Education support for children in South Africa

This update is a little different from my usual ones, but I feel it is equally important to share!

Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend the World Child and Youth Care Conference in Canada, which centred around the theme "Healing Through Connection."

I was thrilled to be approved as a presenter at the conference, where I had the opportunity to showcase our work through Maranatha Care Children. My presentations were titled "Adopting a Child and Youth Care Approach to Independent Living as a Residential Care Programme in South Africa" and "Embracing Culture in Residential Care from a Western Standpoint, and Using Outdoor Education and Camping Experiences to Empower Young Men in South Africa."

Being in the presence of world-class child and youth care professionals from around the globe was incredibly humbling. It also reaffirmed my belief that prioritising relational practice is essential in every aspect of our work. Our children and young people deserve care that is trauma-informed and focused on their wellness and wellbeing above all else.

Most recently, I was approached by an incredible fashion brand in Gqeberha, Ndimnyama (@ndimnyama), which is doing truly phenomenal work. They partnered with the wonderful organisation Safe Healing Space (@safehealingspace_gq) to demonstrate the remarkable benefits of movement therapy.

Together, they arranged a series of nervous system regulation sessions for all our children. These sessions help develop coping strategies, reduce anxiety, encourage self-awareness and provide a positive experience where the children can enjoy themselves and connect with one another.

Money simply cannot buy this kind of collaboration. Their commitment to the wellbeing of our children is absolutely inspiring!

So, while I may not have been talking about education in this update, I felt it was important to share some of what happens behind the scenes. When a child is mentally and emotionally healthy, they are far better equipped to thrive academically.

If you can continue supporting our educational project in any way possible, we promise to do the rest. Thank you, as always, for your support!

It has certainly been a busy start of the year for the children at our youth centre!

Of the children in care at our home, we've had:

• 7 new children admitted including children attending school for the first time 
• 2 more of our children placed at a special school with practical curriculum
• 3 more of our children placed at a special school with vocational skills development
• 6 more children progressing on to high school studies

All of the other children remain in their primary schools or high schools from last year, with all their needs continuing to be met by the services they receive! We also support our young people into higher education and training.

As our youth centre has been approved to accommodate additional children in our residential homes, it means that our expenses of course become higher, and we truly rely on the support we receive to continue our vision of making brighter futures possible and helping our young people achieve their full potential!

If you are reading this report - thank you for your ongoing support and interest in our work. We cannot emphasise enough that every single donation makes the world of difference. Please consider supporting us today!