INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

depression were commonly reported.
During play, the children were typically active and energized. We would enter the
common room that connected two dormitory areas with bunk beds, where they conducted
most of their play and ate most of their meals. Many of these children would attend
school at either Berea Independent School, located a short walk from the center, or at
Hillbrow Independent School, which was located on-site. They would return in the
afternoon. Typically, the twelve children who made up this department would play with
each other as their care mother prepared a meal. It was at this time when we would make
our visits.
It wasn’t uncommon for many of the children to attempt climbing my arms or
extending theirs in the hopes of being lifted up as I was visiting. Njongo, a mostly deaf
six year old in particular, would play on the rougher side, pressing his head against my
lower legs. It was clear that being picked up, held, and cuddled by visitors was common,
and that this was an expectation they held when we entered the room. It took several
visits to get them so accustomed to me that this behavior reduced. It would not be
completely accurate to characterize the children as typically restless or unruly, however.
Usually, sharp-sounding instructions in Zulu coming from the care mother resulted in a
sudden jolt of compliance. As she cooked, however, she didn’t seem to mind the rougher,
more unruly play.
As I interacted more frequently with these children, the familiarity encouraged
them to initiate more communication. A combination of typical shyness and linguistic
barriers somewhat impeded conversation. Whenever I appeared, I would be asked, “You
are going?” in a sentence that was said like a statement, but appeared to be a question. I
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