INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

however it inevitably played a crucial role in the transition.
“Speaking of Nando and Phumeza,” added Pastor Mike, “their situation is tough.” I
thought back to my conversation with Nando who said they were brought to the center
when their grandmother could no longer care for them and got in contact with a social
worker. Their mother had died and no one in their family had seen their father for many
years. “Those kids were actually brought here from Lesotho,” explained Pastor Mike.
“And until now, they don’t have any papers or anything. Legally, they may find work in
Lesotho, but they do not know anybody there anymore. We face the challenge of getting
their paperwork released so when they reach adulthood they can pursue school and work
here in South Africa. This is likely going to be very complicated. I may have to send
Nancy to Lesotho, but she’s already doing so much here and she has her own family to
take care of.”
I was curious as to what sorts of opportunities awaited students who aged out of the
center. Maanda, though not from 5Cees itself, was able to find a job in sales. Bongi
worked for a travel agency after studying hospitality and tourism. In fact, when I asked
most of the older teenagers what they were thinking of doing for a career, a large portion
of the girls were interested in hospitality and tourism. “This is such a popular field now,”
admitted Sarah Sunker. “But it makes sense. Many places in South Africa are big tourist
destinations, and with the exchange rate so low, it might not be a bad industry to pursue.”
The thing that stood out the most, however, was that of the dozens of children I asked, I
only heard a few answers repeated. Many of the boys wanted to be chefs or pilots,
including those on the verge of adulthood. Although many had strong ambitions, few
demonstrated a strong likelihood to accomplish this goal. “Several years ago, there was a
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