Lapeng is passionately committed to the realization of children’s rights. The organization has been at the heart of the transformation of Joubert Park, downtown Johannesburg’s largest green space, from a no-go area frequented by thieves, to a vibrant hub of community life and a place where children play freely. Lapeng’s primary purpose is to support the development of children and families, establish a social safety net and to increase the understanding of children’s rights both locally and nationally.
Lapeng offers three core programs:
- Child and Family Services: a daily pre-school for 65 children; several after-school programs and support programs for parents and caregivers in the neighborhood.
- Drop-In-Art Program: one weekend each month, children and their caregivers experience learning and expression through the arts.
- Ziyabuya Child and Family Arts and Cultural Festival: a quarterly festival held in Joubert Park for children, their families and neighbors to celebrate together and experience the power of arts in a public space.
Since their inception in 1997, Lapeng has:
- Contributed to positive social transformation by offering healing processes for traumatized children using appropriate arts-based methodologies.
- Engaged a diverse network of partners who offer a full range of services and opportunities for children and their families in the area.
- Promoted children’s rights by engaging and lobbying policymakers, community leaders and educators through constructive and rigorous debate and advocacy projects
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