Psycho-Social

A mentally healthy mother supplies the security, stimulation, and behavioural guidance to her children.

Violence in South Africa takes on many forms: Domestic, Criminal and Sexual Violence. Amongst the youth there is a high level of gang violence, affecting their neighbourhoods, schools and homes. Many teenagers have been victims of violence or extreme traumas, while many more have seen or witnessed these events.

South Africa has one of the highest rates for domestic abuse in the world, the Department of Justice estimates that 1 out of every four South African women are survivors of domestic violence.Please see this document, A Guide To The Domestic Violence Act, for more information.

The impact of ongoing trauma can be an accumulation of single repeated events, such as inadequate care, or a number of events such as family violence, verbal abuse or harsh discipline. These experiences reduce the child’s feelings of safety, stability and wellbeing and can affect mental health and overall development. The formation of a parent-child bond at the beginning of life is an essential step that sets the stage for cognitive, emotional, and social development later in life. For our children to become resilient we need equipped and empowered adults, who are themselves becoming more and more resilient, to care for and nurture our children.

Our goal is to see permanency for children promote the reintegration of families and, where necessary, foster care or adoption.

Without undermining the devastating effects of trauma, Connect affiliates believe that spiritual wellbeing is at the centre of mental health. Affiliates offer a variety of different psychosocial services including counselling, adoption services, foster care, rehabilitation services, shelters for women and children, safe houses, camps for children living in constant trauma and children’s clubs.

Child Protection Campaign

Each year, Connect affiliates collaborate together to run a child protection campaign in the neighbourhoods and communities. Click here to read how you can get involved.