After a tumultuous two-year journey finding a stable home following abandonment at the tender age of 10, 12-year-old Poppie from Hankey has finally found solace in the loving care of her foster mother.
However, a new obstacle has emerged as Poppie struggles to cope in a traditional school setting, and requires financial assistance to access specialised education at the Rainbow Centre in Humansdorp, which can cater for her unique needs.
Founder of Hankey-based Thárros Family Centre, Taise Sampson, said Poppie had grown up in a dysfunctional family environment.
She said her mother was a heavy drinker which impacted her ability to fulfil her parental responsibilities, and ultimately led to her deserting her family.
Sampson said that with her mother leaving, her father found it very difficult to take care of Poppie and her two younger sisters, who were five and seven at the time.
She said, to find work, Poppie’s father left town and sought temporary shelter for his three daughters at Thárros in 2022.
“The siblings experienced a second traumatic event when their dad neglected his duties as a parent, avoiding communication and prearranged visits. While they were at Thárros he did not visit at all,” said Sampson.
She said a decision was then made by their father, a social worker and Thárros to place the girls in foster care earlier this year.
Sampson said that placing the girls with a foster mother allowed them to receive the love, support, and attention they craved.
“Poppie was at Thárros, but that was temporary safe care. In the long term, she and her siblings needed foster care and that’s when we transferred them. The process time between their arrival and departure was spent in consultation with their social worker about their future,” said Sampson.
“Our first aim is to reunify families; however, parents have a big responsibility in the journey. When a parent consistently drops the ball, not making any effort to contact the children or finding means to support them, alternative measures are put in place. In this instance, there was no other family member available to care for the girls and so a foster family in Hankey was sought.”
Sampson said that since Poppie had not attended school regularly while she stayed with her mother, her academic challenges were never identified until recently when she was assessed by an educational psychologist.
According to this report, Poppie’s intelligence quotient (IQ) is under average.
The report further revealed that Poppie is unable to read or write, and she therefore cannot continue to attend a school where these skills are required.
Sampson said the educational psychologist recommended that her current school and social worker apply for her to attend a special needs school, and Rainbow Centre in Humansdorp was identified as the only school in the area.
However, since Rainbow Centre is approximately 30km away, Sampson said transportation costs R800 per month, which is beyond her foster mother’s financial means.
“Poppie is not able to cope at a mainstream school. Her self-confidence is slipping daily, and if the situation is not addressed soon it can lead to a more challenging path in the future, where she could potentially drop out of school. Our wish is to give Poppie an opportunity in a learning environment where she can thrive,” said Sampson.
Thankfully, she said an anonymous donor has pledged to pay R400 per month towards Poppie’s transportation fees for the next 12 months.
Sampson said they hope to receive assistance with the remaining R400, and most importantly ongoing support throughout her schooling career.
She further highlighted the importance of additional special needs schools nearby to accommodate more children.
“Poppie is not the only child living in Hankey or Patensie who could benefit from a special learning programme. Such facilities, especially in the rural areas, are so needed,” said Sampson.
“Imagine if we could give more children a chance by incorporating programmes in mainstream schools that address their needs. Let’s build a strong community together by investing in our children’s education.”
For more information, or to contribute, visit the BackaBuddy website and use the keywords “Education for Poppie”. Alternatively, contact Taise Sampson at 083 500 0910, email info@tharros.co.za, or visit the Thárros Family Centre Facebook page.
