SOS Children’s Village launches safe park

SOS Children’s Villages in Pietermaritzburg officially launched its safe park this month.

A safe park is a concept created to provide a safe and caring environment for children and youth who are especially at risk and vulnerable, within the community.

Play, vital for healthy child development, is sometimes compromised when vulnerable children are neglected, or forced to take on adult responsibilities. The safe park seeks to remedy this by providing children with the time and safe place to play, under the supervision of qualified adults. The safe park model offers children accessibility to wholesome fun and learning and development, which is an essential ingredient for overcoming hardship and building a bright future.

Nonhlanhla Shange,

Programme Director at SOS Children’s Village Pietermaritzburg said, “In South Africa, social ills have forced many children to grow up before their time, neglecting play which is critical in healthy child development. These children have their childhood compromised when they have to parent younger siblings. The safe park will provide children with a space where they can just be children and play, within a protective circle of trained child and youth care workers.”

In this initial phase, over 200 children will benefit from the programmes and services rendered in the safe park. The safe park will benefit not only children in the care of SOS Children’s Villages, but also those in the surrounding Pietermaritzburg community.

SOS Children’s Villages calls for more investment in development programmes for vulnerable children and families across South Africa. To donate and support the work of the organisation go to https://www.sossouthafrica.org.za/