Stories of Hope
Teenager blossoms after horrendous abuse
It was in 2022 that our office became involved with a sweet 16-year-old girl with a very tragic story.
The teenager had been removed from her biological father’s care after horrendous allegations of sexual abuse were made against her father and brothers.
This while the young girl already had a very sad story…
Her mother died during giving birth to her and all the years while growing up her father blamed her for her mother’s death.
The girl was neglected and physically abused in the care of her grandparents and her biological father for many years. She was only enrolled in school in grade one and received no pre-school education and care. She attended school for only a few months, but shortly after she was removed to be the caregiver of her elderly grandparents. She also had to clean the home and cook for the family.
She never attended any other formal schooling while she resided with her family.
After she was removed at the age of 15 by the social worker, she was placed in the care of a family friend. This placement was difficult and in 2023, the child had to move to another family. As the teenager never received any schooling, it was also difficult to find a suitable children’s home. Our social auxiliary worker however refused to give up on the child. She was adamant to secure a placement for her in a special school after very hard work and determination. The girl was accepted at a Child and Youth Care Centre and started going to school. She blossomed!
Today she is over the moon for finally being able to attend school. She is learning to be a normal, functioning child every day. She has made friends and her self-esteem has improved tremendously.
We applaud the continued efforts of the social auxiliary worker who refused to give up on the teenager. This story also proves that life can change for a child in need and that our staff do not give up no matter how hard and how tragic the background of the child was.
Sussies uit kloue van dood gered
Dit was Woensdagmiddag toe Ramona van die Cullinan-kantoor twee dogtertjies red.
Die twee dogtertjies was verskriklik vuil. Hulle sou dikwels kleuterskool toe kom met dieselfde klere, wat hulle die vorige dag aangehad het, koud en honger. Die kliniek, kleuterskool en die verhuurder het die ouers gerapporteer.
Die jongste een van 22 maande is te vroeg gebore. Sy kon nie loop of kruip nie en sou omval as sy probeer sit. Dié kind was die vorige dag só siek dat die kliniek haar na die BHS-hospitaal toe gestuur het. Die baba was heeltemal ontwater en moes twee binneaarse drups ontvang.
Nadat Ramona en Secret die kinders verwyder het, het hulle hul na ’n Plek van veiligheid geneem. Die meisies het gewillig ingeklim en soos muise in die motor gesit. Die jongste het aan die slaap geraak. Die vierjarige vuil en verwese langs haar.
Die ma was ’n bietjie hartseer. Die pa het min gesê. Mamma het positief vir die dwelm crystal meth getoets en het ook genoem dat hulle sukkel om dié verslawing te oorwin. Daar was min kos en die huis was verskriklik vuil. Klere het die hele wêreld vol gelê. Dit was al laatmiddag en die ma het steeds met die kinders nog gelê en slaap. Hul haartjies kliphard soos die van varkies, só vuil was dit.
Daardie aand het Linda en Tannie Ruby van Huis Benjamin die kinders versorg. Die sussies het hul longetjies skoon geskreeu in die bad – hulle het nie bad en harewas geken nie. Die badwater was swart so vuil was hulle. Hulle het die kos wat Ouma Linda vir hulle gegee het verorber. Die oudste sussie het dadelik met maatjies begin speel en sou selfs op haar skopfiets ’n motorfietsryer van die Hell’s Angels ore aansit.
Die jongste het egter steeds die hele tyd snaakse kermgeluidjies gebly maak. ’n Mens kon haar nie vashou of liefkoos nie. Jy mag nie eens eers oor haar koppie vryf nie.
Het sy dalk iewers seer?
Later toe Linda haar in die stootkarretjie sit was dit asof sy rustiger raak. Maar die seer kermgeluidjies wou nie ophou nie. Dalk sou die voorgeskrewe medisyne van die hospitaal haar dalk beter maak? Maar nee.
Linda het nie meer geweet watter kant toe nie.
Almal was bekommerd.
Bang sy gaan dood.
Haar ogies was siek, die een kon definitief nie sien nie.
Laat die aand laat Linda my weet: sy het vir die dogtertjie ’n pakkie kitspoeding aangemaak. Sy het die hele bakkie opgeëet. Sy het vir haar ’n bottel met melk aangemaak. Sy het die hele bottel opgedrink! Daarna het sy saggies op Linda se bors gelê en aan die slaap geraak. Was hierdie kind dalk nogsteeds net so vreeslik honger?
Donderdag by die Kinderhof in Cullinan moes die ouers verskyn. Die voorsittende beampte moes die hofverrrigtinge staak en die ouers uit die hof stuur. Hulle het só gestink dat hy dit nie kon uitstaan nie. Later is die verrigtinge wel afgehandel. Vrydagoggend vroeg terug by by Huis Benjamin het die kleinste sussie gesit. Pragtig skoon en warm aangetrek. Een ogie defnitief blind. Haar haartjies stomp teen haar kop afgesny deur haar ouers. (Daar was blykbaar verf op toe besluit hulle om alles af te skeer.)
Die kindjie het glimlag waar sy in die stootkarretjie en met die hond se stert gesit en speel het. Sy lag uit haar magie uit, maak praat geluidjies. Gelukkig en skoon.
’n Mens was verslae dit is dieselfde ou kindjie van twee dae te vore. Sy het reageer op alles rondom haar. Ouma Linda het vertel sy het die nag deur geslaap.
Ons wonder altyd of maak ons n verskil? Ek het die week weer besef dat ons n verskil maak: hierdie kind sou gesterf het as sy een dag langer in haar siektestoestand aan hongerte en verwaarlosing blootgestel moes word. Sulke haglikge omstandighede maak kinders dood. Ons huisma Linda kry bitter min erkenning. Linda het hierdie kind se lewe gered deur al haar aandag aan die kindjie te gee. Ons sit hier vandag nog met ’n ou dogtertjie met nog baie uitdagings, maar ten minste is sy skoon, gesond, warm en gevoed. Hierdie kind het baie mediese uitdagings wat ons van volgende week af sal aanvat. Julle, ons het kinders gered.
The story of Prince – an abandoned baby boy
Prince may have been discovered abandoned in a bush in rural Mamelodi, but he was the most super healthy baby boy, with a big bubbly personality to match!
The sooner Prince was offered a permanent loving and caring home, the better.
We immediately started the adoption process as required by law and the Children’s Act to find Prince suitable adoptive parents.
Unfortunately, the matching process may take some time…
A wonderful couple who had two biological children of their own had a big dream and yearning in their hearts to adopt another child. They were open to any gender, any race, and a child of any age.
Their only hope was to find a child that would benefit from having a family and a bright future.
Yet they had felt discouraged.
Even though the couple had no fixed adoption preference and had already been approved as suitable adoption candidates, they had to patiently wait for a child that would be perfectly matched to the dynamic of their family.
During consultations with the social worker, the couple were advised that it was indeed crucial to keep the oldest children’s existing positions in the family.
It is always best that there should at least be a two-year gap between all the children.
After an intensive screening process, the couple were finally matched and placed with a healthy joyful boy of two years old.
Our little Prince.
It has been eight weeks now and the newly extended family of five couldn’t be happier.
In their own delightful words: “Our lives have never been the same. We know and believe that there are more people out there who are willing to adopt, they just need to discover that they can.”
The couple felt by sharing their story they can inspire more families to consider adopting a child outside of their race, or to even consider becoming a foster family.
“Through our own adoption journey and our experience with children getting older in the system, we know that every person has the ability to change someone’s life and say: We will not let this child’s story end like this.”
Prince’s story is indeed a story of hope. After being abandoned he is now flourishing in a loving and caring environment!