I know most of us already know that women are fantastic human beings. They are the hope for saving our planet.

Home from Home is a cluster foster care organization. This essentially means that we oversee the running of 36 of foster homes that we have established in 16 communities across the Western Cape 16 years ago.

Each of these homes have up to six foster children placed in the care of a foster parent that we employ and provide support and oversight to. The children come from various backgrounds and cultures, with different levels of vulnerability. Imagine the challenge this creates.

Creating a loving family environment
Over and above this huge task of providing care 24/7, the key to the success of our model is that the foster parent must create ‘a loving family’ within this non-biologically linked group. The parent is expected to be able to unconditionally love all six children and establish an environment where all know they belong to a family with brothers and sisters.

This sense of belonging enables the children to rise above their previous vulnerabilities and take the opportunities offered to live positively in society.

This is no regular job where one can switch one’s commitment off at the end of the day or over weekends. Creating family is a full-time passion and mission. Our stringent screening process in looking for foster parents, requires us to select those people who are able to provide this level of love and commitment to children who are not biologically theirs.

A support team of incredible women
Our support team (social workers, tutors, therapists) also need to be directed to this key role of creating this second chance at family for our children.

To date, although we dearly value the five men who are employed by us (only one being in a foster caring role) the other 55 positions of employment are all held by women.

90% of our organization are women – phenomenal women!

Men certainly have their strengths too! However, I wish to highlight this unique strength in women, which often goes unrecognized. What an unbelievable skill to be able to successfully love and care for other people’s children and help heal the wounds of the past. It is a resource much like ‘ubuntu’ which is much more prevalent in women, and that we so dearly need more of in our country.

Why are we not more actively mining this gold to put to good use in our healing?

Let’s recognize this ‘gold’ within women and invite them to save our world.

Roscoe Masters, the head of art at Sea Point High School decided to paint giant make- believe characters on a garden wall outside our foster home in Westlake.

He started teaching art to these four children in hard lockdown last year and thought this would be a great gift for them ahead of Mandela Day next weekend!
“I challenged them to paint the wall in 67 minutes” he says with a chuckle.

“I think they really loved the experience and are very proud of their bright, new mural. It has certainly received quite a bit of attention from the community. I was part of the World Cup mural group that painted 18 bus shelters on the Cape Flats for the 2010 Soccer World Cup so I have had a little practice!” describes Roscoe.

Roscoe is often involved in community projects. One of the most rewarding being the Orange Art Project.

In April 2020, a bold campaign was launched to provide computer connectivity into all 36 of our homes.

This was absolutely crucial to enabling the regular support to the families and allowing the children access to their education during these restricted times.

Our donors responded magnificently! Within a month we were able to start phase one in installing this technology into the seven Khayelitsha homes. Three months later we were supported for the rest of the homes.

Now, one year later, we are so pleased to report that we have completed this installation for all our families. Going forward, no matter how we come out of this pandemic, we could not continue without this development for our families. Having access to knowledge in this way is vital to an equal chance in this world.

Our transition house forms a crucial part of our aging out of care programme. It is a wonderful way for our youth to start living independently while continuing to obtain support from Home from Home.

We are so proud to share a few updates in our transition house this youth month.

Sofia was ecstatic to receive her first payslip! It was a truly joyful day for her. She is very dedicated and fully focused on what is required from her and happily works overtime if needed. She is also a very helpful member of the transitional house who happily goes about doing her chores and duties.

Zukile completed Matric last year and received a bachelor pass and is currently looking at various career options. He is interested to learn more about two very different fields! Law enforcement and graphic design!
Zukile has applied at an Art School outreach programme.
While he decides on his next step, he is volunteering at our Home from Home Head Office in Plumstead. We love having Zukile around!

The young chef in the house has been employed by a large, well-known organic store for the past year and is loving the experience.

He is currently the only chef that prepares the vegetarian and vegan dishes and is extremely focused. He has started saving a portion of his salary each month.

He is a compassionate young man who has connected well with the new members in the transition house. He also enjoys a strong bond with his biologicial brother and visits him regularly.

Donate and support a loving foster home and provide some of the most marginalised and vulnerable children a second chance of having family.

To be part of this rewarding experience of supporting a loving family foster home, please send an email to [email protected]