A new chapter is unfolding in Badisa Elsies River, and it comes with a leader whose passion for children and families runs deep. Berenice Barry has taken up the role of manager with a clear sense of who she is here to serve: children who need protection, and families who need someone walking alongside them through real-life challenges. She speaks openly about what drew her into child protection, what she is noticing across the communities the programme serves, how her values shape her work, and where she wants to focus in the year ahead.
What part of your personal journey led you into child protection work, and what has shaped your commitment to safeguarding children and strengthening families?
Helping others has always come naturally to me. Children are especially vulnerable and sometimes cannot voice their needs or protect themselves. Knowing this stirs something within me and motivates me to step in and stand up for them.
Your programme delivers services across Elsies River, Matroosfontein, Bishop Lavis, Valhalla Park, Thornton and Pinelands. What have you already noticed about these communities, and what do you feel children and families here need most right now?
Despite the challenges faced by these communities, such as gang violence, unemployment, and poverty, there is still a strong willingness to engage. We continue to see high attendance at awareness sessions presented by social workers, which shows that families want support and are eager to learn.
What children and families need most right now is safety, stability, and consistent support. As social workers, we may not be able to transform an entire community at once, but we can make a meaningful difference. One family, one child at a time.
As a faith-based organisation, Badisa strives to be a neighbour to everyone in need. How does your faith or values influence the way you approach child protection and family support in practice?
My faith guides me to see every individual as precious and worthy of compassion and dignity. It reminds me to meet families with understanding rather than judgment, and to recognise their strengths.
Looking ahead, what is one priority you want to focus on in your programme over the next year, and what difference do you hope it will make in the day-to-day lives of children and caregivers?
A key priority for the coming year is to strengthen early intervention and prevention services, particularly parenting skills. I hope this will ensure that parents are equipped with the skills they need to understand and respond to their children’s needs at each developmental stage. By strengthening their capacity to protect and safeguard their children, we can help more children thrive within their families of origin.
There is much to look forward to in this next chapter for Badisa Elsies River. Even in communities where daily life can feel heavy, hope keeps surfacing in the choices families make to reach out, learn, and try again. With Berenice’s leadership, the programme steps into the future with fresh energy and a shared belief that change is possible.
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