A fresh start for vulnerable children
The vision of Penuel Children’s Foundation is to see vulnerable children rescued from unsafe environments marked by severe poverty. We recognise that every child has diverse & complex needs, so we provide holistic care, seeking each child’s physical, emotional, social & spiritual development. We liaise with government authorities and with relevant agencies and professionals to achieve the highest possible standard of care for each child.
In the future we envision Penuel Children’s Foundation running multiple projects worldwide. Our aim is to produce a model of care for children that will show the world how beautiful they are & in turn mobilise others to get involved.
Penuel Children’s Foundation in South Africa
In the Eastern Cape:
- There is a 30% unemployment rate.
- There are 80,000 child-headed households.
- There are 171,000 orphans.
Port Elizabeth (P.E) is known as ‘the friendly city’. P.E is the largest city in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. P.E and its surrounding area have a population of 1.2 million people. 400,000 of this population live in informal settlements made up of shacks and matchbox houses. The HIV/Aids rate in P.E is 35%, which is approximately 420,000 people. Children born with HIV have a life expectancy of 6 years of age, due to poverty. Every year 8500 under 11 year olds drop out of school due to poverty, malnutrition and HIV/Aids. The home situations of many children become too dangerous for them to continue living there.
We run an established haven in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The haven is capable of looking after up to 6 children at any one time. Children are placed with us on a temporary court order until a forever family can be found. Normally, a child should stay with us for around 9 months. Social Workers place these children into our care & we are responsible for them until a “forever home” is found.
Vision
Our vision is to see vulnerable children who have been identified by Social Workers, welcomed into a loving family environment. We work hand in hand with Social Workers to find a permanent solution for each child. Depending on each child’s unique set of circumstances, they will either be reunited with biological parents, fostered by a biological family member (like an aunt or granny), placed into foster care with non-family foster parents, adopted or placed into a government children’s home.
Values
We believe that each child has infinite value as a beloved son or daughter. Poverty related issues rob many children of their childhood, value & worth. We treat each child with dignity and honour, as princes and princesses, just as any parent would their own child.
1 Samuel chapter 2 says that God “raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honour.” God refers to Himself throughout the Bible as “the Father to the fatherless”. Therefore we desire to see each child experience their true worth as princes and princesses. We honour each child as the apple of God’s eye. Values of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5 verse 22) are central in how we treat each child brought into our care & each other. Each child who arrives into Mihlali House has 4 attributes chosen by us, which are then made into an art piece for the wall. In this way, the whole world gets to see that child’s true identity, value and character.
We adhere at all times to the UN Rights of the Child, and comply with the South African Children’s Act.
