Fisantekraal parents and children are learning how to hold their families together.
Twenty families took part in a graduation ceremony at a community hall last week to celebrate their completion of the 10-week family strengthening course.
The course is funded by R150 000 from ward councillor Ruan Beneke’s ward budget and is run by the City’s directorate of social development and early childhood development.
It teachers families how to deal with issues common in most households.
Another 20 families will do the course in the next two weeks.
One issue it tackles is truancy, which Mr Beneke said was a big problem in Fisantekraal. Building strong families made it easier to fight substance abuse, he said.
“When you come across people with substance abuse issues and such, you usually find that it stems from issues within the home. If we can strengthen the family structure, then we could possibly avoid this.”
Fisantekraal resident Maria Capes enrolled her children in the programme but later discovered she had to take part as well. She said she had been happy to do so, and had felt at home from the first night.
Ms Capes said she had struggled to get her children to do things around the house and listen to her. But, since taking part in the programme, she said communication had improved in their home.
“I learnt how to speak to my children properly and that it was not always necessary to ‘skel’. The skills we were taught I now apply at home,” she said.
Elizabeth Maans said she wanted to be a better mother to her children and believed the skills she had learnt would help her be just that.
She said the rewards and punishment methods she had learnt had helped her discipline her children more effectively.
“I have a better relationship with my children now. We have a better understanding, and there is peace in my home,” she said.