Uviwe Child and Youth Services

About Uviwe Child and Youth Services

Uviwe Child and Youth Services is a registered NPO based in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape. The name "Uviwe" is directly translated from isiXhosa as "you are heard" — a name that captures the organisation's foundational commitment: every child and young person who comes to Uviwe will be seen, heard, and responded to.

The organisation operates multiple programme areas designed to address the root causes of vulnerability in children and youth while building the resilience and capacity of families and communities to create safer environments.

Psychosocial Support Services

Uviwe's psychosocial support programme enables children and their families to deal effectively with the social and emotional challenges they face. Services include individual counselling, family counselling, trauma debriefing, and therapeutic group work. Therapeutic groups specifically address anger, grief, and trauma — with the latter being directly relevant to children and young people who have experienced abuse, violence, or neglect.

A public intake service is available on Mondays and Fridays at Uviwe's centres, making the service accessible without requiring a formal referral.

Protective Behaviours Programme

A standout element of Uviwe's work is their Protective Behaviours (PB) programme — a structured, evidence-based framework woven into all their programmes to build safety awareness and resilience in children. The programme covers four key themes:

• Safety — every child has the right to feel safe at all times, and the right to speak up when they don't.
• Touches — understanding safe and unsafe touches, and children's right to say no.
• Secrets — distinguishing safe secrets from unsafe secrets (such as those surrounding grooming or abuse).
• Speak Out — building children's ability to talk to a trusted adult and persist until they are heard.

This programme is directly relevant to the prevention of child sexual abuse and the early identification of abuse that is already occurring. Uviwe's integration of PB across all programmes means these messages reach children through ECD, afterschool programmes, youth development, and holiday clubs — not just in dedicated prevention sessions.

School Awareness Programme

Uviwe delivers school-based awareness and prevention programming to learners and educators in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, addressing child safety, abuse prevention, and how to seek help.

Siya Phambili Youth Empowerment Programme

This programme targets older youth, building leadership, life skills, and pathways to opportunity — recognising that economic and social empowerment reduce vulnerability to GBV and exploitation.

Positive Parenting

Uviwe supports parents and caregivers with positive parenting tools, building capacity in families to raise children safely and nurture healthy relationships.

Contact and Access

To reach Uviwe's intake service: call +27 41 453 0441 or email info@uviwe.org. Intake sessions are held on Mondays and Fridays.