Who we are
About us
St. Michael’s Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC) houses up to 30 girls, ages 13-18, which are protected by the courts under the Child Care Act. It provides an environment that simultaneously nurtures young women and inspires them to grow and flourish. St Michael’s focuses on the implication of a variety of innovative programs designed to supplement a supportive environment centred on reconnection to the essence of womanhood.
St. Michael’s encourages personal and social development, and the expansion of creativity takes central focus. The girls attends therapeutic and developmental program. St Michael’s is always looking for more volunteers to teach classes (see the “How to Help” page for more information). Through innovative, individualized approaches, St. Michael’s aims to create an environment that is warm, safe , welcoming, and encouraging, a place where girls can connect and heal. Acquire important life skills, and tap into their vast potential as important members of society while cultivating love and appreciation for their individual selves.
Vision
Reclaiming the true essence of a young woman.
Mission
We protect and support young women on their journey of healing and self discovery so that they develop into healthy resilient individuals within communities.
Objective
We have to teach our daughters to be independent and resilient.
Reality of where our young girls come from
In South Africa, the gap between rich and poor grows ever wider. Informal settlements are ever increasing and children are being raised in these kinds of settings. Crime, violence and abuse have reached concerning levels and violation against children and young women are unprecedented. A study by HSRC indicates that children are subjected to high incidence of maltreatment and violence. Employment is a major problem for some communities, despite recent levels of growth over the last five years.
Leadership in South Africa and elsewhere in the world is not providing the directions or inspiration sought after by young people. Globalisation has consequences for every local community whether urban or rural. Food prices have escalated dramatically with the rise of the oil price, volatile financial markets worldwide and imbalance between global food requirements and actual production. There are so many challenges facing young people in South Africa and even more so for those children who come from families that have broken down.
The social and economic environment where many of these young girls live is one of poverty with high levels of unemployment, poor facilities and disturbing levels of crime, substance abuse and child abuse. In many cases, the family unit has broken down and parents are unable to provide a stable and caring environment for their children. Young people in these circumstances have lost trust in their parents and in most cases do not have an attachment figure that is dependable, reliable and caring. Then we also have children who come from child headed households who have lost their parents to illness or crime. These children have no means of support from the community they originate from. The malnutrition is very high where these girls come from. We have experienced in most 13 year olds, that they weigh less than 30kgs, when they arrive at St Michael’s.
The trauma experienced by young women at St Michael’s is devastating. These young girls were seriously neglected, abused and abandoned. St Michael’s CYCC offer young girls a place of safety, support and care aligned with the policy, practice and principles of child and youth care in South Africa.