Abraham Kriel Children’s Home Potchefstroom: A Sanctuary Under Strain

For nearly seven decades, the Abraham Kriel Children’s Home in Potchefstroom has stood as a beacon of hope and care for some of South Africa’s most vulnerable children. What began as a response to an overwhelming need in the 1950's has today grown into a lifeline for over 200 children who have endured trauma, neglect, or abuse. Yet, despite its vital role, this sanctuary now faces one of its greatest struggles: the weight of financial responsibility in a world where state subsidies are little to none.

A Legacy Rooted in Compassion

The Abraham Kriel story began in 1902, when Reverend Abraham Kriel founded the first children’s home in Johannesburg to care for orphans of the Anglo-Boer War. By the mid-20th century, that facility was overwhelmed, and the Potchefstroom branch opened in 1956. In a remarkable beginning, 80 children were transported in cattle trucks from Johannesburg and lived in tents until the first residential houses were ready.

From those humble beginnings, the centre grew into a structured care facility with family-style homes, a hall, staff quarters, and eventually, a nursery section for babies and toddlers. Today, Abraham Kriel Children’s Home Potchefstroom provides comprehensive care for approximately 230 children, supported by a dedicated team of house parents, social workers, educators, and therapists.

More Than Just Shelter

What sets Abraham Kriel apart is its holistic model of care, which seeks to nurture every aspect of a child’s development:

• Family-Style Residential Homes: Children live in small cottages with permanent caregivers, creating a sense of belonging and stability.

• Education Support: Learners attend local schools and receive tutoring, homework assistance, and mentoring.

• Therapy & Emotional Support: Social workers and therapists provide trauma counselling, play therapy, and psychological care.

• Healthcare & Nutrition: Regular medical check-ups and balanced meals ensure children’s physical well-being.

• Life Skills Development: Programmes build personal responsibility, vocational training, and independence for life beyond the home.

For children removed from unsafe environments, often by court order, this model is not just care - it is a second chance at childhood.

The Harsh Reality: Financial Strain Without State Support

While the centre has mastered providing for daily needs, two critical financial burdens now cast a shadow over its mission:

1. The Education Barrier 

   Education remains the greatest weapon against the cycle of poverty. Yet, despite endless applications, many Abraham Kriel students are rejected by NSFAS for tertiary funding - even in cases where court orders have attempted to intervene. With accommodation and tuition costs running into hundreds of thousands of rands, the Home is left to carry a weight it cannot sustainably bear. Without intervention, talented students face the heartbreak of abandoned dreams, not from lack of ability, but from lack of funds.

   
   

2. A Boy’s Fight to Hear Again 

   One young resident, a sports-loving boy once named Sportsman of the Year, is on the brink of complete hearing loss after years of chronic ear infections. Surgeons have confirmed he needs urgent operations and advanced hearing devices, yet the costs are staggering. Until then, his world (and his ability to play the sport he loves) remains on hold. For him, this is more than medical care: it is the gift of sound, of learning, of living fully again.

Why the Community’s Role Is Essential

The reality is stark: state subsidies cover only the basics, leaving extraordinary needs unmet. As the Home itself says:

“Ons is finansieël oraait met basiese behoeftes en versorging, maar ons het ander enorme finansiële verantwoordelikhede wat soos ’n berg voor ons lê.” (“We are financially secure with basic needs and care, but we face enormous additional responsibilities that feel like a mountain before us.”)

The future of these children depends not only on institutional care but on the generosity of the wider community. Potchefstroom has always been known as a town with a strong sense of cohesiveness, now is the time for that spirit to shine.

How You Can Help

Every act of kindness can ripple out to change lives. Here’s how you can stand with Abraham Kriel Children’s Home:

• Financial Contributions: Donations directly support tuition fees, accommodation, and medical treatments.

• Corporate Partnerships: Local businesses can sponsor, host fundraising events, or provide services in kind.

• Volunteering: English-speaking volunteers are urgently needed to assist learners with homework and studies. Just one hour a week can shape a child’s academic future.

• Raising Awareness: Share their story - tell your networks, churches, or community groups about the need.

Closing Reflection

The measure of a community lies in how it cares for its most vulnerable members. Abraham Kriel Children’s Home has given generations of children safety, love, and a future. Today, they need us to return that care.

Whether it is helping a young adult step into university or giving a boy the chance to hear again, your support proves to these children that they are not forgotten; that their lives matter.

Because when a community lifts its children, it lifts its own future.