Thanks to the one man’s vision eight years ago, a local organisation is now providing a cycle of care for street children, writes Lee Currie
Earlier this year Qaphela Mkhwanazi was named head boy of Highstone Primary School in Phoenix, and two pupils were made prefects at their respective schools. What’s so special about this news is that all three boys are former street children. The I Care team members as proud as any parents because the boys are part of I Care’s Cycle of Care programme.
I Care was founded in 2002 by Graham Cochrane, a Durban businessman who set into motion a plan to alleviate the plight of street children. Tragically, three years later he was lost at sea during a yacht race, leaving his widow Denise to pursue his vision.
Today, thanks to a dedicated team and support from the community, local churches and corporates, I Care boasts a reception centre, a rehabilitation centre, a school and three residential homes. Going far beyond simply “getting kids off the streets”, their goal is to provide a cycle of care, turning these children into productive adults. It’s a long and expensive process and CEO Nevil Carrington, who joined I Care last year, explains how it works: “Our outreach team circulates among children (who are all boys) on the streets, taking those who are willing to our Hope Centre in Stamford Hill Road which is open all day to them and where they can have a meal and a shower.
“From there, those who commit to our rehabilitation programme are taken to I Care’s Umuzi Rehabilitation Centre in KwaMakhutha, (in the Amanzimtoti area) for a 12 week residential programme. While some will have a glue addiction, rehabilitating them is not just a chemical issue, it’s also a learning process where we help them build a sense of self-worth: street children are perceived by the public as nuisances. The programme includes life skills, spiritual guidance, art and sports. When they are ready to leave, those who don’t have suitable homes are placed in one of our three houses, (each accommodating six boys) in the care of house parents trained in child-care. Some attend I Care’s Accelerated Christian Education School in lower Illovo, some go to nearby government schools while those with special needs go to the appropriate schools.”
The homes and the rehab centre are in a semi-rural area surrounded by verdant grassland and huge trees, complete with a river, a far cry from the dangers of the streets of Durban.
To survive in this harsh economic climate, welfare organisations need to be run like businesses: with head as well as heart. I Care has a permanent staff of 26 plus volunteers and much of the focus is on generating and managing funds. “It’s a long, costly process to get just one boy off the streets and into a learning establishment and we’re accountable for how every cent is spent,” says Nevil.
While I Care focuses on the children, many of whom are orphaned or from abusive homes, Nevil believes they are just the tip of the iceberg of deeper social problems. “Unemployment, Aids, the breakdown of the family units are some of the contributing factors and it takes much more than a band-aid to fix them.”
I Care’s outreach team tackles these problems by creating awareness in the community and schools about the dangers of living on the streets. Where possible, they attempt to re-integrate street children with their families and also help support the families where needed.
While I Care focuses mainly on KZN, it is in the process of joining forces with Tembalethu Ministries in Johannesburg to establish the I Care cycle there. “We could do much more with a co-ordinated effort from government, corporate industries and the public,” says Nevil. “I Care is not just about street kids, it’s about South Africa.”
I Care discourages the public from giving money to street children. Donating to organisations like I Care goes toward a more positive long term solution.
Useful info: To donate or for more information, contact Careline at 086 1470 047
Tel: 031 572 6870: e-mail info@icare.co.za or log on to www.icare.co.za
Address: 57 Hambridge Avenue, Somerset Park, Umhlanga (offices inside Christ Church)