CHILDREN'S FOSTER HOME

Vukukhanye was birthed in 2001 in response to the HIV & AIDS epidemic in South Africa and the reality experienced in the community of Chesterville (eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal). The pandemic was resulting in more broken families and an increasing number of orphans who needed care at a time when extended families where being stretched beyond their ability to cope. Our history with Chesterville from 1989 and the needs expressed by community leaders and health workers lead to the formation of Vukukhanye, with our initial response being the establishment of a Children's Foster Home in Westville, very close to Chesterville.

This Home was established to provide a source of short or long-term care for orphans and vulnerable children. Our aim was to provide the children with a loving, stable home environment, guide their educational progress and provide psychosocial and other support (e.g. counselling and extra-lessons) as needed. Contact with extended family was supported and wherever possible children were reintegrated with their family or placed with adoptive or foster parents. In some cases, long-term placement of children at the Home occurred. Children placed in care included sibling groups who had no living mother or father, abandoned, neglected or abused children, as well as refugees. In several instances social workers placed children in short-term crisis care, such as when home circumstances become dangerous or a single parent was sick and there was no extended family to provide care.

Seventy-nine (79) children were cared for between 2001 and 2024. Residential care of children at the foster home was discontinued in 2024, since which time Vukukhanye aims to support vulnerable children where they live.

The history of the Foster Home can be traced in the...
Newsletters (
https://vukukhanye.org/site/reportsandnewsletters) and
Annual Reports (https://vukukhanye.org/site/annualreports).

A short summary of the reasons for discontinuing residential foster care is contained in the "June 2024 Newsletter" below...
 

June 2024 Newsletter (Foster Home)

COMMUNITY BASED SUPPORT OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN

Vukukhanye's seeks to identifying and support vulnerable children and families in Chesterville. Five care-workers conduct home visits and follow up on needs referred by community members. Support provided includes home-visits, counselling, emergency or monthly assistance with food, infant formula, toiletries (including sanitary pads) & household consumables, follow-up on cases of abuse and poverty, TB screening (via a questionnaire), accessing official documentation and grants, as well as referral to other organisations. Two of Vukukhanye's community workers have been trained in assisting children's adherence to ARV therapy. A common scenario is that of an aunt or grandmother who takes responsibility for the care of children following the death of the children's mother. This can be overwhelming when the new caregiver is unemployed (or employed only part-time) or is a pensioner already with dependants and now has to shoulder the burden of providing for and raising their sister or daughter's children. Approximately 180 children are assisted on a monthly basis and on an annual basis we assist children with school needs such as uniforms, stationery and fees. Vukukhanye also seeks to partner with companies and other donors to direct resources to local preschools, schools and community based organisations (such as those caring for the elderly or disabled).
Copyright © 2009 Vukukhanye
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