Matla A Bana (The Power of Children) -KZN
National child protection NPO; minimising secondary abuse for child rape and sexual abuse survivors when they report crimes; child-friendly physical environment creation; comfort packs; training; lobbying 1. **Comfort Packs for child rape victims** - Comfort packs are given to girls (primarily ages 5–12) when they report sexual crimes to police - Contents: food, drink, cookies, colouring book and pencils (or teddy bear depending on age), underwear (evidence is taken), toothbrush, face cloth - Distributed to SAPS FCS (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences) Units nationally - Impact on evidence quality: reduced trauma helps children give clearer, more coherent statements, increasing conviction rates - 16 FCS units collected packs in a single Gauteng distribution - Annual pack goal: 100 packs × every FCS unit × nationwide, every month 2. **Child-Friendly Reporting Facilities at SAPS FCS units, courts, and hospitals** - Matla A Bana designs, builds, and equips child-friendly rooms for children to give statements - Brightly painted, soft furnishings, giant teddy bears, playful pictures on walls — designed to lower trauma, not compound it - 43+ such facilities created nationally since 2004 - Recent facility: Kraaifontein SAPS FCS unit, June 2024 - Planned: upgrade of FCS victim support rooms at Margate and Port Shepstone (KZN) 3. **Training of law enforcement and medical practitioners** - Specialised trauma training for detectives and FCS officers - 20 KZN detectives targeted for specialist trauma training (Ramsgate/South Coast, 2025) - Medical practitioners trained in handling child sexual abuse cases 4. **Anti-Bully School Programme** - Multi-province school visits (Xtremeforkids Cycle Tour fundraiser — 1,900km cycling + school visits across 4 provinces) - Thousands of children reached 5. **Lobbying and advocacy** - Lobbying for children's rights in the criminal justice system - Advocacy for improved child protection legislation and police practice - Public campaigns and awareness initiatives **Why child-friendly reporting matters:** Monique Strydom's core insight is structural: under-reporting of child rape is driven by people's lack of trust in a system that has historically re-traumatised children — through cold, clinical, adult-facing police station environments; through long waits without food or comfort; through asking traumatised children for statements in rooms that feel hostile. When a child walks into a brightly coloured room, receives a teddy bear and something to eat, and feels — for a moment — seen and cared for, something changes in what they are able to say. And stronger, clearer statements mean more convictions. Reducing trauma is not only humane — it is forensically strategic.
Contact & Location
- Ramsgate, KwaZulu-Natal
Opening Hours
Opening hours not available. Contact the organisation directly.
About
"Matla A Bana" means "strength to the children" in Sesotho — and that is exactly what the organisation delivers: strength, comfort, and care to children who have reported rape and sexual abuse to the police. The problem Matla A Bana targets is brutally specific: when children report sexual crimes, the experience of doing so — the cold police station environment, the long wait, the clinical procedure — often re-traumatises them, making it harder for them to give clear statements and harder for prosecutions to succeed. Matla A Bana's response has three pillars. First, comfort packs: hygiene items, food, a teddy bear or colouring book, and underwear (since the child's own is taken as evidence) — delivered to SAPS FCS (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences) units nationally. The organisation currently assists 13,000–30,000+ children per year, with a target of 100 packs per FCS unit per month. Second, child-friendly reporting facilities: Matla A Bana designs and builds brightly coloured, child-appropriate rooms at SAPS FCS units, courts, and hospitals — soft furnishings, giant teddy bears, playful walls — where children can give statements in an environment that feels safe rather than threatening. More than 43 such facilities have been created nationally since 2004, with new rooms opened at Kraaifontein (2024) and upgrades planned for Margate and Port Shepstone (KZN). Third, training: specialised trauma training for detectives and FCS officers, and an anti-bully school programme reaching thousands of learners across four provinces. Donations are Section 18A tax-deductible and BEE certificates can be issued. For child abuse reporting: Childline 116 (toll-free, 24/7) / GBV Command Centre 0800 428 428.