INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

Upward mobility
Cases like Lindela, Bongi, and Maanda reveal one more aspect of the center’s
work. Ultimately, it offers the children it takes in an opportunity at upward mobility.
With the disadvantaged family backgrounds that most of the children were born into in
the townships, it is unlikely that many of them would have been on track for a healthy,
independent career during adulthood without some intervention. In that regard, 5Cees not
only represents a solution to the immediate threats facing the children due to orphanhood,
poverty, trauma, or illness, but a chance at a better future than conditions at birth would
have likely led to.
This raises a few questions regarding how much of an emphasis the center should
place on making sure children have learnership or academic opportunities lined up after
they age out. If the mission of the center is indeed to provide immediate care following a
traumatic childhood incident, parental incapacitation, or orphanhood, then investing
resources towards upward mobility may be considered a form of mission drift. While
there is nothing inherently harmful about this expanded endeavor, some could argue that
this stretches the limited resources of the center too thin, and that perhaps this would be
better if taken on through a partnership with another organization.
In some ways, this is already happening. Bongi’s scholarship came through
Bryanston Bible Church, and this church plays a more active role in the children’s future
development through mentoring and other programs as the kids get older. Another strong
argument in favor of the center continuing to maintain the approach they are currently
taking is that there is no obvious organization ready to focus exclusively on the transition
process and creating opportunities for young adults. The argument that Pastor Mike
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