INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

encouragement to the younger ones. When she was seen on the center’s campus, she was
instantly flocked to by all the girls, from the youngest ones to the oldest.
Bongi’s relative success with the transition has given her an interest in seeing other
children reach adulthood to find opportunities to be independent. “We have been meeting
with a lot of people to come up with a project of the kids like Buzwe who are getting
close,” she told me. “Maybe a transition house or a scholarship fund.” Pastor Mike
mentioned Bongi’s situation as an ideal goal for children when they reach adulthood.
“She was able to complete school, and now she is working and able to provide for
herself. I hope more children are able to accomplish that.”
The tension of nurturing independence and providing support
How much living support is appropriate for a teenager on the verge of adulthood?
In what ways does “tough love” need to be demonstrated in order for children to develop
their own independence and survival skills? These are questions that seems to be crossculturally
ubiquitous, however culture is one of the biggest determining factors in how it
is answered. In the case of 5Cees, cultural differences between supporters, the staff, and
the children themselves often cast a lot of ambiguity surrounding the center’s role as
children begin to age out. A decision as simple as providing housing for someone in
Buzwe’s position may help relieve him of stress as he finishes education, or it may
remove the urgency that might be needed for him to make important decisions on his
own. For the center’s staff, these questions do not have easy answers but they remain
frequently discussed and deliberated.
“We would like to get the children more job training,” Pastor Mike informed me.
He mentioned the difficulty that this would create in wanting to avoid the appearance of
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