Keep a Child Alive

Day 19: Mary & Anna - Home at Last

The high instances of child rape in South Africa are devastating. It takes a special group of people to respond to this reality. In Durban, Operation Bobbi Bear works on behalf of South Africa’s child victims of sexual abuse to help minimize their risk of HIV-infection, ensure their health and well-being in places of safety and bring their perpetrators to justice.

Three years ago, Bobbi Bear was called to assist the Durban police in the shutdown of a brothel. The police had learned that there were two little girls – ages 2 and 4 – that were living there, exposed to sexual acts of all kinds – things that children should never see. Bobbi Bear is recognized by the community, including the local police, as the experts in rescue. The police needed the Bobbi Bear Child Safety Officers to rescue these two children before any violence ensued with the shutdown of the brothel.

On the day of the police raid, one of the officers kicked down the door and one of the Child Safety Officers ran to the back of the house to look for the little girls. The backyard, where the little girls had played, was littered with garbage and full of used condoms.

Jackie, the Founder of Bobbi Bear, ran in and found a tiny two year old asleep in a filthy chair – Anna. She picked Anna up and walked her straight out of the house and into the Bobbi Bear car. The other child was nowhere to be found.

After extensive questioning, Bobbi Bear learned that the alleged father of the child had taken her down to the nearby park. The Child Safety Officers found the man there, flirting with a woman, while the small 4 year old was running around the park alone. Bobbi Bear took the child - Mary, and the police had to detain the man when he grew aggressive.

With both Mary and Anna in their care, the Bobbi Bear Child Safety Officers took them straight to the District Surgeon, to ensure that they had no physical injuries that needed to be seen to. Anna’s little pants were stiff, from having been peed in over and over again. After visiting with the District Surgeon, Jackie took the little girls to stay with her at home. When she prepared baths for them, the girls were confused about washing their hair – they never had washed it before.

It was very difficult to get the girls to sleep through the night – they were both victim to terrible nightmares. With the loving care and support of the Bobbi Bear team, the little girls soon learned that they could open up about the many things they had experienced while living in the brothel. Sometimes, they said, their alleged father would approach his mother for drug money, and if she refused, he would pick little Mary up by the neck and shake her. Another time, a dog was slaughtered in front of their eyes.

Initially, the local office of Social Development agreed to put them in Jackie’s foster care for six weeks, but after that they wanted to return the two little girls to the woman who ran the brothel, who claimed to be their grandmother. However, the Department did not have birth certificates or hospital records for the girls, so Bobbi Bear refused to release them back into their alleged grandmother’s care. It was becoming increasingly apparent that these little girls had been trafficked into South Africa, and Bobbi Bear would not agree to hand over Mary and Anna to anyone until there was proof that they even existed.

Mary and Anna remained in Bobbi Bear’s care for the next three years. In that time, a sister of their alleged grandmother came forward and said that she wanted to foster them. Bobbi Bear investigated the sister and determined that this woman was unfit to care for Mary and Anna, but the Department of Social Development decided that they should try to live with her for six weeks anyway. When they returned to Bobbi Bear, they were a mess. The girls could not stop crying or wetting themselves. They said they were told that Bobbi Bear did not love them anymore.

Recently, another alleged family member came forward to take care of the girls. Bobbi Bear investigated the aunt and determined it was okay to allow the girls to stay with this new woman for the weekend. Two days later, Mary and Anna came back perfectly fine. Next they stayed with the aunt for a week, and returned completely content. Then the girls stayed with the aunt over the school holidays, and they came back lovely. Recently, Bobbi Bear organized with the Department of Social Development for Mary and Anna to be officially placed in their aunt’s foster care. The girls are so happy – you can see in their faces that they feel loved in their new home!

The foster mother lives five hours away from where Bobbi Bear operates, but the girls come down once a month to visit the Bobbi Bear family that raised them these last three years. During their last visit, someone asked Anna if she wanted to come back to live with Jackie, to which she answered, “No! I want to visit, but I like my school!”

The brothel where Mary and Anna were found has been shut down, and the alleged grandmother was declared unfit to care for the girls through court of law, and is not allowed to get close to them. After three years of tears, sleepless nights, court cases every other week, and fighting to protect these two beautiful little girls, the Bobbi Bear team is so grateful to have found a safe and loving home for Mary and Anna to continue to grow up in. The Honor Program at Bobbi Bear travels to visit Mary and Anna in their new home every few months, to ensure that they will continue to be well cared for.

This is why we do what we do. Keep a Child Alive started supporting Bobbi Bear’s work three years ago, right around the time that Mary and Anna first came to Bobbi Bear. We believe in and are proud to support Operation Bobbi Bear. Text BUYLIFE to 90999 to give $10 to help us continue these daily inspirational stories of hope, love and strength.

*Names changed to protect anonymity

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