16 Days of Activism: SOS Children’s Villages in South Africa putting children’s safety first

16 Days of Activism: SOS Children’s Villages in South Africa putting children’s safety first

All children need a loving home in which they feel secure, loved and respected.

During this 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children, SOS Children’s Villages in South Africa calls for more efforts to protect the rights of women and children.

Violence against women and children remains the most widespread and pervasive human rights violation worldwide affecting more than an estimated 1 in 3 women, this is according to United Nations Women (UN Women). It further states that more than 5 women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their family.

Almost three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, children continue to grapple with unprecedented hardships. SOS Children’s Villages in South Africa calls on government to implement law, policy and practice to create protective environments for women and children.

As a child protection organisation, SOS Children’s Villages cares for children and young people who have experienced abuse. Our caregivers are professionally trained to support their journey to healing and recovery. We also work with psychologists for complex trauma which needs specialised interventions.

“At SOS Children’s Villages we offer secure and loving care in a family setting, to children who have lost or are at risk of losing the care of their parents and cannot live with their biological family. We have Child Safeguarding policies and systems in place to ensure that we are able to protect children. We ensure that our daily operations and our programmes for the children and youth do no harm to children in our care. Child Protection is central to everything that we do,” says Kgomotso Loate: Child Safeguarding Officer.

Caring for over 700 children- and youth, SOS Children’s Villages has established policies that uphold the rights of the child. These policies outline behaviours and actions that are unacceptable, they provide guidelines on procedures to be followed, and reporting structures with trained and accredited Child Safeguarding investigators, whose work has resulted in an improved quality of care and improved safety for children in our care.

For more information on our work, and to support our Child Protection efforts, please go to https://www.sossouthafrica.org.za/

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About SOS Children’s Villages

SOS Children’s Villages is an independent, non-governmental organisation that advocates for the rights of South Africa’s marginalised children. We offer loving, family-like care for children and young people who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care. Established in 1984, SOS has eight Children’s Villages and three Social Centres across eight provinces.

Each year our Alternative Care, Family Strengthening and Youth Employability programmes provide life-changing support to children and families across the country.

The Alternative Care model comprises of four principles that include a mother (each child has a caring parent), brothers and sisters (the family ties grow naturally), a house (a secure place to grow up in) and a village (the SOS family is part of the community).

Our Family Strengthening Programme aims to enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their families to grow within a safe family environment. We work in co-operation with local authorities and other service providers to empower families and communities to effectively protect and care for their children.

For more information, go to https://www.sossouthafrica.org.za/

Contact

Seithuto Seakgwa

Seithuto.Seakgwa@sos.org.za

079 122 3332