INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

jokingly and evasively at first, then, if he felt comfortable enough, would follow up with
a more serious answer. He then looked at me more seriously and said, “I have somewhere
to live in Thembisa. I’ll be fine.”
The collective interest in Buzwes’ transition opened my eyes to the challenges that
face many of the center’s children who become adults. Buzwe had been at the center for
over nine years, and hardly anyone could remember a time when he wasn’t there. His
transition, to live with his brother as he made the transition into adulthood was the
common pattern for children at the center. Low self-esteem, a lack of preparation, and
limited opportunities could potentially derail a child’s chance at a healthy and secure
adulthood. As one volunteer described the transition process to me, “it would be a real
shame to have invested into a child’s life for eighteen years only to have them turn to
drugs or gangs or prostitution at the the end of it.”
The end of the road is difficult to determine
When is it that children transition out of the center? This turned out to be a question
with no straightforward answer. The time for children to be emancipated from the center
was determined by a variety of factors. This included the child’s actual age, their level of
academic attainment, and what living situation most likely awaited them. In addition, the
legal process of emancipating a child also comes with its own obstacles and may also
alter timelines. Ultimately, the most ideal time for a child’s emancipation comes about
through a series of difficult judgement calls.
Buzwe’s status as the oldest child at the center was a relatively new phenomenon.
A year prior, there were four boys older than him still living at the center. Two moved
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