About Helena House

The children’s safe haven that we are building in Plettenberg Bay will be named Helena House.

We will be working with “Bitou Victim Support”, which is a non-profit organization established to help in assisting the families and victims of child abuse – especially children who are the victims of violent and/or sexual abuse and rape.

The courts in Bitou and Knysna currently deal with tens of cases every month and hundreds of cases every year involving child victims of abuse, these cases coming from all over Bitou, including Plett Central, Harkerville and the various locations. The problem is not isolated to any single location, religious, cultural or ethnic group – it encompasses every Plett community. The victims are both boys and girls and range
in age from 16 years old down to 5 years old – sometimes even younger.

Helena House will have seperate boys and girls dormitories, each designed to house up to four children at a time. Two bathrooms are necessary, a play area, a quiet study room in which to do school homework, a kitchen, a lounge and a dining area. The house will also be equipped with laundry facilities suitable for the number of children who will be in residence.

There will be modest living quarters for a “House Mother” who will work full time and be on call 24/7 to ensure that the children are properly looked after, kept safe, clean and fed, and that their needs are met to ensure their well-being. A small and non-intimidating office area will be set aside for the use of social workers, police and lawyers dealing with ongoing matters involving the children, and for meetings/inspections with the Department of Social Development.