We want to share a bit of our story with you so you can get to know us and our hearts for family and children…
Long time ago, way back in 2013, Nompumelelo graduated with her BA Degree in Social Work through UNISA. All the hard work had paid off, she was now qualified and ready to take on the world and make a difference. Her deep passion and desire to help others was soon to be realized when she applied for a post at Child Welfare Durban and District and was accepted. This was to be her first foray into the world of working social worker!
It’s safe to say that no 4 year degree can properly prepare a social worker for what it’s actually like working in the field.
Child Welfare Durban and District is one of the biggest Child Welfare offices in the country and services a large portion of the KZN population. Stepping straight into the Adoption Team felt like a dream come true, but the reality of the struggles South African families were, and still are, facing was a shock to the system. The level of pain, trauma, poverty and abuse was hard to face on a daily basis, but despite these challenges, Pam knew that if she could just help make a difference to one family at a time it would be enough.
During 9 years at Child Welfare Pam assisted over 1000 families and children. Being on the Adoption Team meant that she was working with a lot of birth parents and this created in her a new passion for the care and support of birth parents, more specifically, birth mothers. Hearing the many stories of gender-based violence and abuse that is prevalent in our society, seeing the results in the many children born through an unplanned or crisis pregnancy, gave Pam a unique insight into the challenges of South African society, especially for Black women.
Fortunately for her, in 2020 she was head-hunted by The Peace Agency, a local NPO in Durban, to head-up a new service called BabyLine aimed at women and mothers in crisis. Pam jumped at the opportunity to step into her true calling and be more directly involved in supporting, counselling and caring for the women of South Africa. BabyLine has brought Pam into contact with over 300 women in just 1 year, all of whom need a safe space to make sound decisions for their futures, and that of their unborn or born children. Pam provides that space and the resources and connections to help women and mothers keep and parent their children where possible.
In 2021 Pam and I met through our mutual friend Justin Foxton and it was an immediate meeting of the minds! A moment truly ordained by God!
We spent time exploring a collaboration and decided on a partnership instead! Pam is now the other half of The Adoption Companion bringing her immense experience and skills to our organisation, as well as her beautiful spirit and a smile that lights up the world! We hope to envelope BabyLine into The Adoption Companion in the near future and more excitingly Pam also has big plans to start a social worker mentorship programme to help newly qualified social workers be the best they can be so that South Africa’s families and children can be better served. So watch out, Pam’s on a roll!