The Selelo Youth Programme

Softly-spoken Grace van Blerk, known to the children as ‘ousessie’ or ‘sister’, is the co-ordinator of the Selelo Youth Programme in the small town of Warrenton in the Northern Cape. She has been with the programme for five years, since its humble beginnings in the local pastor’s garage by a group of concerned volunteers.

The programme caters for approximately 60 children, providing lunch, old clothes, homework assistance, a safe space in which to play, and one-on-one and group counselling, should it be required. The children’s ages range from seven and eight-year-olds to 18-year-olds. Some of the children are at school, and the centre is intent on getting those who are not, to attend, working closely with local teachers and school principles to achieve this.

In addition to its two sports coaches, the centre has four caregivers who visit four houses per day, ensuring that the children are safe and happy. The centre is affiliated to the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services, the latter of which is contracted to deal with situations of abuse and neglect.

The programme has been based at its current home for two years: a spacious house with an office, two playrooms, a room for the centre’s care-givers, a bathroom and a kitchen. Petra Diamonds’ Sedibeng mine pays the rent for the house and provides a weekly stipend for food. The mine also painted the house and, over Christmas 2009, organised a ‘braai’ (barbeque) for the children. Donations are also provided by the mine on a regular basis.

Growing child by child, day by day, the centre’s ultimate goal is to be able to provide more space for the children to stay, to provide them with better security, an in-house social worker, and a teacher to nurture skills development.

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