The Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, delivered the keynote address at the Teddy Bear Foundation’s 40th Anniversary Celebration at Investec in Sandton, Johannesburg on 10 September.

Under the theme “40 Years of Impact. A Lifetime of Hope,” the event showcased and honoured four decades of the Foundation’s work to advance the rights, safety and wellbeing of children and provide support to millions of young lives and their families through their “journey to healing”.

Founded in 1986, it was established to fill a critical gap in specialised medical and forensic examinations for victims of child abuse. Now, the Foundation is a fully-fledged child protection organisation.

Minister Chikunga paid tribute to the Teddy Bear Foundation’s vast contribution to child protection and emphasise that the safety of children requires an all-of-society response.

“Government cannot do this work alone. Neither can civil society, and neither can business. But together, we have already proven that we can do far more than any of us could do separately,” Minister Chikunga said.

A snippet of the speech is below. View more on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@TeddyBearFoundationSA