Big Boys Don't Cry

In their classic 1975 hit, "I'm Not In Love", 10cc whispered "big boys don't cry". Well, after a meeting with the Early Childhood Development Hub of the Thoughtful Path: Munsieville yesterday, I discovered that they were either completely wrong, or I am not a big boy after all!

A tragic story of an event this week in an unregulated pre-school creche has lodged itself firmly in my heart, filling me with fresh determination to hasten reforms in the South African township so that terrible abuse, whether deliberate or caused by ignorance, is eradicated. I don't mind admitting that, not for the first time, I have wept for Munsieville.

Lizzie, Chairperson of the ECD Hub reported to a hushed meeting that a four-month-old baby had died a few days ago on the lap of the lone-operator of a creche. Apparently, she had held the child's nose closed as she attempted to force a portion of "pap" (a thick porridge of ground maize) into his tiny mouth. The baby died of asphyxiation!

If this was an isolated case, it would be bad enough, but it is common for children to suffer serious injury and death in townships across South Africa, at the hands of those entrusted with their care. It is not that the country has inadequate laws and regulations to protect children; the problem is such an acute lack of resources that Munsieville's 50,000+ population, with its 10,600 orphans and other vulnerable children, has just one social worker for only one day each week. She has vast experience and masses of compassion, but she is also completely some overwhelmed. She dare not even visit some of the worst pre-school cheches; if she did, she would be compelled to close them down, which could leave hundreds of children in even more danger of neglect.

But, tragic though the death of this baby is for his family and the whole community, giant strides are being made by the Thoughtful Path ECD Hub. Already, ten creche operators, with no previous training, have passed through the first stages of an accredited two-year "level 4" ECD training course and are introducing improvements to every aspect of the care they provide to children. Another two are currently undergoing their initial eight-week basic training and a further eight have been enrolled and will start their training as places become available over the next few weeks. And on top of this, we have just received funding to train a further twenty community members from the township, equipping them with the latest internationally-acclaimed ECD training techniques and teaching them to support caregivers in the community to deliver all the many advantages of early childhood development to pre-schoolers in the home, massively extending the reach of the programme.

The good news does not stop there! We now have everything in place to launch a full-time Health Promotion Unit, to support the ECD Hub and the other six Hubs of the Thoughtful Path in promoting the health of the children with whom they work. The team will cover medical, public/community health and mental health and well-being issues and will give a huge boost to the campaign to overcome the ignorance that led to the death of the baby earlier this week.

And another cause for great optimism is the progress of our Child Rights and Protection Hub which is striving towards the launch of a "Emergency Response" service for children at risk in the township, based at our newly-opened "Munsieville Children's Embassy" and partnering with all local support agencies, some of which have excellent services to which the vulnerable children desperately need access. A generous UK donor has just agreed funding that will allow us to develop a 24/7 Emergency Response service, accessible by every child in the community whenever they, or those caring for them, need help.

So, my tears mingle with those of the family of this precious little life snuffed out at just four months, but they are eased by the sensational progress being made by this wonderful community to make theirs the best place in Africa to raise a child. And together, we can make it happen!