As the world reflected on Madiba’s legacy on his birthday this year, we at CWSA also took the opportunity to reflect on the journey that CWSA has travelled. Madiba’s values of selfless giving is what CWSA’s history is built on. We took time to reflect on our long history of working with children. We looked back at the photographs and reports from our early years in 1924 when Child Welfare was established – and we found the similarities between 1924 and 2011 striking but also took stock of the milestones that have been achieved since then.

The depression that followed World War I led to a migration of people from the rural areas to the cities desperately in search of work. There was a high malnutrition rate in our schools and an increase in orphans, issues that led to a movement which set up the over 200 child-protection organisations we have today. It is this consciousness that still drives our work.

At CWSA, we have never worked in isolation, relying on the people of South Africa to work with us in the protection of our children. The passing of the Children's Act in April 2010 shows that the work of 1924 onwards has reaped great rewards.

For CWSA, this is what is at the heart of Mandela Day. The 67 minutes that we as South Africans gave are symbolic of the commitments we all make to building our country. It is these steps that we take together, steadily over time to build our country, that is one of Mandela's greatest legacies.

 Thank you Madiba, thank you South Africa.

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