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Community Health Studies Observes Child Protection Week

Community Health Studies Observes Child Protection Week

To commemorate Child Protection Week, fourth year Child and Youth Care DUT students designed a banner to raise awareness on the significance of creating protective environments for all children in South Africa. The main objective of the banner was to encourage each person within the DUT community to observe Child Protection week, said Child and Youth Care Lecturer Mirriam Mashodo.

South Africa set aside 28 May 2012 to June 1 2012 to observe Child Protection Week.

“This means that South Africans in different provinces consciously remember the protection of vulnerable members of the community; our children and youth,” said Mashodo.

Explaining the design of the banner, Mashodo said the circle in the middle of the banner represents the Circle of Courage Model. “Among other needs it depicts the essential need of each child for belonging, protection and acceptance by family, community and the society at large. The green ribbon in the banner is a symbol that the students chose to represent protection of children from emotional and physical harm,” she said.

The students displayed the banner at the main entrance of the Child and Youth Care Programme which is positioned at the Mansfield building. Students and staff had the opportunity to examine the banner and reflect on how they protect children and youth in their immediate families, communities and the country at large.

“Former President Nelson Mandela once said ‘there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children’. All those who participated in reading and reflection, in a way upheld those words”, said Mashodo.

Zonke Mdluli , one of the students who was involved in the project said creating the banner was a great way to educate DUT students about Child Protection Week.

“I am a Child and Youth Care student which enables me to be aware of what’s happening to children around the world. Most of them are physically, sexually and emotionally abused; (sometimes) not because their parents don’t love them; but because they are working and don’t have enough time for them. HIV/AIDS has greatly affected our country. It has left so many orphans and people take advantage of those children. These young children need to be loved and taken care of, not abused,” urged Mdluli.

–Sinegugu Ndlovu

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