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I have been home for a week now and the adjustment has been a bit more of a challenge than expected but we're getting there...

As anticipated, the last week+ at Bobbi Bear was incredibly busy for me. Not only did I have a number of documents to get together for the girls' case, I also had my final Tree and my farewell with the Bobbi Bear staff.

My days are numbered here now. Even after extending my stay I’m not sure that I’m ready to leave quite yet, I have A LOT of things that need to get done this week. But, I do realize that I need to get back to my life so that I can continue to pay my bills!

Brothel children stay in care
Carvin Goldstone
April 26 2008


"The battle for the custody of the two little girls aged two and four, who were rescued from a brothel at Mount Vernon in Hillary earlier this year, continued in the Children's Court on Friday, with the magistrate ruling that the children remain in the custody of foster parents until the matter returns to court on June 10.

The children were staying with their father and grandmother when police acted on information that the home they were living in was being used as a brothel.
Bellair police swooped on the home in February and arrested three women, including the children's grandmother. The women were released and fined R500 each.

The children were placed in the protection of children's protection organisation, Operation Bobbi Bear.

So I've not updated the situation with the girls because it has been tenuous this week, and we've been working our asses off! Our court date last Friday was postponed until Monday. On Monday our team showed up at court with our hope and our bears - I must tell you, these children are lucky, they have people fighting for them including a ploice duo who have been committed to making sure these children are not placed in the same environment from whence they came. After many hours the magistrate decided that there was reason to investigate the alleged granny's sisters situation (as she's had a history of being connected with brothels). She remanded the case until Friday (today) giving us and the police only 3 days for the police to investigate and for us to do what we could on our end.

Our kids were back on Saturday and when my girl saw me she ran right over, oh, pure joy. Sdudla came up to me and showed me the baby's bottle, filthy with the nipple chewed off. Every day here reality slaps you in the face, we have soooo much in Canada, never would we see children walking around with no parents, no shoes, tattered clothes, no diapers or bottle for the baby let alone the two older siblings (11/12) taking care of the younger three. It's shocking.

So, this is my second attempt at writing this message as the power went out just as I was about to post yesterday! This phenomenon is called ‘load shedding’ and is basically rolling brown-outs; a schedule is posted to alert you as to when your area will have its power cut (usually for 2-3 hours at a time) throughout the week. Welcome to SA!

The week-end with the girls was a lot of fun!  On Saturday, after watching Black Beauty over the previous couple of days, the girls were prepped for horse back riding on "Blossom"....who is, thankfully a girl horse (as I was told from the older sister).  Thanks Deon for taking us!  :)   On Saturday, Uncle Allen (Jackie's husband), Sindi (Jackie's daughter), me and the girls went to Crocworld, which was great fun for all of us as we got to wander around and look at the monkeys, snakes, and best of all CROCS!  There was a big daddy croc that ust have weighed close to 3 tonnes.  

A lot has happened since my last post. I have continued on with the girls where my roomies, Eline and Karlien left off; one of the other dutch volunteers also moved in to help care for the girls.

We have been desperately trying to get Social Welfare to get 'involved' in this case. The girls were suppose to be in Bobbi Bear care for only 6-weeks, I believe it's closer to 10 weeks now. With Jackie going to Holland soon (and the foster/ crisis parent) as well as the need to place these girls in a family environment, we let Social Welfare know that we had to get moving. Note to how Social Welfare works here....um, it doesn't. You would be shocked an disgusted at the poor judgement and decisions made by SW here (e.g. sending a child back to her parent home for the weekend where the father is accused of sexually assualting the child for years).

This week us new volunteers finished our training as CSO's so we are all hoping to get to action and help out!

OIn Wednesdays we help at the Tree Clinic, this is a gathering of women and kids to pray, sing get medical care and donations of food and clothing. It's amazing to hear of how far these women walk with children tied to their backs with blankets (no strollers or 'made' slings here)to get to the Tree. Sweetie and Mabel run the Tree while us volunteers play with the kids, help to provide medical aid and in any other way we can.

This week my roomies had their farewell at the Tree with the two girls, it was very moving and special. They had to perform a Zulu dance with some ladies of the Tree and some of the kids too!

Wow! Sorry it's taken so long to write....as you can imagine, there are many things going on here and I am no longer hooked up to the Internet I.V. (it's taken a while to adjust to that!)

Upon arrival I was placed in a cottage with 2 volunteers and 2 young children that had been resued from a brothel about 5 weeks before. When I met the children they were (surprisingly) very well behaved, I learned only later that these two had not only been found in a brothel that was full of used condoms, with no food as well as no birth certificates, medical documentation or any other documentation. Essentially, we really are not sure who these kids are, where they came from and who their parents are.