Click here to see a video about the infant trust and its origins (opens a YouTube video)

Together in partnership with registered not-for profit organisations in South Africa, from 2005 - 2019, the infant trust worked to protect young children and help break the continuing cycle of violence against the most vulnerable.

In 2005, the infant trust, a UK charity, was set up by Lesley Rudd with an aim to protect babies and small children in South Africa from rape and sexual abuse. We worked in parnership with existing small NGOs and organisations in South Africa, organisations who knew the people and what would have the greatest impact. In 2019 the charity closed, having trained over 5,500 vital community and creche leaders and, through them, impacted the lives of over 1 million children, and in some parts of South Africa this work continues.

Conversations have been recorded with Lesley, South-African partners, trustees and others to make an audio archive. Click on each Chapter icon to listen. There is a full podcast at the end.

This is the story of the infant trust:

---

PROLOGUE One woman, a million children. Read by Abbe Opher (3m 32s)
CHAPTER ONE Lesley explains how it all began in conversation with Leslie Skipper, a former BBC journalist and fellow Trustee. (3m 4s)
CHAPTER TWO Lesley explores the realities in South Africa, forges relationships and looks for support. (4m 10s)
CHAPTER THREE Lesley gets the charity off the ground and finds a major donor, Dr Chai Patel. (8m 2s)
CHAPTER FOUR Lesley sets out to get publicity and attract more donations. (2m 9s)
CHAPTER FIVE Lesley recruits two former colleagues as Trustees - Linda McQuaid, who took on governance, and Liz Williams, who accompanied Lesley on trips to South Africa. (6m 14s)
CHAPTER SIX Lesley reaches our to recruit further Trustees - Mike Brunt and Leslie Skipper. (6m 2s)
CHAPTER SEVEN Lesley gets serious work underway and Liz gets a surprise marriage proposal. (9m 41s)
CHAPTER EIGHT Lesley forms bonds with important figures in child protection in South Africa, including Yashmita Naidoo from the Child Abuse Treatment and Training Centre and Anna Louise Olivier from Childline/UVIWE. (7m 54s)
CHAPTER NINE Lesley gets recognition from Buckingham Palace and Downing Street and addresses an international conference in Malta, accompanied by Nicole Mamadi from Puppets Are Us. (4m 44s)
CHAPTER TEN The Trustees look back on their time with the Trust. (8m 40s)
CONCLUSION (1m 14s)
Full-length Podcast (1h 10m)