unemployed and had no source of income.
Afrika Tikkun negotiated with her grandmother to give her monthly food parcels in order for her to take Xoliswa and her siblings in. Through our Family Support Services program, they also received donations of clothes and toiletries. Afrika Tikkun has also helped Xoliswa’s grandmother by providing her with parental skills training, allowing her to pay better attention to the children and teaching her the importance of providing proper care and support.
We are proud to announce that Xoliswa graduated from her Grade R class. We receive reports that she has been performing very well at her current school. She and her siblings have also started attending the Centre’s Child and Youth Development Program.
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