Setshabelo Centre
Setshabelo Family and Child Services is a registered NPO established in 2014 in Botshabelo, Free State, providing GBV counselling and victim empowerment through co-located centres at both Botshabelo police stations. DSD-funded social workers and auxiliary workers support GBV survivors through reporting, hospital access, protection orders, and trauma counselling — while the organisation also provides child protection, adoption, foster care, and family support services.
Contact & Location
- Keabetsoe Sekoboto (Executive Director)
- H Section, Botshabelo-H, Botshabelo, Free State, 9781
Opening Hours
Opening hours not available. Contact the organisation directly.
About
About Setshabelo Family and Child Services
Setshabelo Family and Child Services (SFCS) was established in 2014 in Botshabelo — a large township in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality of the Free State, approximately 55km southeast of Bloemfontein. The organisation was founded after collaborative community research with the DSD, municipality, schools, churches, and community organisations revealed a clear need for a designated child protection organisation in Botshabelo. The name "Setshabelo" means "refuge" or "place of safety" in Sesotho — an apt description of the organisation's core purpose.
SFCS is a remarkable organisation in the South African welfare sector. In 2020, it became the first Black-owned child adoption agency in South Africa to receive DSD accreditation — a milestone four years in the making, achieved through partnership with Engo, a 50-year-old adoption NPO.
GBV and Victim Empowerment Services
SFCS has built a dedicated Victim Empowerment Centre in collaboration with the two SAPS stations in Botshabelo, fully funded by the DSD's VEP programme. The Centre has received R507,000 in DSD VEP grants over 2021/22 and 2022/23, supporting 209 families and creating employment for: - Two qualified social workers placed directly at the two Botshabelo police stations - Two social auxiliary workers - One mental health counsellor
These staff members provide day-to-day GBV support at point of first contact with the justice system. Their services include: - Helping GBV survivors through the reporting process at the police station. - Facilitating hospital access for medical treatment and J88 documentation. - Trauma counselling and psychosocial support. - Assistance with protection orders. - Case management and referrals.
SFCS also works with perpetrators — after helping survivors to safety and providing counselling, they bring in perpetrators for counselling to understand and address the root causes of their abusive behaviour, aiming to break cycles of violence at a community level.
Child Protection and Other Services
- Child protection — statutory intervention, court representation, and family preservation.
- Adoption services — the first Black-owned adoption agency in South Africa; between 2016 and 2020, helped conclude 168 adoptions in partnership with Engo.
- Foster care — placement and support for foster families.
- Family support — family counselling, parenting support, and community education on domestic violence and children's rights.
- Youth programmes and men's programmes.