 Heartbeat believes in the holistic development of children. Heartbeat has four programmes that impact on the lives of children:
Children’s empowerment programme
Heartbeat’s children’s empowerment programme aims to ensure that children’s emotional well-being is taken care of. In order for this to happen, Heartbeat’s childcare workers will visit children at their homes to ensure adult presence, assist with house chores, home-works, well-being of the child, to name a few.
Also, the Social Workers will do activities to support the children, like individual counselling, support groups, youth camps, workshops and puppet shows. The CDF and the social workers will also work closely with other service providers to assist with foster care placements.
A range of workshops will be done with the children focusing on child abuse, HIV and AIDS, gender equality and teenage pregnancy. Heartbeat is also very proud that child participation is part of this programme. Heartbeat has identified 24 youth ambassadors from all communities in 2009 to represent the children of that community.
Education programme
Heartbeat strives to support children through various activities to ensure that children can in the long-run excel academically. This starts with Early Childhood Development for the children younger than 6 years of age. Heartbeat has partnered with another NGO in this regard, ECD projects.
Heartbeat also accommodates children at the After School Centre (ASC) and supports them with home work assistance. All children will receive school uniforms and stationery and the project staff will lobby for the exemption from paying school fees.
Heartbeat also has a post-secondary programme to give some of our out of school youth an opportunity to study or be part of a skills development programme. In 2009 close to 50 youth have been placed.
Access to rights:
This programme ensures that children are supported with all their basic rights as enshrined in the constitution. The programme focuses on issues of acquiring birth certificates and ID’s, lobbying for school fee exemption, electricity and water, ensuring access to basic health care and advocacy in general for their rights.
Material Support
Heartbeat also provides in the material needs of the children in its care. Food parcels and food gardens ensure food security, clothing, blankets and toiletries are also provided to the children.
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