A new non-profit organisation in Khayelitsha will offer a range of services, including support for autistic children, out-of-school youth, the disabled, drug addicts, ex-cons and victims of sexual violence.
Speaking after the official launch of the Ikhaya Elitsha Foundation (IEF) at its newly built office in Khayelitsha on Saturday October 19, it’s founder and director, Thembisa Skaap, said she had formed the foundation because there were few organisations in the area that specifically dealt with autism (“Foundation must cater for the poor and vulnerable,” Vukani May 23).
The new centre was set to open in January, she said.
“We have trained our staff so they are ready to work,” she said. “Our goal is to create the best possible intervention we can for the children in our area. We will specialise in education and therapy. But we also aim to create access to education to the parents and the community at large about autism. Not everyone is aware what autism is. We will even go beyond our duty to train parents who want to further their knowledge about it.”
The centre would not only help children with autism but also educate the broader public about the condition, she said.
According to the World Health Organization, autism spectrum disorders are a diverse group of conditions that are “characterised by some degree of difficulty with social interaction and communication. Other characteristics are atypical patterns of activities and behaviours, such as difficulty with transition from one activity to another, a focus on details and unusual reactions to sensations”.
The foundation will also offer skills development and entrepreneurial training as well as various forms of support to ex-cons, drug addicts, the disabled, the youth and victims of sexual violence.
IEF chairperson Thando Mkhapela said they would work with social workers and experts in both education and autism intervention.
“We are ready to open the doors for them in January. We are not in a position to do so now, but the foundation has been laid. This is the start of good things. We have been busy with the building, and now all is well. This is the home where they can learn and be safe. The biggest dream is to create a safer environment for our children with autism,” he said.
Members of the OR Tambo Autism Centre from Umtata in the Eastern Cape, the police and local councillors also attended the launch.
The provincial Department of Social Development confirmed the IEF was registered with it, and it noted that organisations working with children, including children with disabilities, were required to vet staff against the Child Protection Register and obtain police clearance for them.
The department’s spokesperson, Esther Lewis, said organisations that worked with people with autism needed a professional skill set in the field as it was a speciality.
“Any organisation who provides substance abuse treatment services (in-patient or community-based) must be registered with the provincial Department of Social Development before rendering these services. This is separate requirement to general NPO registration. Among the requirements for substance abuse treatment registration are: municipal certificates (fire, health and safety), multi-disciplined team of qualified professionals, structured recognised treatment programmes,” she said.
Autism Western Cape social worker Ziyanda Runu said other autism centres in the metro included Autism Connect in Strandfontein and Mihlali ECD in Khayelitsha.
