SIYAKHANA BACKGROUND

Siyakhana Youth Outreach and Education Programme was established as a Trust in 1998.  The primary purpose was to provide child care services focusing on the rehabilitation and re-unification of children living and working on the streets and  to provide family support and care to the abandoned children (some whom are also HIV/AIDS positive while some are HIV/AIDS orphans).

Established through the Presidential Projects Fund, Siyakhana Youth Outreach and Education Programme Trust was pioneered in Mthatha  by a group of representatives from a broad range of social forces including all government departments, political formations, NGO’s and CBO’s, institutions of learning and other service providers.  This initiative was very successful leading to the establishment of other branches / Centre’s in Lusikisiki, Butterworth, Engcobo and Mount Frere in 1999.  All administration functions for these Centre’s were vested in the Mthatha Centre.

In 2005, the branch in Mount Frere through the help of the Department of Social Development and other local stakeholders established its own administration office in Mount Frere.  Since then, the Mount Frere Centre transformed itself to become an independent organization and was successfully registered as Non-Profit Organization during the same year and is now officially registered as ‘Siyakhana Youth Outreach and Education Programme – Mt Frere Centre’.

Siyakhana Youth Outreach and Education Programme – Mt Frere Centre (or Siyakhana for short) is a child care facility that primarily provides temporal shelter for children living and working in the streets of Mount Frere.  Through a Subsidy from the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development, Siyakhana has provided hundreds of needy children in our community with free access to healthy meals, safe place for sleeping, clothing and counseling and re-introduction to schools.

At present, we are providing food and clothing to 63 children every days from locations around Mount Frere who are at risk of ending up in the streets because of poverty, Neglect and Abuse.  On top of that, we are accommodating 20 abused and neglected children in our residential facility who has found themselves in the streets of Mount Frere for various reasons.

SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS

VOLUNTEER REACHED

CHILDREN ADOPTED

VISION

Our area of operation is a child friendly society that promotes a safe environment for all children to play and grow

MISSION STATEMENT

To integrate and re–unify all children living and working on the streets and youth at risk with their families and their communities through an integrated, developmental and holistic approach within the shortest possible period of time.

OBJECTIVES

  • To derive and implement interventions to children, youth and families living in the vulnerable conditions.
  • To create a platform that inspires and helps young people empower themselves and to participate on issues affecting them.
  • To create a safe, protective environment that nurtures children’s rights.
  • To rehabilitate and integrate street children into their families
  • To interact and provide preventative and early intervention measures to families and communities.
  • To empower children, youth at risk and families with information on their rights and realities.
  • To provide life and survival skills to children and youth at risk.