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The method that we use to confront abuse at Royal Family Kids is quite unique in
its kind. During school holidays, we host a 5-day faith based camp for the children.
Many of the children who are considered for camp have been removed from their biological
homes and are either in foster care or an orphanage or children’s home. Spending
one week at a Royal Family Kids Camp will be a time where the children feel love,
security, warmth and care from dedicated adult care-givers. For them, it can be
a life-changing experience. They are assigned to a caring counselor, (2 campers
to 1 counsellor ratio,) along with a Camp Mom and Dad and a surrogate "grandma"
and "grandpa". For many campers, this will be their first experience of a family.
They discover a new sense of self-worth and a feeling of success as they accomplish
projects and make new friends. A week at camp is filled with Breakfast club, fun
activities, crafts, swimming, and events such as ‘everybody’s birthday party’, campfire,
movie night and much more. Camps are facilitated in such a way that every single
child receives personal, focused attention and care.
The camps are so designed to have maximum impact upon the life of a child. We liken
it to a hospital visit. People are taken to outpatients where those with minor,
not serious ailments are treated, with a staff ratio anywhere as low as 1:50 on
any given day. At the other end of the spectrum, the Intensive Care Units (ICU)
is where people with very serious ailments are treated and the ratio of medical
staff to patient is 1:1. Royal Family Kids camps are the ICU for broken and abused
children.
Because of the children’s backgrounds, most of them who attend camp are used to
having nothing but the clothes on their backs when they arrive at camp. Therefore,
we ensure that they receive a gift bag filled with clothing items, toys, toiletries
and even an MP3 player with all the songs they learn on camp pre-loaded. Additional
provision that is made for the children is healthy and nutritious meals three times
daily. Every day of the camp is pre-planned and coordinated to ensure that the kids
are involved in esteem-building and non-competitive activities. The results of 30
years of Royal Family Kids’ Camps attest to the fact that the camps are pivotal
to the success of Royal Family Kids as an international organisation.
As you are aware our papers in South Africa are filled daily with stories of severe
abuse and neglect. Many organizations are involved with the prevention of abuse,
but we concentrate on the after effects. Children who have been abused struggle
to function on a daily basis and their lives are filled with pain, confusion and
low self-esteem. Royal Family addresses these issues and gives the child a new frame
of reference by filling their lives with positive memories, which in turn gives
them hope for the future. Royal Family Kids International have been operating over
190 camps across America for the last 25 years. RFK came to South Africa in 2000,
and camps have been developed across the country and even across our borders into
Namibia. Eighty thousand children have been enrolled in the camps since 1985.
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“When Cindy* arrived at her first Royal Family Kid's Camp, her life's story was
trademarked with rebellion, poor academic achievements and involvement in the wrong
crowds. You see, Cindy*, like many other young girls, was molested by an older man,
someone she knew very well. The hurt and confusion she had felt as a result of this
abuse, led her to become a rebellious and troubled child. She felt like her world
was caving in, she was losing hope and her parents realised the need for serious
intervention. She received an invitation to a Royal Family Kid's camp, and she went.
The first thing she realised was that she was not alone in her suffering. Suddenly
she was surrounded by children who had been subjected to the same abuse as her.
No longer was she isolated and alone in her pain. She was introduced to her adult
counsellor; a Spirit-filled lady with a heart that overflowed with love and compassion.
This counsellor exhibited unconditional love and acceptance towards Cindy and this
is where the change began.
No longer was her innocence being exploited, but the affirmation and care that she
craved was given to her without a hidden agenda. The realisation that she was loved
and accepted unconditionally, completely changed her heart and her perspective.
She left camp feeling hopeful, and instilled within her heart was a new expectation
and zeal for life. Her parents were astonished at the transformation that took place
in their child, and stated that they couldn't believe it was the same girl. There
is a lesson to be learned: Never underestimate the impact that the 5 days of camp
can have. Not only was Cindy's life changed, but also that of her peers, her parents
and her counsellor. Cindy returned to school and started making new friends. Her
academic performances took a dramatic turn and her marks increased substantially.
She became an 80% achiever.” (*Cindy is a fictive name, used to protect the identity
of the camper)
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