South Africa has an estimated 3.4 million orphans as a result of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic. The problem is compounded by severe poverty and unemployment within marginalised communities. The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, has called on all parishes to provide and support a foster home for orphaned, abandoned and HIV/AIDS-affected children, in accordance with scriptural injunctions. The St. Francis Outreach Trust has responded to this call by providing poverty relief, assisting in finding work and training for the unemployed and building and managing foster homes in Masiphumelele.
Why immediate action is needed
- There are over 18 million children living in South Africa
- Over 360 000 of these children are thought to be infected by HIV/AIDS
- Almost 5 million children live in sub-standard, overcrowded households
- Almost 3 million are faced with hunger on a daily basis, and over 20% of all South African children under 9 years old have had their growth stunted by a lack of adequate nutrition
Unless widespread action is taken immediately, these statistics are going to continue to become more and more shocking. Help us to provide a better life for our fellow human beings.
