COPESSA (Community-based Prevention and Empowerment Strategies in South Africa) is a multiple award-winning community based organisation whose reason for being is the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
We have for the past nine years pioneered use of a holistic model, the Ecological Model, for both the understanding of the predisposing factors to this social sourge and to tailor-making programmes that address it.
Consequently, we offer the following sevices:
- Community Development Projects, (primary prevention)
- Clinical services – counselling, medical assessments, group therapy, play therapy, for the victims and their families (tertiary prevention)
- Research and training, (quartenary prevention)
COPESSA WORK IN PICTURES
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
We protect children through the following interventions:
- Creation of sustainable community development programmes & projects.
- Counselling & Medical assessment of abuse survivors, and
- Capacity building for communities
OUR VISION
Our Vision is to create safe, caring, and secure communities for children.
BACKGROUND HISTORY
Following the brutal rape of baby Lerato, in 2000, a group of celebrated musicians and I, led by the eminent Dr Sibongile Khumalo, came together to bewail the loss of community sense and care of children. An Isililo Campaign was born, and its major focus was to try and understand how we got to such a low point in our society. From this campaign, COPESSA was born and operations started in 2004 in Protea Glen, Soweto.
GOVERNANCE
We are registered as a
- Section 21 Company (2000/025755/08)
- Non Profit Organisation (NPO 041-733)
- Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930012177)
We have an independent board of directors, who volunteer their services
We are audited by Watermark Auditors Incorporated
