How Irene’s intervention brings change for vulnerable families in her community

Irene, an AFS-Khusela network member was able to assist two families in her community who had been struggling for years to obtain birth certificates for their children, despite repeated efforts and lack of support from the government and social development services.

Background

One of the families has 10-month-old twins who do not have birth certificates. The mother had given birth in a public hospital, where she was told she needed to go to the Home Affairs offices to register the children. However, when she went to the Home Affairs office a few days after the birth, she was not assisted, and the issue persisted for 10 months without resolution.

In a separate case, another family has a 7-year-old child who also did not have a birth certificate. This made it impossible to enroll the child in primary school, as a birth certificate is a requirement for school registration. Despite repeated attempts and appointments with Home Affairs, the family was turned away each time, and after two years, they still had no resolution.

Systemic challenges

The mothers in both cases faced significant challenges. The mother of the twins is a single, unemployed parent who also has two other children to care for. She has been relying on the Social Relief of Distress Grant to support her family, and with the death of the twins’ father, she struggles to meet basic needs. The family, living in one of the most vulnerable communities, also faces difficulties with transport and resources required to visit the Home Affairs offices.

The second family also struggles financially, with both parents unemployed and supporting additional children. The lack of birth certificates for their children prevented them from accessing crucial social services, such as child support grants, and made it difficult for the 7-year-old to attend school.

AFS-K intervention

Irene took proactive steps to help both families. She accompanied the two mothers to the Home Affairs office, where she explained the challenges, they had faced over the past two years. Despite following all necessary procedures, the families had still not received assistance. Irene took it upon herself to hold the Home Affairs officials accountable, demanding immediate action and emphasising the importance of birth certificates for the families’ access to child support grants and essential services.

Thanks to Irene’s determination and advocacy, the Home Affairs officials printed the birth certificates for both families on the same day.

Outcome

With their birth certificates now in hand, both families are able to apply for child support grants. Additionally, the 7-year-old child can now submit the birth certificate to complete the enrollment process for primary school. This intervention has provided the families with the necessary documentation to access crucial support and government services, improving their circumstances.