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Where possible, Children of Fire arranges surgery through the state system but where the state cannot help or children are expected to wait years for treatment the charity will instead seek operations in the private sector. The charity funds equipment such as tissue expanders to restore the hairline of children burned on the head.
Children of Fire provide an extensive range of post-traumatic care for our burns survivors including psychological counselling to deal with the trauma and the ongoing distress due to disfigurement, bereavement, rejection and disability.
Where the children have surviving families who have not rejected the children, Children of Fire tries to work on solutions in the family context.
It promotes tolerance of physical disfigurement through media campaigns and educational talks as this is the most devastating long term problem associated with burns.
Children of Fire is the best-informed organisation in Africa on the causes and prevention of burns injury. It has chosen to focus on the most at-risk communities - the squatter camps (shanty towns).
These are poor communities usually without electricity and running water. More than four million South African's live in shacks in squatter camps.
The UMashesha (quick mover) initiative teaches First Aid, fire fighting, fire prevention, environmental health, occupational health and safety, hazardous materials knowledge and other aspects of community safety, pioneering a new career in Africa.
Their monthly public lecture series leads the way in safety education. The fire fighting water tanks are an intermediate technology solution designed by the charity but the designs are freely available.
The charity also promotes promising designs for safer stoves, innovative fuels, candle holders and paraffin (kerosene) lamps.
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