Changing Children’s Lives
Jackson’s Ridge – Royal Family Kids’ (JR-RFK) are welcoming, one-week resident camps designed to meet the unique and overwhelming needs of abused and neglected children. Child abuse happens around us every day. Thousands of children are physically, sexually and emotionally abused, and severely neglected. Though stories of traumatized children fill our newspapers, many cases are unreported. According to RAPCAN, as many as half a million children are abused annually in South Africa alone, with at least 100 cases of child abuse processed through the courts every day (www.rapcan.org.za). This growing problem is compounded by the horrific spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.
The Children of Africa Need Our Help
Every day helpless children are forced to accept brutal abuse as a way of life. They are beaten, locked up, starved, tortured and sexually abused, oftentimes by their own caregivers or relatives. What happens to victims? Many are removed from their homes and placed in children’s shelters, places of safety and foster care. For these little ones, life has come to a dead-end almost before it has begun. Some of their lives may never be salvaged, but for many there is hope: JR-RFKC is all about creating happy memories for abused and neglected children, and you are invited to be a part of this exciting program of healing.
It is through intensely supportive interaction with our trained and screened adults that the first question; “Am I loved?” is answered. Our camps are sponsored and staffed by people from local churches. JR-RFKC is the leading network of camps for abused and neglected children in Africa. We have hundreds of volunteers, each camp achieving a ratio of one adult volunteer to every two campers, which allows for meaningful mentoring and individual care.
JR-RFK campers are provided with a wealth of activities to choose from that are designed to build self-esteem. Each camp has a host of support staff and even a Grandma and Grandpa to give hugs and words of approval. It is this model, which is duplicated and sponsored by local churches for the children of their local communities.
How Can One Week Make A Difference?
We offer a healthy dose of hope that…
- helps your church to reach out to our Social Services departments to offer a 5 day camping experience that will “create happy memories” for children who are in the foster care system. A positive experience with loving adult role models creates an atmosphere where they can experience an “oasis”, a full week of relief, where they will feel deeply loved and cared for
- shows these children that they can succeed because they have done so at our camps – JR-RFK campers will discover their own self-worth and a feeling of success as they complete projects, have FUN, and meet new friends
- proves that if the cycle of abuse can be broken for a week, it can be broken permanently
Who benefits from a Jackson’s Ridge-Royal Family Kids’ Camp?
- The children
- Foster parents, Caregivers, and the staff of Group Homes – who are given a week of much-needed respite
- Citizens from the local community and churches who give generously of their time
- Donors, who feel they can help solve a societal problem through giving of their personal resources. This is done by reaching out to businesses in the area
- Social workers, who get to send children from their caseloads to a well-organized, 5 day, sponsored camp that will assist the child to find a pathway to healing.
Following the first JR-RFKC camp held in 2002, ongoing testimonies from Social Workers, Caregivers, School Teachers, and the children themselves prove that the JR-RFK program works! Children have been known to show a marked improvement in attitude, school participation, and self-esteem.
Here is how you can help:
- Consider becoming a mentor for two children at a JR-RFK. A week of your time could literally change their lives. Comprehensive training is given to all our volunteers.
- If mentorship does not appeal to you, each camp looks for a wide range of volunteers who are able to do crafts, events planning, sports coaching and cooking, to assist at each camp. 5 days of camp is life changing!!
- Consider becoming a prayer partner for this essential program
- Become a JR-RFK donor partner. When you give to JR-RFKC you are giving a hopeless child a second chance! Your gift may be all it takes to provide happy memories and a bright new future to a hurting child.
- Contact our offices so we can tell you all about the camps around South Africa, that have so much impact on a life of a hurting child. There could well be an already established camp in your area, that you can just plug in to.
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