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!