INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

variation as to how the effects of such traumas would manifest themselves. If anything,
the diversity suggested by the literature review mostly alluded to the fact that not
everybody living at an orphanage is a child of deceased parents. In my observations,
however, diversity goes far beyond that.
As a result of this wide variety of different needs, challenges, and personal
backgrounds, one of the center’s most essential commitments was to flexibility. The
center embraced the importance of providing each child with individual needs, even at
the cost of bigger operational challenges. Marc’s four hours of bus driving on each
weekend, individualized social worker reports, and efforts to find psychological
counseling from a variety of sources reflected this willingness. Most staff members
ultimately fulfill a number of different responsibilities at the center that go beyond what
their official titles suggest. At the same time, the center must also be willing to adapt to a
volatile income flow, dependent entirely on donors. 5Cees must also find ways to work
around constraints and technicalities put forward by the South African government that
may raise unanticipated hinderances, such as impeding the trust of extended families. For
many children, being at 5Cees represents an alternative to street life. (Ramphele, 2002)
A conduit of service
5Cees ultimately serves as a conduit, as its services form a bridge between several
distinct populations. From one vantage point, 5Cees connects donors with the desire and
financial resources to help disadvantaged children with that population themselves. From
another standpoint, 5Cees fills a gap left behind by a deceased family member, or allows
an extended family to continue to be involved in a child’s life even when resources are
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