Gangs and child recruitment in Cape Town is a serious issue that affects many communities, particularly in the townships. This phenomenon has grown over the years, and while it's not unique to South Africa, Cape Town has seen an alarming rise in gang-related violence and the exploitation of young people by criminal organizations. Many children and teenagers in impoverished communities become targets for recruitment by gangs due to their vulnerability. We need to provide alternative option.
We work in one of the most dangerous townships run by one of the biggest gangs in South Africa, 80% of the children engaged with us live with their mothers only as their fathers are already engaged with gangs. Schools are over subscribed so it is easy to drop out and go unnoticed, there is no extra after school activities for children to join and focus on, this along with very limited career potential these children are at high risk and easy for gangs to recruit and use from as young as 8.
A few of the locals in the community do not have much themselves but value their community and the children and have taken it upon themselves to start an after school club. Working with the gangs they currently give 127 children in their estate an alternative to gang violence. Providing a hot meal or food to a hungry child is the easiest way to get them to attend, once attending our community members work 1:1 to inspire them with a passion be i sport, homework, science, movies or something else.
Long term we will register the local community members so that they can seek government and local funding and work with them to find a sustainable source of food and materials so this project can grow and help even more children in the future in their community and neighbouring communities.
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