In support of Child Protection Week (29 May-5 June) the Bhambayi Project calls on all South Africans to take action in joining the fight to protect our children against abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation.
“Every 20 minutes a child is sexually abused in South Africa according to reported cases.
“However, the sad reality is more like every two minutes, as children stay silent out of fear and shame.
“Both girls and boys form part of the horrifying statistics, with victims as young as 3 years old and younger reported,” says Mandy Pearson, Bhambayi Project founder and CEO. “Child rape is South Africa’s hidden pandemic that urgently needs to be addressed.”
The Bhambayi Project is focused on transforming the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in Bhambayi through relationships and empowerment, and aims to enable them to be courageous agents of change.
“In journeying with the over 230 children we support, we have come into contact with an alarming number of child rape cases,” said Pearson. “We have discovered that it is virtually impossible to get rapists arrested. Even if they are arrested, in our experience, they are often released on bail within one month of arrest. There are rapists who are sport coaches, drivers of school transport and many others out on bail, continuing to interact with children. If they rape again, the chances of re-arrest are slim.
“This Child Protection week we encourage everyone to be courageous agents of change in our world. Please join us in fighting to protect our children by signing our petition.”. The petition can be found at www.change.org/FightChildRape or on the Bhambayi Project website www.bhambayiproject.co.za or Instagram/Facebook pages
