A Legacy of Love: How Your Gift Can Change Lives Beyond Your Lifetime
We all hope to leave the world a little better than we found it. For many, this means ensuring that the values we hold dear continue to make a difference long after we are gone. At Give a Child a Family Africa, we believe that every child deserves a loving, secure home. With your support, […]
The Ripple Effect of Training: Empowering Families, Communities and Social Workers
So much has changed over the years. When I think about training, I realise how deeply embedded it is in GCF’s work. For nearly 25 years, we have been equipping others, starting with preparing people to receive children into foster care. Over time, this has evolved into training parents to reunite with their biological children, […]
Seeing Beyond the Labels
In my home language, we say we become “injured at work.” It’s not about physical harm but a way to express how much we live and breathe what we do. For me and my colleagues, child protection is more than just a job—it’s part of who we are. Sometimes, it feels surprising when others don’t […]
Stop dreaming, start doing
It’s a new year, and maybe this is the time to finally follow through on that dream of doing something meaningful for others. How often do we catch ourselves saying, “If I had more time… if I were younger, older… if I had more money or space, I’d do that thing I’ve always wanted to […]
“Where is my mommy?” – Transition from institution to family
I don’t know how many times I have had little girls and boys looking at me with big eyes, asking, “Where is my mommy?” or “When am I moving?” Children were moving, but it was always the ones left behind, waiting and longing. Years later, not working with GCF’s foster care programme anymore, this memory […]
Strengthening Families for a Better Tomorrow
“I walk into homes with nothing in them, no furniture and hardly any food,” says one of GCF’s community workers. Her team has begun assessing new at-risk families we have not worked with before, to see if they qualify for our “Parenting 4 Life” programme. Families finding themselves at risk are often facing a range […]
She’s Found Her Voice
One ordinary day at work, I was in my office on the second floor, immersed in my tasks and thoughts. The cheerful sounds of children playing on the nearby playground, ringing through to my office daily, were absolutely delightful. Suddenly, a little nine-year-old girl named Phumi* managed to sneak into my office, looking a bit […]
GCF touring Sweden
It’s a bit difficult to know where to start. Six weeks in Sweden promoting Give a Child a Family Africa (GCF) have come and gone, bringing with them many experiences and meetings with wonderful people. The connection with Sweden has been alive since Monica’s parents arrived in South Africa as missionaries in the 1940s, continuing […]
The Power of Play
“Mom, Dad … come and look! See what I can do!” Whether we are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or simply have children around us, we often hear these invitations. Children want to involve us in their world of play and fantasy, but do we truly grasp the incredible power of play? A few years ago, […]
Child Safeguarding – Creating Child Safe Environments
Children are vulnerable and must be protected from harm in their daily activities. While most of us recognise the importance of protecting children and express outrage when they are violated, few take concrete actions to prevent it. Unfortunately, children worldwide are victims of abuse and exploitation in places where they should feel safe, such as […]