The Shelter has two permanent House Mothers who assign tasks and assist with day-to-day operations, meal planning and housekeeping. The in-house crèche teacher also provides childcare for mothers who are working. There is a strong focus on empowering the ladies in our care to become independent, confident, and self-sufficient.  

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We are located in a 2-storey building at No 97 Regent Street, Yeoville, Johannesburg, 2198. Johannesburg city has a population of over 4.4 million people, 3.1 million are women and children and 2 million of the women and children live below the R12 mark a day and 45% of those women and children are homeless.  In a city with the highest rate of unemployment, crime, idle individuals and unsupervised youth, FHS offers a valuable and structured program to kick-start their lives in the right direction.

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Upon arriving at our shelter, each lady is assessed in order to ascertain) her unique needs and tailor-make programs to suit her immediate and long-term needs.

Our basic programs include, but are not limited to:

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• Career Management and Guidance

• Parenting Workshops

• Dress-for-Success Workshops

• Domestic and Violence counselling and awareness

• Individual counselling every Monday

• Job-skills training (How to write a winning CV, Interview Skills, Basic Computer Literacy, Job Readiness Skills)

• Mentor-,my-mummy (we assign other successful mothers to mentor our ladies and ensure they are on the right path to success. This happens during, and after their stay at the Frida Hartley Shelter.)

• Baking classes (outsourced)

• Jewellery making classes (offered by Keithane)

• Bead-work / Knitting and Sewing classes

• A full 3-week course for the new entrepreneurs. It covers: How to register a business; Financial Management; HR Management; Marketing and Brand Development. This course is offered by the NYDA and is available free of charge for the ladies who are interested in starting their own businesses, and looking for a grant.

• The Catering  companies, Parsley on Thyme and Let's Event has given our women job opportunities.

• Various restaurants such as Mugg & Bean, Wimpy, SnoFreeze, McDonald’s Yeoville and Domino’s Pizza have employed our ladies

• Computer skills (Quest Computer Skills Centre: Bedfordview)

• Other education / recruitment services (Mindworx Consulting, BDTS Consulting and Mega Tasks have offered job skills training)

• Other companies include House of Leila spa and others

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• We work with a student Psychologist for counselling

• The Teddy Bear Clinic for assisting children dealing with trauma

• SAPS Yeoville 

• Department of Social Development

• We network with other shelters in and around Johannesburg

• Transcend has provided us with an administrator to assist us for a year and they pay her a stipend.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela

Frida Hartley Shelter has employed a qualified crèche teacher who has been working in this industry for over 15 years. She is very passionate about developing human capital, and making a difference in the lives of our little ones. Children between the ages of 1 month to 5 years are educated and monitored while their mothers are at work, training, and/or looking for employment.  The in-house crèche enables the mothers to have peace of mind, knowing that their children are safe and well taken care of all day.

The cut-off age for boys living at the shelter is 7 years of age.

The demographic groups we cater for usually come from a one-bedroom household, and the children are exposed to sex at an early age, or watch content of a sexual nature very early in their development. Although we offer counselling and support for these children, we cannot compromise possible influences on our younger children.

They can therefore not stay at the shelter with their mothers, after this age.