There are many reasons for the high levels of violence in South Africa, but when it comes to violence towards children, the statistics are frightening. Frighteningly, there are no recent statistics on the level of child abuse in South Africa, but police statistics show that in 2011/2012 50,688 children were victims of violent crimes in South Africa, but not all crimes are reported often because the child is too young to report the crime (or tell someone what happened), are afraid to speak up because they fear the criminal, are unsure of what will happen when they report the crime (or tell some- one what happened) or simply don’t know where to report the crime.  

“Abuse can happen in schools not only from other children but from those whose role is to care and educate while under their supervision,” remarks Dr Lauren Stretch, Managing Director of Early Inspiration. “Protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a fundamental responsibility that cannot be compromised by other considerations.”

Children and young people have a right to:

• be treated with respect and to be protected from harm
• be asked to express their views and wishes about matters affecting their lives and to have those views appropriately considered by adults
• feel and be safe in their interactions with adults, other children and young people
• understand, as early as possible, what is meant by ‘feeling and being safe’
• the support of school based counsellors or designated staff in their education or care environment whose role includes being an advocate for their safety and wellbeing 

This Child Protection Week (May 17th – 24th), an initiative of the Department of Social Development, Early Inspiration is urging ECD professionals to establishing and maintaining child safe environments.

 “Positive actions and efforts of people from within and outside the education and care setting are needed so that interventions on behalf of children and young people are successful and sustained,” adds Dr Stretch. “Be the safety and wellbeing concerns arise within family, community and institutional settings, it’s up to everyone to step up, intervene and educate children about what they can do if they are victim of abuse.” 

There are five obligations that Early Inspiration believes ECD and education professionals should adhere to: 

Screening and suitability Staff, volunteers and other persons need to be screened as part of an on-going process to ensure adults are suitable to work, access or volunteer in ECD centres.

• Suitability must be established at the point of recruitment and monitored continuously
• Continuous monitoring of suitability includes the responsibility of all adults to safely report inappropriate conduct towards children and young people by any person engaged with the site or service 

Training and support

Staff and volunteers need to receive training that explains their responsibilities for children’s safety and well-being and understand how responsibilities should be met with sensitivity and purpose.  

Adult conduct

ECD professionals need to relate respectfully and protectively with children and young people. And they need to understand they have a responsibility to report and intervene against behaviours that compromise the safety or wellbeing of children and young people.

• Staff and volunteers must report and document concerns raised about inappropriate adult conduct towards children and young people
• Staff will follow approved attendance, behaviour management and incident response policies and guidelines

Access to curriculum

Children and young people engage with the curriculum which teaches them about the nature of personal safety and wellbeing, their rights to personal safety and wellbeing, help seeking and self-protecting behaviours and their responsibilities to the safety and wellbeing of others.                           

Communication, collaboration and record keeping

Issues affecting children and young people’s safety and wellbeing are often complex. Successful interventions require carefully coordinated and communicated actions. Staff should meet the following commitments, as required by their role.

• On enrolment parents/carers should be made aware of the ECD centre’s commitment to children’s safety, and that some matters must be reported irrespective of parents’ wishes
• Parents and carers to be appropriately informed about allegations of sexual misconduct and report to the appropriate agencies and organisations when the needs of vulnerable children and young people are identified.
• Education and care staff will actively support interagency efforts to improve family and community safety.  

For more information on the role of child protection in ECD, please contact the Early Inspiration office on 041 373 0884 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

KWAZULU-NATAL, PIETERMARITZBURG, 10^th August 2016 – Launching on Friday, the 12^th of August and running throughout the month of August at the Cascades Lifestyle Centre is the Cascades Women of Substance campaign. Cascades Lifestyle Centre has selected four Pietermaritzburg women-led charities doing substantial work for women in the community, and ask Cascades residents and shoppers to vote for the woman they would like to see win. The woman with the most votes received by the end of August, will win R5 000 plus another R5 000 donated to the charity they head up. Voting can only be done at the three dedicated voting stations located throughout the Cascades Lifestyle Centre from Friday, 12^th August 2016.

At each voting station there will be a pad of voting slips. Tick your favourite, add your name and signature and pop it into the box. Says Michelle Chinnu, Property Manager at Ducatus, mastermind of this campaign, “August is about honouring hero-women and what better way to do this than highlight some of the extraordinary work being done by ordinary women in our Pietermaritzburg community. We hope that the prize money will go some way into helping them help more women in need, plus a little gift from us to say thank you.” The four women selected are Sinikiwe Biyela (Lifeline PMB and Rape Crisis), Caro Smit (SADD - South Africans against Drunk Driving), Rene Morcom (Assist, Thandi House), and Julie Hay (Singakwenza) Sinikiwe Biyela is the Director at Lifeline PMB and Rape Crisis.

This organisation promotes emotional wellness for individuals and communities and offers a 24/7 helpline. Biyela has extensive experience aimed at preventing HIV infection, and in assisting women in their recovery from traumatic experiences. She was a finalist in the Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year Awards in 2012 for her GBV work, and in 2014, was a finalist in Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government. Says Biyela, “We are extremely grateful to have the Cascades Centre promote the services available to women in Pietermaritzburg, and look forward to this campaign raising awareness.” Caro Smit launched SADD - South Africans against Drunk Driving - after her 23 year old son, Chas, was killed by a drunk driver. Smit believes that the best way to get over adversity is to help others. Smit says “You can help yourself overcome adversity, plus make a difference to others, by getting involved with one of many charities, or if there is not a suitable charity available - get one started!” Today, SADD supports many victims and families after drink-driving crashes and offers advice for court.

Rene Morcom is co-founder of Thandi House, Assist PMB’s flagship project. It a family-centred home caring for sick, orphaned, abandoned, abused and disabled children of all ages. Morcom believes no matter what hardships women face, women have a strength that can see them through. “Look inside yourself and believe in your own potential,” she says. Julie Hay is co-founder of non-profit organisation, Singakwenza, which provides sustainable early childhood education in economically disadvantaged areas using resources made solely from recycling. Hay says, “Young children learn best when they are actively involved in play but the cost of educational toys is prohibitive to around 5.2 million children under the age of four. The only way we are going to change our education statistics is by improving access to early childhood development programmes.” To vote for your Woman of Substance, visit Cascades Shopping Centre from Friday 12^th August and fill out a voting form found at one of the three voting stations located throughout the Centre. Campaign ends on Wednesday 31^st August 2016.

Compiled by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Cascades Lifestyle Centre For all press enquiries – email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.