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‘Sis Pat’ hangs up her apron

BOIPELO MERE

THE NATIONAL Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW) bid farewell to its provincial manager, Pat Maqina, who was lauded as their ‘Gravitas’ at a function at Bacumi Guest House in Galeshewe.

Maqina, an eminent Kimberley resident who is well-known as ‘Sis Pat’, hung up her apron at the age of 77, after more than three decades of service to vulnerable children and youth and their families.

She retired after serving as a qualified child and youth care worker and holding the positions of provincial Northern Cape NACCW manager and National Technical Consultant in the scale-up of the famous Isibindi model.

Throughout the years of her service, Maqina has been recognised nationally and internationally as a key figure in the NACCW.

The auspicious farewell event was graced by the presence of the chief director at the Department of Social Development, Melanie Kivedo, who was working closely with Maqina and delivered the keynote address.

Also in attendance were the national directors, Dr Merle Allsopp and Dr Zeni Thumbadoo.

Representatives from different centres joined the family to bid Maqina farewell.

During the event, Maqina’s role as the driving force in the establishment of community-based child and youth care projects in six areas in Kimberley was highlighted.

During her last two decades’ long tenure in the NACCW professional services, Maqina worked in partnership with the Department of Social Development (DSD) and a range of other stakeholders.

She formed part of the establishment of Isibindi projects in Donkerhoek, Greenpoint, Lerato Park, Soul City and Platfontein.

She further went on to manage the initiation of 13 more Isibindi projects throughout the Northern Cape since their integration by DSD into the Rishia project.

Maqina also provided technical assistance to countless more projects in the Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Kwazulu-natal.

She has represented South African child and youth care work on numerous trips abroad, where she is lauded for making a remarkable impact by providing input into events on social connectedness.

She left footprints in countries like Canada, residential care for

children in Sweden and community-based social services in Italy.

She also flew the South African flag high in Kenya where she assisted in setting up the country’s first Safe Park for children, and in Zambia where she trained and mentored refugees to provide child and youth care services to aid children.

Until her retirement, Maqina managed the Alfred Rens Child and Youth Care Agency in Donkerhoek, since its inception in 2007.

Her teams lauded her for being behind the immaculate state of the facility, through her professionalism and attention to detail in every aspect of her work.

Speaker after speaker highlighted how Maqina, with the Kimberley teams, DSD and other stakeholders, has changed the trajectory of over 15 000 children’s lives in vulnerable communities through the Isibindi projects.

During her speech, Kivedo pointed out that Maqina remained a pioneer during the transformation process and was not intimidated by the challenges experienced in getting white parents involved in fostering.

She said nothing was too much and nowhere was too far for Maqina, who continued to represent her Province during the good and the bad times.

“The early days of democracy saw Maqina involved in initiating pioneering child and youth care alternatives to residential care, in the Professional Foster Care and Adolescent Development Programmes,” said Kivedo.

“She is one of the four people

who put child and youth care work as a profession on the map in the Northern Cape and in the country as a whole. It was her and the late Mvuyo Manyungwana and Alfred Rens, as well as Margaret van Wyk.

“Maqina was elected by child and youth care workers to the Professional Board for Child and Youth Care Workers, serving two terms on this national statutory body, bettering the circumstances of South African child and youth care workers.”

Kivedo said other national engagements included meeting with high-level funders, the Minister of Social Development on many occasions, and programme directing plenary sessions at conferences – some of which were international events.

“We were never concerned about bringing new funders to Maqina because we knew what she was doing. She has done it all and seen it all.

“She only got her driver’s licence at the age of 60, and once scared everyone when she got Covid-19, but she survived it,” said Kivido with a laugh.

“She is a beautiful person and of great quality. Her most outstanding qualities are her sense of respect and her courage.

“In 2019 Maqina was part of the NACCW delegation to address the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development, helping them to understand the role and challenges faced by child and youth care workers in South Africa.

“She trained, mentored and supervised over 500 child and youth care workers and her retirement sees her leaving as exactly the kind of leader that we need in South Africa – one who leaves not only a legacy, but others who have been developed to take forward the vision into the future.”

Dr Allsopp described Maqina as a person of “great quality” who bravely travelled the country to represent child and youth care workers.

“She walked the walk and did not just talk. It takes commitment, energy and hard work to do this kind of work.”

Dr Thumbadoo

described

Maqina as the ‘Gravitas’ of the association, a Latin word used to describe an individual with a specific strength and quality.

She expressed how honoured she felt for being able to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Maqina, whom she has known for 30 years.

“You are a woman of substance, of character. You have a spirit of activism and worked hard for transformation and development, and remained determined,” said Thumbadoo.

Maqina was presented with gifts, which included a collage, at the end of the programme.

NEWS

en-za

2023-02-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

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African News Agency