Wednesday 22 July 2020
A common question at the start of any meeting these days is “where has the year gone?” It is quite normal, I find, to lament the fast-paced passing of time around mid-Winter, but 2020 has been extraordinarily different, for many obvious and not so obvious reasons.
We have achieved so much since the first few weeks of the year. If I cast my thinking back to where I was in January or February, I was planning to host the African Advisory Board in Cape Town, a philanthropic leg of Save the Children’s UK office. That was a huge event in our 2020 calendar, and my forecast for the remainder of the year was just as big.
During that event in March, the first few cases of COVID-19 were reported in South Africa, and numbers started to climb steadily, but at that moment, the virus had not affected our programming and our focus was more to discuss the interruption it would cause to education and how it would affect already burdened health systems.
Since the lockdown, Save the Children South Africa (SCSA) has been working with partners to address systematic exclusion of vulnerable families by the state, we have been delivering food, health and hygiene packs, psycho-social support for parents, caregivers and children. That is where the year has gone. In our efforts to respond quickly, and without hesitation, we put our heads down and got moving.
We have achieved so much, but we are not done yet. The remaining 6 months of 2020 will surely be testament to the work we can achieve for all children in South Africa. Last week, we launched #MyFuture in collaboration with iSchool Africa, supporting matric learners in their final months of the hardest academic year of their lives so far.
On Mandela Day, Discovery Channel aired our #SavewithStoriesSA campaign, support for our Covid-19 children in emergencies work. This month, we also launch our 2024 strategy; a strong, direct focus which will advance the work we implement in South Africa and regionally.
Finally, in September SCSA will present the first ever Children’s Advocate Award, at the (virtually hosted) annual African Legal Awards, to celebrate the legal community’s strides in child protection. Without question, these events be peppered with opportunities to maximize our reach and deliver even more to vulnerable populations in South Africa. If you are interested in working with us to achieve this, send an email to [email protected].
By Dianne VanDerTuin, Partnership Development Manager at Save the Children South Africa
About: Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In South Africa and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
Note to the Editor: If children are affected, we’ve got something to say. Our team of experts are available for comments, interviews and information.
We have achieved so much since the first few weeks of the year. If I cast my thinking back to where I was in January or February, I was planning to host the African Advisory Board in Cape Town, a philanthropic leg of Save the Children’s UK office. That was a huge event in our 2020 calendar, and my forecast for the remainder of the year was just as big.
During that event in March, the first few cases of COVID-19 were reported in South Africa, and numbers started to climb steadily, but at that moment, the virus had not affected our programming and our focus was more to discuss the interruption it would cause to education and how it would affect already burdened health systems.
Since the lockdown, Save the Children South Africa (SCSA) has been working with partners to address systematic exclusion of vulnerable families by the state, we have been delivering food, health and hygiene packs, psycho-social support for parents, caregivers and children. That is where the year has gone. In our efforts to respond quickly, and without hesitation, we put our heads down and got moving.
We have achieved so much, but we are not done yet. The remaining 6 months of 2020 will surely be testament to the work we can achieve for all children in South Africa. Last week, we launched #MyFuture in collaboration with iSchool Africa, supporting matric learners in their final months of the hardest academic year of their lives so far.
On Mandela Day, Discovery Channel aired our #SavewithStoriesSA campaign, support for our Covid-19 children in emergencies work. This month, we also launch our 2024 strategy; a strong, direct focus which will advance the work we implement in South Africa and regionally.
Finally, in September SCSA will present the first ever Children’s Advocate Award, at the (virtually hosted) annual African Legal Awards, to celebrate the legal community’s strides in child protection. Without question, these events be peppered with opportunities to maximize our reach and deliver even more to vulnerable populations in South Africa. If you are interested in working with us to achieve this, send an email to [email protected].
By Dianne VanDerTuin, Partnership Development Manager at Save the Children South Africa
About: Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In South Africa and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
Note to the Editor: If children are affected, we’ve got something to say. Our team of experts are available for comments, interviews and information.