LEAMOGETSWE SAFETY HOME

Leamogetswe Safety Home was built on a simple but profound Tswana principle: all are welcome. Situated in Saulsville, Atteridgeville — one of Pretoria's oldest townships, west of the city — the home has grown into a registered Child and Youth Care Centre caring for 82 children at a time, with a waiting list that reflects the scale of need in the surrounding community.

The children who come to Leamogetswe have been abandoned at birth, abused physically, emotionally or sexually, neglected, or left without family. The GCIS Director-General, who formally adopted the centre, noted that it serves children "at risk of abuse" — making this not just a home for those who have already experienced trauma, but a protective intervention for those most likely to.

Fifty of the 82 places are subsidised by the Department of Social Development. The remaining children are cared for entirely through donor funding — from organisations like the Lions Club, Ackermans, Seriti, Woolworths, ABSA, and the National Lotteries Development and Trust Fund. Every donation closes the gap between what the state provides and what the children actually need.

What They Offer Vulnerable Children, Families, and Communities

Full Residential Care — From 1 Day to 18 Years Leamogetswe provides a complete residential care environment for 82 children: safe housing, daily meals, clothing, healthcare, and the stable, loving presence of consistent caregivers. Children are placed in groups of eight per care worker for effective, personal supervision. The home accepts children from 1 day old — including newborns abandoned at birth.

Education Support Children at Leamogetswe attend schools in the surrounding area and receive ongoing educational support — with the stated aim of giving each child the tools to build a better future beyond the home.

Counselling and Play Therapy Therapeutic counselling and play therapy address the trauma that most children arriving at Leamogetswe carry — providing safe, age-appropriate spaces to process experiences of abuse, abandonment, and loss.

Life Skills Development Life skills programmes build the practical and social capabilities children and young people need to function, navigate institutions, and live independently — preparing them for successful reintegration into society.

Self-Help Programme for Youth and Women in the Community Beyond the children in residential care, Leamogetswe extends its reach into the surrounding Saulsville community through self-help programmes for youth and women — building economic and personal resilience in a community where vulnerability and poverty create ongoing risk.

Community Outreach — Awareness Campaigns and Community Meetings Regular outreach into the surrounding community through meetings and awareness campaigns ensures that families under stress know where to get help — and that the protective message of Leamogetswe reaches beyond its own walls.

Adoption Support Leamogetswe supports the adoption process for children in its care who are in need of permanent family placements — providing a pathway to belonging for children who have no families to return to.

GlobalGiving International Fundraising Leamogetswe's GlobalGiving profile enables international donors to contribute directly to the care of children in the home — expanding the funding base beyond South African donors.

Leamogetswe Safety Home: 999 Mofokeng Street, Saulsville, Atteridgeville, Pretoria. Phone: 012 375 8845. Facebook: facebook.com/105585249605880. Donate via GlobalGiving: globalgiving.org/donate/30222/leamogetswe-safety-home.