All I needed was love
Adrienne*is a disruptive, dishonest, attention seeking and an all-round unruly child. All these characteristics are associated with a child who has experienced immense trauma.
Adrienne was placed at the Maria Kloppers Campus at the age of five and because of the trauma she suffered while living with her mom, she had attachment problems. She was subsequently diagnosed with conduct disorder, amongst other conditions. At times her disruptive behaviour was too much to handle and many almost gave up on her. But in Adrienne and her sister’s case, the Herberts**, restored their hope and changed these young girls’ lives.
The Herberts met a very defiant, angry and disruptive Adrienne and, oh boy, did she challenge them! She set their house on fire, stole money and lied about not being cared for. Through it all this amazing family did not give up on her. They paid for her therapy, a portion of her school fees at a special needs school and provided additional academic support. This family’s patience, support, love and acceptance has changed Adrienne’s life. Adrienne is doing well now and may even return to a mainstream school in the near future. And her behaviour is under control. “Adrienne and her sister are in foster care with the Herbert family now. This is proof of the value of being loved and being a part of a family. This once disruptive girl, who everybody had given up on was healed by the love of this family”, says Maria Kloppers Campus Manager, Ernesta Snyman-Teessen.
The Herbert family is part of our Holiday Friends Programme. The programme aims to show our children how a healthy functioning family works. We’re very fortunate, as an organisation, that some of our children are able to connect and find homes with families that have embraced them and made them feel like they belong.
* Not her real name
**Not their real surname
Net ‘n bietjie liefde
Adrienne *is ‘n oneerlike en onbeheerbare kind wat aandag soek . Die eienskappe is klassieke simptome van ‘n kind wat ernstige trauma ervaar het.
Adrienne is op vyfjarige ouderdom by Maria Kloppers Kampus geplaas. Vanweë haar trauma terwyl sy by haar ma gebly het, het sy bindingsprobleme gehad en is later onder andere gediagnoseer met gedragsafwykings. By tye was haar onstuimige gedrag net te veel en baie versorgers was op die punt om moed op te gee. Gelukkig was daar die wonderlike Herbert familie** in die geval van Adrienne en haar sussie wat hulle hoop herstel het en die kinders se lewens kom verander het.
Dit was nie ‘n maklike pad nie. Die Herberts het te staan gekom voor ‘n woedende, uitdagende kind wat alles in haar vermoë gedoen het om hulle te toets. Sy het brand gestig in die huis, geld gesteel en leuens vertel oor gebrek aan sorg. Tog het hierdie ongelooflike gesin nie moed opgegee nie. Hulle het haar terapie befonds en ook vir ‘n deel van haar skoolgeld by ‘n skool vir kinders met spesiale behoeftes betaal, sowel as om addisionele akademiese ondersteuning vir haar te kry. Die gesin se geduld, ondersteuning en liefde het Adrienne se lewe verander. Tans doen sy goed en mag dalk binnekort terugkeer na ‘n hoofstroom skool. Haar gedrag is onder beheer. “Adrienne en haar sussie is tans in pleegsorg by die Herbert gesin. Dit bevestig weereens die waarde daarvan om deel te wees van ‘n liefdevolle gesin. Hierdie eens onbeheerbare dogtertjie vir wie niemand hoop gehad het nie, is gesond gemaak deur die liefde van ‘n familie”, vertel Ernesta Snyman-Teessen, kampusbestuurder by Maria Kloppers Kampus.
Die Herbert gesin is deel van ons vakansievriende program. Die program het ten doel om ‘n normale gesinslewe vir ons kinders te modelleer. Ons is baie gelukkig wanneer van ons kinders bindings vind in die huisgesinne van mense, wat hulle met ope arms verwelkom en laat voel hulle behoort.
*Nie haar regte naam nie
** Nie hulle regte van nie.