Even with the disheartening levels of abuse and neglect within our communities, Childline Free State stays committed in providing essential services to women and children.
According to Prof Roelf Reyneke, chairman of Childline Free State, the very existence of this organisation remains critical, serving as a beacon where such abuses can be reported to ensure that these children receive the necessary support and care.
Child Welfare Bloemfontein and Childline Free State held its annual general meeting on 5 September at Urth.
Mariétha le Roux, director of Child Welfare Bloemfontein and Childline Free State, gave attendees a glimpse into the past year’s sucesses.
This included 272 outreach campaigns that reached 26 028 beneficiaries.
The school outreach teams visited 118 schools in the Free State to tell children about the 116 Helpline – also giving talks on subjects like online safety, bullying and child abuse.
The 116 Helpline received 17 870 effective calls this past year. This included 506 suspected abuse cases that were referred for further investigation and 3 036 callers in distress who received online counselling and were referred to service providers.
The helpline is available 24 hours a day, for 365 days of the year, and calls are received throughout the Free State and Northern Cape.
