This office have children covered with dark clouds when their biological mother passed away. They were left with no one to care for and look after them as their biological father was someone who had mental health challenges.

CMR Zithobeni intervened and placed the children into a CYCC (Child and youth care centre)already in 2012 seeing that the children needed care and protection. By that time there was no one in the family willing to care for and protect the children.

During their stay at the CYCC, the children had no place to visit during the school holidays. The CMR Zithobeni Social worker tracked down the maternal aunt of the children and she explained that children need to know their family and origin as they should not stay in the CYCC forever. Reunification services were rendered to the children and the maternal aunt. The children started to visit their aunt during the school holidays. They created a great bond as a family. And after two years of rendering reunification services to the children and their aunt, the children were officially reunited with their maternal aunt. The children were placed in the CYCC for full 8 years. And filled with joy and excitement.

This story gives us hope that when we render reunification services, children who are orphans get a chance to know their family of origin. Some may be reunited some may not, but through rendering reunification services children know their family origin when they grow up.

Being a social worker, we’re not in it for the income but for the greater outcome