Homestead children. Photo by Nokubonga Yawa.
4 July 2012
Homestead is a non-profit organisation in Khayelitsha dedicated to helping street children.
They recently held a parents and children day.
Eric Bafo is the organisation’s co-ordinator of its Early Intervention Programme. He explained that Homestead gathers children, most of them street children, into one place so that they can receive education and help. Bafo explained that many of these children feel as though nobody cares about them or what they do and often parents do not give the children attention when they want to share something with them.
The parents and children day was an event to provide a platform for parents and children to share their feelings. Some children said that parents demand respect, yet they do not respect their children. Children explained that sometimes they want to share something that is hurting them but their parents never have time to listen to them, but always have time to watch soap operas such as Days of our Lives and Generations.
Bafo spends eight hours every day listening to these children sharing their secrets and stories all of which truly touch the heart.