1000 Hills Community Helpers

Orphaned and Vulnerable

Orphaned and vulnerable children are probably the most overlooked need in Southern Africa. These children all have the same hopes, fears, dreams and needs. They are entitled to the same rights as other children in normal conditions, the right to education, healthcare, food, warm clothing, and a place to live and sleep.

Many of these children in rural areas such as the Inchanga, 1000 Hills area are care for and live with family members. A huge amount of these children are cared for by their grannies (known as "GoGo's") or extended family members such as aunts and uncles. The parents of these children have either died or are suffering from HIV/AIDS related illnesses and so are left orphaned. They are then taken in by other family members. Unfortunately, in a lot of these cases, these children tend become victims of physical or emotional abuse. This is largely due to alcohol and drug abuse. They are then taken in and lost in a decrepit social welfare system.

Others are abandoned at birth and some left for dead in a dustbin or worse. This puts an additional strain on local government agencies and social Non Profit Organisations/Non Government Organisations. In most cases, the child is abandoned either because of an unwanted pregnancy or the new born child is discovered to be infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and therefore stigmatized. These children need to be loved and protected as with any other child.