Many of our children experience difficulty accessing services and obtaining birth certificates and government grants. Children like Lerato, who left school to care for her sick and younger sisters.  Following the death of their mother, their maternal grandmother took them in but she died shortly afterwards and Lerato was forced to take on the role of a mother at a very young age.  Facing life on their own, the girls struggled to cope and locked themselves in their shack away from the rest of the world. 

 

 A Starfish project worker heard the girl’s story and went to visit them but no one answered the door.  However, through a gap she noticed a key hanging up on the inside by the door. 

The children were taken to the project centre where they were cleaned, fed, and received some initial counselling. A member of the community and project volunteer also came forward to act as a foster mother. Starfish provided them with food parcels and educational support to help them come to terms with the loss of their mother.

 

Project staff then began the process of attaining birth certificates for the children, which is required to apply for welfare grants – a crucial step towards helping the children's stability and independence.  

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