The Rondebosch-based ChildSafe non-profit has welcomed its new executive director, Zaitoon Rabaney, who started at the beginning of February.
Ms Rabaney, 57, from Wynberg, takes over from Thilda Nel who was an interim executive director from August last year until January this year.
Yolande Baker was the previous permanent director who was at the helm from April 2018 until July last year.
“ I do believe it is a safe space for me. I would like to focus my attention, experiences, and skillsets, with our team and board, on making the organisation more resilient and relevant in the ever-changing environment we operate in,” she says.
ChildSafe specialises in child-injury prevention and Ms Rabaney has a few areas that she wants to focus on. “Some of the aspects we want to focus on will be on the increase in dog bites to children as well as the increase of cases where children ingest poisonous substances.”
Ms Rabaney says road safety for pupils walking to and from school is an ongoing focus and they are collaborating with international funders and local partners and municipalities in this regard.
Ms Rabaney brings a wealth of experience to this job which includes spending 14 years as a practising social worker.
She also spent 23 years working at the Botanical Society of South Africa, based at the South African National Biodiversity Institute Kirstenbosch Gardens, of which the last 10 years or so, was as the executive director.
Her last job prior to joining ChildSafe was working as the Bequest and Major donor officer at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Grassy Park.