A cry for protection

SOME WOUNDS AREN’T VISIBLE ON X-RAYS

- NAMHLA MONAKALI

In a society increasingly defined by its scars, the Children’s Hospital Trust has chosen to focus not only on the wounds we can see, but also the ones that remain buried deep within.

As South Africa marks Child Protection Week 29 May — 5 June, the Trust is urging communities and institutions to pivot from mere reactive responses to a proactive commitment to safeguarding children’s rights.

In the 22 months since the launch of the Child Protection Project at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital , 566 child protection cases have been reported, a figure that tells only part of the story. Behind each statistic is a child, a family, a future hanging in the balance.