It is so exciting to share the outcomes of what StreetSmart funding enables and achieves - bringing real, long-lasting social change in the lives of vulnerable children and their families. Sinethemba Youth Projects received funding from StreetSmart Knysna towards a social auxiliary worker salary.

Waydon Kiwido (10 years) grew up in a dysfunctional household with his single mother and two older brothers. His mother who is an alcoholic lost her job at the end of 2018 and as a result they went to bed most nights without food. During a one-on-one session Waydon said that most days the meal he had at school was the only meal for the day. It was during that time that his behaviour at school drastically changed for the worst. He would bully smaller boys, hitting them viciously in the school ablution block and swearing at the teachers. He would bunk and disrupt classes of mostly female teachers and became the contender for the most rude and unwanted child at school in no time. Parents of the children being bullied by him requested the school to take a stand and remove him from the school. The school unsuccessfully tried to get his mother to come and talk to them. The Principal then decided to refer the case to the Department of Education’s local district office. They approached Sinethemba to enrol him in the Drop-in Centre programme for the time being. During that time, he had to be taken to the school to check in every 7th day to keep him on the school register.

For the whole 1st quarter (January – March) Waydon attended the Sinethemba life and social skills programme. His mother also started to participate in the parent programmes. He was reintegrated into the same school in April and impressed his critics at the school almost every day. “He is now even wearing a tie to school”, one of the male teachers said. He recently got three medals for participating in the cycle club in Knysna.

NOTE: Whilst the story is true, the name/s have been changed in order to protect the child/ren.