One of the country’s biggest websites, “Missing Children” has to close for December due to lack of funding, the organisation said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
This comes as concerns over the safety of missing children grows.<\/p>\n
“December is the busiest time of the year for runaways, there are the normal cases of naughty children running away during the holidays, but given the pressure on matric students waiting for results, we find an influx of kids running away,” said Pieter Boshoff, the organisation’s founder and director.<\/p>\n
Missing Children is based in Cape Town and was founded when Sheldean Human went missing. It was her death that showed the need for a website and sms system to be in place, to assist families and the police in searching for missing children.<\/p>\n
Funded entirely by Boshoff, it costs and estimated R15 000 to run the website per month, costs include the hiring of private investigators to assist police in investigations as well as an sms network system that alerts journalists and other organisations of cases — in the hopes that children’s pictures can be published.<\/p>\n
“At this point, we cannot run during December. We had a big case at the beginning of the month and had to pay for air flights for the investigator. At the moment all I can do is refer parents who contact us to members of the SAPS who can assist them,” said Boshoff, adding that SAPS members are particularly busy during the festive season.<\/p>\n
Despite the organisation running out of money, Boshoff has started using his credit card to finance the search for two missing children he is particularly concerned about.<\/p>\n
Government does not fund private NGO’s and Boshoff expressed frustration with the lack of urgency from department of safety and security when it came to the plight of missing children.<\/p>\n
“It can be very straining, but we are making a difference,” said Boshoff, who was later attending a Christmas party with 150 families who had been reunited with their children — thanks to Missing Children.<\/p>\n
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