Over the years, the Tongaat Child and Family Welfare Society has been recognised as the first port of call for orphaned and abandoned children in the Tongaat community; as well as children subjected to extreme neglect, physical and sexual abuse.

Child abuse has devastating effects on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of every child. Children enter the Society’s doors with physical scars, bruises, cuts and burn marks but far worse are the emotional scars they carry with them.

One of the many challenges the Tongaat Child and Family Welfare Society faces as a child protection agency is TIME (or the lack thereof). Cases are brought to the attention of the Society very late in the day, sometimes just prior to office closure, and this gives social workers restricted time to undertake sound investigations as well as secure suitable placements with screened caregivers.

Due to the ongoing challenges being faced in the pursuit of temporary safe care, the community of Tongaat urgently requires a crisis care facility. The Pure Hearts Safe House has been born to meet the immediate needs of the abandoned, abused and neglected children in the community. The facility is being designed to provide an IMMEDIATE safe haven for our vulnerable children in times of crisis.

The Pure Hearts Safe House was officially launched on 14 November 2018 at the Society’s premises. Various stakeholders attended the launch and pledged their contribution towards the project. Construction of the facility (on the Society’s premises) is set to begin mid-2019.