Engo Free State has reported an increase in its provision of welfare services and a broadening of its reach, supporting an even larger number of vulnerable people within the communities it operates in.
The need to provide essential services and the positive impact thereof was the focal point at Engo’s annual general meeting (AGM) held at the Summerwood Estate in Bloemfontein on 23 August. The non-profit and non-governmental welfare organisation’s AGM also celebrated its achievements in fostering relationships and perpetuating inspiration.
Engo provides care and counselling to children, families, the elderly, the disabled and patients in need.
Looking back on the successes achieved in the past year Alda Fourie, Engo’s provincial marketing consultant, shared the numbers.
“A total of 30 adoptions and 39 provenance inquiries were completed. Adoption services handle adoptions and parentage inquiries when children or parents want to trace their biological family.
“Our Family Care offices handled an average of 120 cases, per social worker, at any given time. This is double the normal standard. The needs are just growing every year.”
She said the intake, however, was restricted according to the capacity at centres.
“This remains the same, as we cannot accommodate more people in our centres for the elderly and youth.”
During the AGM, Engo reflected on its outcomes – and also celebrated the unique contributions, hard work, dedication and inexhaustible empathy of everyone involved.
“Small acts of kindness, hours of patient support and the vision to bring hope.
She referred to the volunteers who are involved on an ad hoc basis, serving on the different governing bodies of the different centres.
“Engo offers well-being programmes for the 1 064 staff members employed in the Free State.”
According to Fourie, to date the organisation has served more than 200 000 people in the Free State, annually, through its 33 child and youth care centres; 20 elderly care centres; 10 family care offices; disability care centre; adoption office; and hospital care facilities.
The organisation reaches out to communities through seven subprogrammes.
Through Engo’s child and youth care initiative, 886 children are cared for across 33 centres, addressing basic needs such as the need for food and clothing. This is provided to 21 872 children in the province.
“It costs Engo an average of R8 202 per child for full care per month,” said Fourie.
Through Family Care, the organisation helps 67 193 adults and children who are assisted annually by ten Engo Family Care offices in the province. Across these, 29 capable social workers are employed.
“In the past year, 267 children were removed from bad circumstances,” said Fourie.
