Child and youth care centre gives hope to neglected children

VISION Child and Youth Care Centre provides for destitute, abused, neglected and abandoned children as well as orphans. Established in 1991, it serves the needs of children. We provide for their welfare and protection, with the ultimate aim of establishing their self-confidence so that they become liberated and free from negative influences. We also strive to heal the hurts and abuse of the past, and prepare them to re-enter the community.

We are a community-based home, a non-profit organisation and a residential centre for 23 children from troubled families such as, children who faced difficult circumstances and are in need of specialist care and intervention. We endeavour to offer the least restrictive setting for these children, who have been placed with us by the courts because of the inadequacy and complete breakdown in the primary care environment.

We are, however, located in a middleclass neighbourhood. The children come from high risk environments where very poor and negative socio-economic conditions prevail.

Some of the children come from single parent families where unemployment and alcohol or drug abuse are prevalent; others

have been orphaned or abandoned.

Meanwhile other children have been neglected and abused, either sexually, physically or emotionally. They are at risk because of poor parental control as well as emotional or physical deprivation.

Our biggest challenge is to establish and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships. This challenge is huge when one considers that they did not form strong attachments with their primary caregivers. We are

also very thankful to our voluntary staff and tutors who provide for the needs and developmental opportunities of these most lovable children.

Our objective is to bring wholeness and healing of the child and family. The other challenge is to equip the child with the necessary skills to master his or her life situation. The interests of the child are always of paramount importance. What is the best for the child is the norm.

The home is responsible for raising a substantial portion of its own funding in order to better our facilities and for the upgrading of services. We publish the Vision Advertiser in which we publish various interesting articles but mostly advertise different businesses to promote their sales. This booklet is a large part of our monthly income.

We also have three charity shops running in the Western Cape where we sell not-used donated additional items. The community donates good used, resalable items that they no longer require. We in turn collect these items and divide them between the three charity shops. Proceeds from the sales of these items also help maintain the needs of the centre.

Please feel free to visit us at any time to see first-hand what our organisation is all about and meet the staff and residents. Please do not hesitate to contact the management should you require any additional information to support our venture.

We sincerely hope that reading this may touch your heart and stimulate your mind. We appeal for your support, join us in our efforts to provide the very best second chance for our children, who are being provided with the opportunity of re-working and renegotiating their developmental stage of their lives.

May God Almighty be pleased with our humble efforts, Amen. We wish you well for the future.