The outcome of the ANCs long-awaited KwaZulu-Natal conference was a win for the Thuma Mina crowd. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
The annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children should become 365 days of activism against abuse.
As long as we continue to hear of new born babies being dumped like garbage and continue to hear of atrocious cases of rape and all forms of abuse; we must exercise the same vigilance that is being spurred and marketed during the annual 16 days of activism. It is said that the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men and women to keep quite.
So, for as long as we continue to see children wandering about and sleeping on the streets, we must continue to scream and shout “this is not acceptable”.
As long as we see children learning to beg before they can even crawl or talk, we must relentlessly continue to invest our time, talents and all resources to eradicate the scourge of orphaned and vulnerable children.
Too many times we complain about social decay where crime is our daily bread. Yet we seldom make the connection between “what we sow and what we reap”.
I remember when I was younger, listening to folktales about “amazimu”, which I imagined to be cannibals, people who are savages; people who have lost all sense of humanity.
I can’t help but think of “amazimu” when I read yet another newspaper article about the gross abuse of children. And yet, as a society we seem to shudder at their gross disregard for human life and then quickly turn the page to try and find a story that will make our world seem like everything is still ok, when it is not.
The saying remains true: “You cannot have peace until your neighbour has peace.”
It is critical to remember that if you raised a child like an animal, there is high probability that they will grow up to act like one.
This is not in any way a means of excusing or justifying crime because a person had a horrific up-bringing, but to draw a parallel between cause and effect and how we often look away from our social ills, yet expect our children to have a safer and brighter future in what is becoming a decaying environment.
We must partner with government, the private sector, communities and all social structures in the design, development, implementation and measurement of sustainable interventions, because as the African proverb says; it takes a community to raise a child.
One of the fundamental building blocks towards shaping a better world for all is engagement aimed at finding solid, action driven solutions that inform legislation, funding and implementation of programmes supported by all stakeholders.
Indeed, there are many notable efforts and projects undertaken by government, civil society, faith-based organisations, traditional leadership, family units and the private sector, which highlight best practices, solutions and measurable actions.
We do not have to reinvent the wheel, but we all need to be the driving force behind the changes that we want to see happen. The role played by crusading organisations and individuals must be commended and supported as it continues to offer a distinct and glowing ray of hope for the future.
Invest in children
The International Framework for Action was endorsed in 2004 by United Nations organs making up UNAIDS and welcomed by international partners. It constitutes a basis to achieve a collective action and respond to the increasingly urgent needs of the growing number of orphans and vulnerable children.
According to the international community, the family remains the best place to care for orphans. Therefore, strengthening the capacity of families and communities to care for and protect these children is a priority, as well as strengthening the institutional capacity of African governments so that they can develop national plans to help orphans and vulnerable children.
The strategies to help orphans and other vulnerable children affected by HIV and Aids — envisaged today by the international community, African governments and civil society — are directed toward placing children within the family system.
According to a recent report by Service Social International and Unicef: “Keeping children within their extended family, community and cultural setting — in the spirit of continuity — is now unanimously supported at an international level regarding children’s protection; all the more since this option is now a recognised right for children.”
Importantly, the community can care for children who are deprived of any family support through the development of possibilities for placement in foster families, adoption at a local level, and family-like households that are integrated into the community.
In addition, orphans are placed within religious institutions that also play a growing role. If we have more people who are willing to accept these children and give them loving homes, we will be building a future of well-balanced individuals, who will be positive contributors to society, instead of turning out as “amazimu”.
Against this sobering background, the investment case for caring for our children remains paramount.
However, money alone does not solve problems, and the combination of skilled and committed people with the right legislative framework, financial support and a values-based system will set us on the right path.
People who care about the future of our society need to take action and the only question that remains is: “Are you that person who cares about the future of our society, and how are you going to make the changes you want to see happen?”
To find out more on how Nedbank partners with employees, customers, government, communities and others stakeholders to make socio-economic transformation happen, visit www.nedbank.co.za, @Nedbank on Twitter using #SaveChildren or our visit the Nedbank Facebook page.
This article forms part of a supplement paid for by Nedbank and Old Mutual. Contents and photographs were supplied and signed off by Nedbank and Old Mutual