*** South Africa -- orphanages








South African Orphanages


Figure 1.--Here we see Dutch (Boer) children in front of the Breda Street Orphanage. The photograph was taken about 1902. Unfortunately we know little more about the orphanage. The caption states that it was managed by the Dutch wehich meant the Afrikaner community and the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. It was located onn Breda Street in Gardens, a suburb of Cape Town. This home for vulnerable children was founded in 1883 and it moved to the larger premises seen here on Breda Street in 1887 The photograph was taken at the time of the Bohr War so some of the boys may have lost their fathers in the War. There does not seem to be any uniform, but many of the boys seem to be wearing smocks.

Schools are the only institutiins or children that we know much about. Other institions we consider here are charity institutions like poor houses and orphanages, but our information is limited. A complication here is that until the Bohr War, South Africa as it now exists was divided into separate entities, both British territories and the Bohr Republics. The official name of the county is the Union of outhAfica. The 'Union' means the uniication of these different territorie. Also when we talk mabout institutions, they were until recently primarily facilities for European children and not for the African majority. We do not know of poor houses, but there were some orphanages, although we know very little about them. We note that today there are quite a number of orphanages operating in South Africa, mostly for African children. We believe the first such orphanages were founded by religious groups. This was the general pattern throughout Africa, We do not have much information on the historical development of these orphanages, but believe it is a development mostly since World War as humanitarian concern about the care of children in the Third World began to develop in the West. Religious groups are probably still important, but secular humanitarian groups mow play an imprtant role. We are not sure about government funding. Race continues to be an issue. We note a press report about the Jakaranda Children's Home losing unding the children are 'too white'. ["Jakaranda"]

Sources

"Jakaranda Children's Home, South African Orphanage: Losing Funding Because Kids Are 'Too White'" Huffpost (December 7, 2012).






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Created: 6:20 PM 4/17/2019
Last updated: 2:16 AM 5/31/2022