Who they are:
The Engo Child and Youth Care Centres form part of a broader non‑governmental welfare network in the Free State, providing residential care for children placed through the Children’s Court due to neglect, abuse, or abandonment. These centres function as structured, home‑like environments where children receive psychosocial support, access to education, and developmental care within a multidisciplinary framework.
Services offered:
As a learning site, Engo situates students within complex family systems, trauma contexts, and child protection frameworks, offering direct engagement with pastoral care in relation to resilience, attachment, and restorative relational practices. The partnership with the UFS is particularly strong in the Department of Practical and Missional Theology, where students in TPAS3722 Pastoral Care gain practical exposure.
Engo also collaborates with the UFS Department of Social Work, regularly placing students at Engo Family Care Centres in Bloemfontein. Here, students complete community work projects, conduct situation analyses, and design intervention strategies, ensuring that academic learning is grounded in real‑world child protection and welfare practice.
Contact
Jezel Tshanga
Principal Social Worker: Mangaung and Xariep
T: +27 82 449 0106, +27 51 552 6914
E: Jezel@vironskinders.org.za
W: www.engo.co.za
A: 22 Van Heerden Road, Willows, Bloemfontein
C: -29.124496959620153, 26.19798029270015
No formal MoU has been signed between the UFS and Engo.