05/07/2008 17:53 - (SA)
Climbing a mountain to step up fire survivors' self-esteem
Staff reporter
SALOME Aphane (14) from Hammanskraal suffered severe burns to her head when the shack her family was living in caught fire after a candle fell over.
She was a part of 11 teenage burn survivors who embarked on an adventure to the Drakensberg recently. The main aim of the trip was to get the children involved in challenges that would help build their selfesteem.
The group was made up of teens from Tunisia and provinces Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
These types of adventures have taken place since 2006 through Children of Fire, an NGO that works with burn victims.
Six firefighters from Msunduzi in Pietermaritzburg and the Durban fire brigade, a psychologist and two international volunteers from Children of Fire have also formed part of the trips since their inception.
Lindiwe Ngwenya from Children of Fire, based in Melville, Johannesburg, said:“Self-esteem for these children is very important because many people in society alienate them.”
On the snowy caps of the Drakensberg the group underwent challenging activities such as abseiling, hiking, quad-biking and zip-lining.
As in the case of Aphane, who has had to wear a wig to hide her burnt head, Children of Fire aims to teach the children that they are not victims but survivors.
“These activities will help to increase their self-worth,” adds Ngwenya.
The children were awarded with certificates for their bravery in taking on the challenges.
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