Community
Family Strengthening
> Isolobantwana |
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"Isolobantwana
- Eye on the Children"
This project is an initiative of Cape Town Child
Welfare. It is a community-based child
protection program, which advocates the collaboration
of communities and formal resources when protecting
vulnerable children. In addition to protection
of children, the program entails a strong preventative
component in that communities are enlightened
about various aspects of social problems, and
vulnerable families are supported and counseled.
This project is an initiative
of Cape Town Child Welfare. It is a community-based
child protection program, which advocates the
collaboration of communities and formal resources
when protecting vulnerable children. In addition
to protection of children, the program entails
a strong preventative component in that communities
are enlightened about various aspects of social
problems, and vulnerable families are supported
and counseled.
Key community leaders assist
the social workers in identifying and selecting
community-based volunteers. A thorough screening
process follows to ensure appropriate attachment
of volunteers to different task roles in the program.
A training program of ten sessions, based on consultation
with social workers, volunteers and commissioner,
is devised to equip the volunteers with the necessary
skills and resources to execute their tasks effectively.
Topics include signs and symptoms of abuse, domestic
violence, Child Care Act, first aid and various
professionals are approached to facilitate training.
After the training, the volunteers are tested
on the program once they indicate a sound understanding
of the training content.
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Isolobatwana Logo
Isolobantwana volunteers
with
their certificates
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The active involvement of the Commissioner of Child
Welfare (in the magisterial district of the target
area) needs to be ensured, as the Commissioner has
the power to authorize the volunteers in terms of
Section 12(1) of the Child Care Act to effect the
removal of children from parental custody for periods
of up to 48 hours. The volunteers receive certificates
of accreditation to signify their authorization.
Upon certification, the volunteers are introduced
to their communities and investigate cases of child
abuse, neglect and abandonment over periods when
social workers are not available (after hours or
weekends). The care and circumstances of children
referred is investigated. A risk assessment is made
on each child, and decisions with regard intervention
are made. When protective intervention is indicated,
children are placed in short-term protective care
at community-based places of safety. Caregivers
are provide with three chances to improve their
parenting capabilities and lifestyles, else the
cases are referred to formal child protection agencies
for follow-up and completion of statutory intervention.
the program advocates prevention of child abuse
and building capacity within the community, monthly
awareness campaigns are conducted to highlight the
problem of child abuse and neglect. Workshops are
offered to the overall community to educate about
social problems such as substance abuse and domestic
violence. |
- A volunteer management committee
is charged with the overall management of the project
and supervises all aspects of the work.
- Volunteer field workers, known
as "Eyes", identify children at risk of
as well as those who have already suffered abuse or
neglect.
- They are responsible for assessing
the circumstances and deciding on the most appropriate
course of action.
- The "Eyes" are empowered
to issue an emergency detention order, removing young
victims of abuse and those at risk to places of safety.
- As trained lay counselors, the
"Eyes" counsel high-risk families, provide
intervention and therapeutic services to prevent the
removal of children and enhance the capacity of parents
to care for their children.
- Volunteer field workers also
monitor cases of concern and provide important background
information on child abuse cases to social workers.
- Places of Safety caregivers
provide temporary, emergency shelter and care in their
own homes for children who have been removed from
their families.
- Volunteers are also actively
involved in the "Informing Eye Campaign",
community education and outreach programmes which
include undertaking public awareness drives, door-to-door
campaigning, child protection workshops and running
programmes at local schools.
- The aim of this work is to equip
communities with the knowledge and skills to prevent
and reduce the incidence of child abuse through education
and intervention.
- Effective collaboration between
the organisation and communities has resulted in a
20% decrease in intake of child abuse and neglect
cases since the inception of the project.
- This is a direct result of the
effectiveness of early intervention by trained volunteers
working in the community.
- The Isolobantwana Project's
developmental approach, which promotes community participation,
ownership and empowerment, can be adapted to suit
other communities without difficulty.
- The successes achieved by the
Project in reducing and combating child abuse in high
risk communities and its replicability have resulted
in Cape Town Child Welfare training and assisting
Child Welfare Societies outside Greater Cape Town,
and other welfare organisations to implement and run
community-based child protection projects.
- Training for this Project is
widely sought after by many non-profit organisations
operating beyond the organisation's geographical boundaries.
- Social workers and volunteers
as far a-field as Johannesburg, Mossel Bay, George,
Knysna, Bredasdorp, Riverdale and Swellendam are currently
receiving training.
- During 2003 the Cape Town
Child Welfare entered into a project partnership
with Child Welfare South Africa to replicate the Isolabantwana
project in 20 cities/towns throughout the nine provinces
of South Africa.
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