JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, DEC. 18, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Two-day care centers in South Africa are the first such facilities launched outside of Latin America by Family Support.
Family Support was born in Argentina in 1984. That was when Ana Mon, a lawyer, mother of five, and member of the Schoenstatt Federation of Families, opened the first day-care center, in the hope of keeping the children off the streets.
Today, the International Confederation of Family Support has autonomous member groups in Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Venezuela, South Africa and India.
It is dedicated to extremely poor children and their families, initiating day-care centers, craft workshops and small businesses. The centers are private, apolitical and ecumenical.
The primary objective of the centers is prevention. «We act before they are on the streets,» Ana Mon said. «We keep them from malnutrition, not going to school, drugs, alcoholism, AIDS, violence, organ trafficking, prostitution, abuse. We want to support the family and help them struggle for a better future.»
Angie Boland opened the Dr. Ana Mon Center in Soweto/Kliptown, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, in October. Family Support/South Africa also decided to support an existing day nursery in a squatters´ camp.
Feisal Gathoo, treasurer of the group, said: «There is a place that caters to the poorest of the poor children, but they do not have books, chairs, tables, toys, or basic meals for these starving children. Family Support has decided to assist them and make this our second center.»
The other day-care center, opened in the Bramely/Alexandria area of Johannesburg, with the help of a donation from the Rhein Zeitung of Koblenz, Germany, already has more than 60 children.
For more information, see http://www.ciaf.org.ar.
