Through My Eyes

This issue is packed with stories of beautiful people that are rocking KZN at the moment. Cocktail Parties, Book Launches, Dom Perigion Dinners, Fashion Shows, Wine Festivals, and Ladies breakfasts. Economic Crisis? What Economic Crisis?

Well some people are just riding the wave of success and I for one am very humbled to be apart of that success. I am loving the positive vibe that KZN is suggesting and even though most of us cannot virtually see the economic rise, I can feel it in my bones;

I have that "'Lion King' the dawn of the new era" feeling in my gut and I just know that we are on the road to full financial recovery.

While we rejoice with full-hearted excitement. I would like to take the time to focus on something much more important than the state of our bank accounts.

This week is the National Child Protection Week, which has been observed every year since 1997 to highlight the importance of creating safer communities for children. The national theme for this year is Working Together to Protect Children and encourages communities to take responsibility for children's safety.

This year the event is commemorated from Monday, 27 May to Sunday, 2 June. It was launched at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban, followed by the opening of an Orphans, Vulnerable Children and Youth Conference on the same day.

This year's theme embodies some of the most important aspects of a child's well-being, which include access to quality healthcare and education, especially for children with disabilities.

The message of protecting vulnerable children will be brought to life by a symbolic mass awareness campaign which involves ships sounding their horns, followed by police and emergency vehicles blaring their sirens and taxi drivers and the public hooting in solidarity.

At the same time, the public will be encouraged to brandish umbrellas and blow whistles. The umbrella symbolises protection and the giving of shelter, while the whistle-blowing is synonymous with sounding an alarm.

More than one hundred cases of child abuse are being reported to the police every week. Imagine how many more suffer in silence. I somehow feel that as a woman, I am a mother to all children of the world. It is our role in this society.

In Poland, the place of my birth, children till this day call all women 'auntie', this is regardless of blood ties. We grew up playing in our playgrounds being looked after strange 'aunties' and there never were reports of abuse. I believe if we can all unite and become the mothers to the children just in our communities we can eradicate abuse against all children. Lets at least try.