Leading the National Campaign on Child Protection is the Station Commander of the Chatsworth Police Station Brigadier Ruth De Villiers together with her two foot soldiers Captain Hope and Sergeant Faith. "Ubuntu nguni bantu, umntu ngumntu ngabantu, humanity to others, I am because we are." Unquote, Brigadier Ruth De Villiers echoed these sentiments as she welcomed learners from a local school to the station on Sunday, 29 May 2022.
Rays of light and smiley faces shone from the learners as they gazed upon superheroes Captain Hope and Sergeant Faith. Brigadier De Villiers together with her team started a campaign at the station called “We Serve, We Protect, We Honour”. The angels in blue are thankful for the grace upon their lives that they made personal pledges, joining their hearts with the Station Commander, committing to pledging schools shoes to disadvantaged children from our community. Thus far, the initiative has gained momentum with the team making personal pledges of one hundred and twenty pairs of shoes.
The Champions of Hope took it a step further by personalising the shoeboxes with insignia of the South African Police Service. May the learners “Dream, Believe and Achieve” all that their young hearts may desire. As they put on their Bata Toughee shoes, may they take steps of boldness knowing that the police are their protectors? Knowing that should they become victims of crime, that the police stations are lighthouses for them to find their way. The police have made it possible to walk into their destiny.
Captain Pillay, Communications Officer at the station addressed the learners of the important role that police officers play in their lives. In keeping with the theme of Child Protection Week, “Putting Children First”, police reached out through this campaign to restore hope and faith to these budding learners. Through visual aids, police cautioned children on taking sweets from strangers, which could affect their wellbeing and safety. An inactive session with the future leaders in society as police held a session engaging with them on stranger danger, which may result in kidnapping and child trafficking.
Every learner received a pair of shoes that will enable him or her to attend school daily. The Paper Bag Campaign afforded personnel to assist with stationery, police lunch boxes, hand sanitisers, toys, juices and sweet treats for the children. The children were given educational pamphlets on the rights of children which also had important numbers should they be in need of any assistance. May we continue to be an extension of Gods hand and heart to those who are in need? It is a possible mandate for member of the South African Police Service to commit to this end.
The Station Commander Brigadier Ruth De Villiers shared joy with her team as we displayed humanitarian acts of love to children unknown to us. We remain Mothers to a nation where special moments of love will remain embedded in the hearts of these young children as well as ours. This message of goodwill displayed through police personnel tells the world that miracles do happen.
Source: South African Police Service