At Sabrina Love, we place a high value on assisting our parents to understand their children’s conditions and how to cope with the many challenges they face. Our staff has been busy attending and facilitating parents’ workshops and support groups to broaden their and our parents’ knowledge and understanding.
At a recent parent meeting in Kranshoek, where we care for 21 children, a number of issues were discussed. Parents from this small, poor community, just outside Plett, battle with unemployment, social, medical related and grant issues. Ways to address the issues were discussed and as a result we have scheduled a follow up meeting where the Department of Housing and Department of Social Development will address these challenges with the parents. Furthermore, a representative from SEDA (Small Enterprise Development Agency) will workshop ideas with our parents on how to start their own small and sustainable businesses and assist with setting this up. The CIPC (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission) will also assist with all required documentation and registration. How wonderful it will be to see our parents empowered!
We have also recently hosted an Autism workshop hosted by Brenda and Dave Wright, who have years of experience having been involved with Vera School for Learners with Autism in Cape Town and offer sound and practical advice on caring for disabled children. We are also running a series of Protective Behaviours Workshops. This Personal Safety Program presents simple strategies of safety and empowerment that adults can easily learn, particularly for children’s protection. Our staff also attended a workshop hosted by Bitou 10, where representatives from Iceland shared ideas on how to ensure a special needs child adapts in a new environment to feel included and discussed the importance of networking with others in similar situations. Our staff has been motivated by these new ideas and hope to implement what they have learnt within our community.
Thank you to our managers, Tamaryn Windvogel and Amanda Mbombo who arrange and facilitate this support for our parents. So much gratitude!
