Our History
A Legacy of Conscience and Community
The Durban Indian Child and Family Welfare Society was a community-led initiative born out of adversity and it reshaped child welfare in South Africa through resilience and innovation, writes Professor Dasarath Chetty in Part 1, which reflects on the first 50 years of the society. He says at a time of increasing gender-based violence, child welfare societies assume increasing importance.
The Roots of Resilience:
The First 50 Years
The story of Child Welfare Durban and District (CWDD) is a profound revelation of a community’s soul. Born in 1927 as the Durban Indian Child and Family Welfare Society (DICFWS), this initiative was a direct response to a state that systematically neglected children of colour.Writing on the first 50 years of our journey, Professor Dasarath Chetty reflects on how this society became a microcosm of the broader struggle for dignity, rights, and survival in South Africa. In an era where gender-based violence and social inequality continue to rise, the history of our society serves as a vital blueprint for community-led protection.
Defiance Through Care:
1927–1940s
The formation of the DICFWS on July 23, 1927, was an act of political defiance. While the colonial state provided “institutional” welfare for white citizens, it offered only “residual” support for others—intervening only as a last resort.
By establishing a structured, proactive welfare system at the MK Gandhi Library, the Indian community declared its self-worth. Under the patronage of Srinivasa Sastri and the leadership of first chairperson Mrs. S. Moodaly, the society refused to accept second-class status. It was a commitment to care for our own when the state would not.
A Holistic Vision for Welfare
Our founders understood that child welfare could not exist in a vacuum. Poverty, high infant mortality, and illiteracy were not accidental; they were the results of an oppressive economic system.
The society’s DNA was built on a rights-based approach. An early constitutional amendment shifted our mission from simply “promoting” welfare to actively working for the “removal of all conditions detrimental” to a child’s well-being. This was a mandate for social action and fundamental political change.
Building a Sanctuary:
The Opening of Lakehaven (1959)
Our founders understood that child welfare could not exist in a vacuum. Poverty, high infant mortality, and illiteracy were not accidental; they were the results of an oppressive economic system.
The society’s DNA was built on a rights-based approach. An early constitutional amendment shifted our mission from simply “promoting” welfare to actively working for the “removal of all conditions detrimental” to a child’s well-being. This was a mandate for social action and fundamental political change.
Amalgamation and the Path to Unity (1991–1999)
As South Africa moved toward democracy, so did our organisation. In 1991, we became the Child, Family and Community Care Centre of Durban (CFCCCD).
The journey reached a historic milestone in 1999 with the amalgamation with the formerly “white” child welfare society, forming the unified Child Welfare Durban and District we see today. This merger represented the final step in a century-long refusal to separate the welfare of a child from the fight for justice.
Historical Timeline of Milestones
1927
Official founding at the MK Gandhi Library
1947
1,000
sponsored children and elders
1948
Implementation of the grassroots Local Committee System.
1959
Lakehaven Children’s Home.
Opening of Lakehaven Children’s Home.
1991
Transition to the Child, Family and Community Care Centre of Durban.
1999
Formal amalgamation to create Child Welfare Durban and District (CWDD).
1999
Formal amalgamation to create Child Welfare Durban and District (CWDD).