Home visits are a key part of our work at Zulufadder – and one of the most valuable ways we connect with children and their families. It’s one thing to know that a child needs help. It’s something else entirely to step into their home, meet their caregivers, and hear their story firsthand.
That’s why we still carry out regular home visits in Zululand. They give us insight, build trust, and help us provide the right kind of support – whether it’s access to school, food parcels, or simply a sense of safety and care.
Our fieldworker Manzi often leads these visits. He knows nearly every family in the area and has a unique ability to find practical solutions. Has a child dropped out of school? Is the roof leaking? Is someone missing a school uniform? Manzi knows who to talk to – and what needs to be done.
Popi, who runs Doremi Kindergarten, may not join the home visits as often, but she still plays a vital role. She sees the children every day and quickly notices if something isn’t quite right. If a child is unusually quiet, hungry, or tired, she lets us know – and that often leads to a home visit and further follow-up.
Over the years, we’ve visited thousands of homes. We meet mothers and grandmothers in South Africa who do everything they can to keep their families together and give their children a safe and stable life. Often, they carry this responsibility alone. Many children grow up without their father present – some don’t even know who he is.
These women are the ones holding it all together. With love, resilience, and unwavering determination, they give the children the care they need and the chance for a better future.
Many of the children we visited ten or fifteen years ago are now adults with an education, jobs, and dreams for what comes next.
They don’t just remember what they were given – they remember that someone came to their home. That someone saw them. Listened to them.
Home visits give us the insight we need to offer children what they need most: safety, support, and the opportunity to attend school. Because that’s where the key lies – in education, and in believing in a better future.
