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Children are dying because they are migrants

COVID-19 has, unfortunately, shown us how many gaps there are in the Children’s Act of 2005, which is meant to provide all children in South Africa with basic rights.

As per the South African Constitution’s Bill of Rights, section 28, all children in South Africa are entitled to several rights such, as basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services, as well as to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation to name a few.

According to Outreach Foundation’s programme manager for the counselling department, Ethel Munyai, this Act certainly does not cover migrant children.

“I am totally despondent as these rights are just on paper but not actioned. We work with migrants in South Africa and a case we recently came across involved four children who were malnourished due to their parents being unable to work and earn an income during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“I was pushed from pillar to post as no one wanted to help.

“I approached several agencies that deal with children’s welfare, and even they were not interested, which really surprised me.

“These four children are just a few of thousands who are battling to survive.

“I eventually found out that the children have to be moved into temporary safe care, which is court-sanctioned, before people will even think of stepping in and this is not a quick process.”

Munyai said that she eventually managed to find a hospital that agreed to assess the children’s health.

“One of the children was immediately admitted as her situation was so serious, and the other two children will receive out-patient care and were taken to a shelter. But for the one child, it was too late.

“My heart breaks for that child and his parents. I cannot believe that he had to die because he comes from a migrant family. He was born in South Africa, but they battled to get him registered.”

According to Munyai, the situation for migrants in South Africa is dire, especially during this time.

“COVID-19 has been bad for everyone in the country, but for migrants, it has other consequences such as being unable to sort their papers out. This makes it hard for them to access health care or employment.

“The consequences of not being able to sort their documentation out results in situations like this, where children are affected and are dying.

“All children, whether they are South African or not should be afforded the rights that are stated in the Act, but that’s not happening.

“They say you can judge a country by the way they treat their children. If that is the case, we are a sad, sad country. I wish for the day that all children in this country are treated equally and are given the opportunity to live a good and healthy life.”

The Outreach Foundation Counselling Centre has provided essential mental health services and support to migrants and South Africans in Johannesburg and Pretoria before and during the pandemic.

Gift of the Givers as well as the aged, the visually impaired & a children’s home, get much-needed masks

More than 5,700 masks were donated over the past month to organisations, homes and individuals in Johannesburg by Hillbrow-based non-profit organisation, Outreach Foundation.

Since the organisation was allowed to resume work during lockdown 4, it has made more than 21,500 masks.

Over 9,000 masks have been donated to several organisations, schools and individuals by Outreach Foundation in its bid to help others stay safe during this scary time.

During the first weeks of July,  it donated 80 masks to Cyrildene Primary School, 300 masks to Tswelopele Frail Care, a nursing home in Hillbrow, 200 masks to the Johannesburg Society for the blind, 50 masks to Twilight Children’s Home in Hillbrow and hundreds more to migrants and individuals in Pretoria as well as in Hillbrow.

On Mandela Day, 18 July 2020, Outreach Foundation’s staff walked around High Point in Hillbrow, and distributed 200 masks to those who were without as well as to the needy living on the streets.

During the last week of July, the organisation donated a further 5,000 masks to Gift of the Givers Foundation, which is the largest disaster response non-governmental organisation of African origin. Allauddin Sayed of Gift of the Givers was overjoyed at the donation stating that the masks would go a long way in helping people during this time.

The rest of the masks were donated in the months before, and more masks will be donated going forward.

The Outreach Foundation would like to thank the ELM Hermannsburg and Bread for the World for their generous donations which allowed the organisation to help so many people.

If you would like to assist us in reaching more people with masks, food, or counselling, please purchase a mask from us or donate. Go to our website outreachfoundation.co.za/wp/donate/ or email us on orders@outreachfoundation.co.za or call us on 011 720 7011.

80 more masks donated

We have donated 80 masks to Cyrildene Primary school.

Over the past year, our social worker intern helped the children at the school with a number of issues. We just needed to give back some more.

Thanks to all our amazing donors who have helped us help others!

If you would like to donate so that we can assist more people, please click here