ONS PLEK

  
“Ons Plek”, meaning “a place for us”, was the name given by the delighted previously homeless girl street children when Ons Plek Shelter opened for them in 1988. It is a 24-hour intake, assessment, full range-of-care and family re-unification service. The purpose is to stabilise the behaviour of female street children who have rejected adult authority or have been neglected and thus live outside of societal norms. Ons Plek is the only intake facility for street girls in Cape Town. Providing 24-hour accommodation, counselling and education, while undertaking the complex reunification process with family networks, has been the key to our success.

Once the girls have weaned themselves from street life at Ons Plek, they leave for the next phase of more intensive counselling, education and vocational training at Siviwe Children’s Home. Separated from the girls at Ons Plek, the 14 girls at Siviwe can focus more intensively on building their lives.

The facilities are registered childrens homes for 34 children. Ons Plek early intervention community work at Ukondla in Philippi consists of three community-based programmes. Ukondla prevents children dropping out of school, which is the first step to becoming a street child. Interventions include homework, life skills and counselling daily after school.