Twilight Children was formed in 1983 as a direct response to the situation street children were experiencing. Based on the work of a number of volunteers what was originally a soup kitchen was extended to become a shelter. Other additional elements (e.g. training) have been added over the years. Support from local and international donors has enabled the organisation to function.
THE OUTREACH PROGRAMME (SOUP KITCHEN) IS THE FORMOST COMPONENT OF TWILIGHT CHILDREN (Most of the recruits for the shelter and the skills training come from this programme.
Twilight Children is a registered non-profit organisation (No. 003-917 NPO) and is registered with the Department of Social Services and Population Development as a children's home.
Current Programme and Institutional Set Up
Twilight Children is based at a renovated building in Hillbrow . We now have two new buidings built on the two adjacent stands. with the aid of The Department of Social Development.
A now established skill training centre,
The new .Information and Techonolgy Centre and Gymnasium
In our main renovated building building, we have started a bakery in the newly renorvated kitchen
1.Shelter Programme: 2.Outreach Programme: Most important programme 3.Skills Training: Pottery, Woodwork screen printing 4.I T Centre/Gymnasium: 5.The Girls Drop in Centre/Crèche: Aftercare: Beadwork 6.The Half way house:HIV/AIDS Programme: 7.HIV/AIDS. The intervention have is to mostly concentrate on preventative programmes. 8.Mentoring 9.Vegetable Garden The local community may avail themselves of these facities
The organisation operates a shelter providing accommodation to around +- 90 boys of between 8 and 20 years of age. Accommodation is provided on a full time basis and the boys are enrolled in local schools, are involved in training or undertake some kind of employment.
Staff are employed to manage and maintain the shelter and to provide services and support to the boys. In addition an outreach programme provides support services to boys who remain on the street while a pottery and other projects operate to provide training and exposure to the boys.