westcoastkids.co.za

OUR VALUES

We believe in developing Paternoster's children's potential towards self-sufficiency. We emphasise this through career development, advancing talent and encouraging interest through curiosity and fun.

For us children come first. We recognise that not every person is born with the same opportunities. We want to protect the most vulnerable and provide a window for a brighter future.

The slogan 'nothing about us without us' was born in South Africa during the 1990s disability rights movement. We aim to carry this idea throughout our work by having an awareness of our community's diverse background, the heritage of Paternoster and the complex history of racism in South Africa. An open rapport with the community is key to helping where help is needed and wanted.

Our Projects

Our Projects

Nature Explorers

Our Nature Explorers project aims to expose Paternoster’s children to the natural world in and around their hometown, while teaching nature photography skills by an experienced nature photographer. While Paternoster’s children grow up close to the beach and families depend on nature for fishing, they have tendencies towards entertaining themselves with littered plastic, unhealthy foods or criminal behaviour.

Our hope is to stimulate their curious minds by cultivating nature ambassadors and teach about the history of indigenous peoples that lived along the coast they call home. Our Nature Explorers program opens the door to a passion for protecting the environment and connecting to a global youth movement.

Dental Health

One of West Coast Kids’ first big projects is the now 11-year-old dental health initiative, wherein an expert team of dentists from the Berlin practice KU64 journey to Paternoster and treat up to 230 children throughout their 10-day stay every year. Incredible results in the young community’s dental health are evident, especially a raised awareness for the consequences of traditional tooth mutilation regularly performed as a rite of passage during puberty in Paternoster.

The goal of the dental health project is to motivate children to brush their teeth. We also aim to help them understand the impact dental mutilation could have on career opportunities and how healthy nutrition can affect every part of the body and wellbeing.

Soccer Club

The soccer club is an opportunity for Paternoster's youth to learn the valuable skills of teamwork, sportsmanship and commitment. Many of Paternoster’s children escape their boredom by spending time on the town’s streets, playing with discarded objects, damaging property or engaging in unhealthy and sometimes criminal behaviours.

The goal of supporting the two youth soccer club teams is to provide a healthy alternative than to roam around bored on the streets. Rewarding commitment and hard work can help children develop their passions and talents into careers they dedicate themselves to.

Teacher Sponsorship

Since the past 14 years West Coast Kids has donated an entire teacher's salary to the St. Augustine Primary School, which is the only school in Paternoster. This school, like many others in South Africa, faces the challenge of overcrowded classrooms leading to difficulty focusing and giving fair attention to each child. This is one reason why children do not succeed to the next school level or stop going to school altogether. They often spend time bored on the streets or do child labor creating crafts out of shells to sell to tourists.

The goal of the teacher sponsorship is to alleviate classroom size by allowing the primary school another teacher. The teacher is paid a regular teacher's salary of R7000 and is responsible for 30 children in grade 2 that would otherwise be distributed to the other full classrooms.

Families in Crisis

We support families in crisis through basic needs and case-by-case attention. Sadly, some of Paternoster's children are struck by tragedy. When we hear of a child losing a parent, being subject to domestic abuse or having illness or unemployment burden a family, we do our best to see how we can facilitate solutions. We have provided psychologist sessions to children subjected to unimaginable traumas, as well as providing food and basic hygiene products to kids whose parents are in rehabilitation, deceased or absent.

The goal of our families in crisis emphasis is to reach those children whose futures are in the greatest danger. We hope to help give those children a more level ground to walk on, to alleviate their pain and to show that even in the face of tragedy you can find a helping hand.

Empathy Project

West Coast Kids has partnered with the animal welfare non-profit Lexi Gives Back, which helps dogs and cats in Paternoster be sterilised, vaccinated and treated for neglect or injury. The projects teaches to respond to animals with compassion instead of violence.

Through the empathy project of working with animals the children learn that their dog or cat can actually become their most trusted friend, one that is loyal, kind and loving. This is sadly an experience many of Paternoster's children don't receive from their parents.