Organised by KhulisaDuring this crisis, we will all be adapting to a new way of living our lives and spending much more time indoors. Whilst for most of us home is a safe place, for thousands of vulnerable children it isn't.
Many of our young people tell us that school is their safe place away from a troubled home, a place they find comfort in their friends and protection from trusted adults. However, 95% of vulnerable children are not attending the schools which have been kept open for them. We are concerned about the effect of the crisis on their mental health and wellbeing.
In response to Covid-19, we've adapted our programmes so that we can stay connected to children, wherever they are. Through our online interventions, children will receive 1-1 support with our therapists and access to digital wellbeing toolkits and webinars.
We need your help to make sure we can continue to be there for children who need us most. Thats why we are launching a fundraising appeal to ensure children know they can #StaySafeWithKhulisa. Every penny of your donation will help our team of therapists to deliver vital emotional and wellbeing support to vulnerable children.
"Being on the Khulisa programme is like being part of a big family. I don't need to pretend to be someone I'm not and I've got people around me that I can trust."
Jason's life changed forever in year nine, when his mother sadly passed away. Jason started skipping school and began socialising with a group of boys who were known to be involved in petty crime and violence in the area. His behaviour changed. He became aggressive towards his peers and eventually, Jason was excluded from school on three occasions and fell out of the top set in all his subjects.
For children and young people like Jason, access to trusted adults in a school environment is crucial to his mental health and wellbeing. He has never had a relationship with his father and lives with his brother, who is much older. Jason describes his home life as very stressful. He doesn't have a routine or anyone he can talk to at home and often just stays in his room.
Jason participated in our Face It schools programme and made excellent progress in managing his behaviour and getting back on track with his learning. He said that he likes school now because he has a mentor who supports him. He also said that being in school keeps him out of trouble and he feels like it's his safe place. With schools shut indefinitely, and his home life already disrupted, Jason is now in danger of falling back in with destructive networks and responding to his grief and anger through harmful means.
We urgently need to reach Jason and the many others like him who have lost the support that schools offer. If we can provide Jason access to one of our qualified therapists, and online tools to help him manage his grief and anxiety, he will have somewhere he can continue to be heard and supported safely.
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