Cause Index

The Bayakhanya Foundation NPC

Bayakhanya” means “they shine like stars”. Our name and identity are derived from this Zulu and Xhosa word because we believe that every child should be empowered to shine in the global village. Our mission is to intervene in the humanitarian crisis of the parentless by co-ordinating strategy to proactively secure parental protection and mentorship for all children – and in so doing, ensure the future well-being of society, starting with South Africa. We want to protect and promote the rights of the child who is without advocacy. This is our vision: We dream of a world of legends-in-the-making, where African children star so brightly with significance and success as global citizens that their narratives inspire the stories our children will one day tell theirs…   This is our devastating reality: We face escalating numbers of abused, neglected, abandoned, orphaned or institutionalised children who are growing up parentless. If we do nothing, these vulnerable children – who have not known the love and nurture of parents – will raise the next generation, to the detriment of our society.   The Bayakhanya Foundation NPC brings our extensive professional expertise under one umbrella, and is strategically placed to scale up and extend our existing impact on children’s lives. Bayakhanya is also perfectly positioned through its strong local and international networks and many years of experience to play an advisory role to global and regional stakeholders and to collaborate with them on matters affecting children’s lives.   Our uniquely African blueprint incorporates the principles of Ubuntu in impact litigation and social advocacy for the Constitutional and human right of every child to family life, for the common good of all. We have seen children move from surviving to thriving in permanent family care because it wholistically affects every aspect of the child’s life, forever, as opposed to piecemeal interventions that are not sustainable and only help in part. Nowhere is this more evident than in the lives of children with extraordinary medical and psychosocial challenges who are often left behind.
We know we can change these children’s trajectories… the earlier the intervention, the greater the child’s potential development. And the greater the prospect of finding that family best able to meet his or her unique needs.
By contextualising global and national precedent and research through the prism of our intersectoral experience, we spearhead legal, medical and psycho-social interventions on behalf of children. Our focus is collaborative and personal – we believe in the value of trustworthy relationships and that the African art of storytelling can give perspective from the child’s view for the benefit and understanding of us all.   Bayakhanya’s Commitment: “We spearhead African strategy that empowers every parentless child to star, thereby transforming society globally."

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