Seventeen-year-old Nicole Cedras who is currently been sheltered for her care and protection at the Don Matera Child and Youth Care Centre believes that even though she is not currently staying with her family, "there is no place like home".
Nicole was giving her testimony of been institutionalized during the second day of the One Child One Family Evidence Summit held by the Gauteng Department of Social Development in partnership with Hope and Home for Children in South Africa (HHCSA) at the St Georges Hotel in Irene, Tshwane.
She said, "Even though I receive love and care at the institution, I miss home and my family. It is painful recalling how I got there in the first place, however, I have come to love the place as my second home".
Dimakatso Ramohlokaona from Boksburg in Ekurhuleni, is young mother whose son was removed from her due to her life challenges that led her to abandoned her child. Giving her testimony she gave an account on challenges she went through after her kid was removed from her.
"Through the help from a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Boksburg I managed to get employment at a retail shop and got a stable place to stay. My life has changed for the better and I have been reunited with my son and today we stay together", said Ramohlokaona.
Social Worker Matamela Matsenene passionately elaborated a story of reunification after she reunified an abducted two-year-old child with her Mozambican mother last December. She said that after her ordeal to connect with the young mother, she was confronted by individuals who also wanted to adopt the child here in South Africa.
The Summit heard that ultimately children belong with their families and communities and this is the ideal situation for all children. However, children with compromised social functioning must be provided with a service that offers them care and support in a safe and specialized setting should the family not be able to care for them.
As the summit concludes there will be speakers to engage on topics such as After Care and Post Placement Support, Monitoring and Evaluation and Scope and Scale of "One Child One Family" in Gauteng.