About 20 children who survived the fire in the Usindiso building and are living in temporary accommodation in Denver, Johannesburg, have not attended school since the fire on 31 August -- more than 310 days ago.
Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min Survivors of the Marshalltown, Johannesburg, fire that claimed the lives of 76 people are trying to pick up the pieces and continue with their lives. One challenge they face is ensuring their children have access to education.
About 20 children who survived the fire in the Usindiso building and are living in temporary accommodation in Denver, Johannesburg, have not attended school since the fire on 31 August -- more than 310 days ago.
Some have not been placed in schools for the current year, while others have been assigned to schools far from the accommodation.
Many unemployed parents cannot afford transportation costs for their children to travel daily from Denver to schools in the Johannesburg CBD, where a number were placed. There is also no early childhood development centre or programme for the younger children.
In the aftermath of the fire, various departments, including the education department, committed to protecting and supporting the survivors. This support included ensuring that children were placed in schools, provided with accommodation and necessities and given trauma counselling. However, many of these commitments have not been met.
Inadequate placements
S'phiwe Ngcobo, from...
