Children on the streets can make up to R70 per day or even R300 over weekends through begging. A small amount of the money is spent on food; the rest is either stolen by the older children or used on drugs and alcohol, which in turn leads to drug addiction, crime, prostitution and gang involvement.
WHO WE ARE
I Care is a non profit Christian organisation that creates meaningful and sustainable solutions for these street children through awareness programmes, rehabilitation, shelters and skills/ job creation and finally producing effective members of society.
FOUNDING SCRIPTURE
“Once again old men and women will walk the streets with a cane and sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play." Zechariah 8 : v : 4-5
PURPOSE
I Care is devoted to finding meaningful and sustainable solutions to the challenge of street children in South Africa and a ministry that promotes a Christian ethos.
Our awareness teams visit various schools and other organisations within the community, and talk to them about the dangers of living on the streets and the importance of obtaining an education. Outreach teams work with children currently living on the streets forming relationships with them built on a foundation of trust. Once these children are willing to take the next step, they are encouraged to visit our Drop-In-Centres, where a Social Worker meets with them. Once a child has made the decision to leave the streets and change their life, they enter our three month rehabilitation programme, where they are taught life skills and go through drug rehabilitation. On completion of the rehabilitation programme, it is assessed if a child is able to return home. Alternatively they move into one of our purpose built houses where they attend the I Care Registered Accelerated Christian Education school. Children are ultimately either reintegrated into main stream schools, or where their education gap is too big, they attend skills training courses in order to assist them in becoming effective members of society.
