Why We Chose South Africa

Why South Africa?

Why did we choose South Africa? In a world where there are so many children with so many sad histories, in a world where children are the victims of famines, war, tsunamis and neglect and in a world where there are hundreds of millions of children with a huge range of basic needs not being met, we had to make a choice which children to try to help first.

One of those almost impossible choices!

When we came to make it, even the process of how to make that decision was hard – after all we do not seem to live in a society where we have to make daily decisions about whom to help. Usually the only people we decide to help are ourselves.

In the end though the choice was simple. We have to start to help where we can help the greatest number of children in the shortest possible time. That means a country where we know that the infrastructures are in place to make projects happen, a country which itself is helping to change the lives of its people in as positive a way as it can with the money it has available, a country which is courageous and is optimistic and that will do everything it can to support and continue the work we do but also a country that has huge numbers of children lacking the most basic of human needs. That country is South Africa.

One side of the coin

Hundreds…. No, thousands…… No, millions of children in South Africa live in households with an income of less than £51 (R800) per month - 11 MILLION children and young people, living on 30 pence per day. Unbelievable, inconceivable, impossible? Actually, harsh and simple reality for these children - they have lived, No, existed, for many years in a state of Absolute Poverty.

Apart from a lack of food, fresh water, and often shelter what are the consequences? A handicap for life.

Survival is tough – daily! Food is scarce and of poor quality, water is dirty, parents are ill and unable to care, outside is unsafe, fatal disease is watching over you, education fails you! A childhood – but not as we know it. No way! How can we not help these children?

The flip side of the coin

We had to know that all of our donations would really make a long lasting and consistent difference and that they would be part of a huge push to positively change the lives of the children in the country we chose, and ultimately the future of its people. That’s why we chose South Africa. Until 15 years ago she was a country divided by colour, by wealth, by gender. Today she is working incredibly hard to recognize that all of her people count and are valuable. She has a stable constitutional democracy; she has had, until last year, 14 years of uninterrupted economic growth; she has built more than 3 million houses for disadvantaged communities; she has extended water and electricity services to more than 70% of all her households; she has introduced state allowances for thirteen million children and old-age pensioners; she is spending one third of her health budget on antiretroviral HIV/AIDS drugs with a plan to eventually have full population coverage; she produces a third of sub-Saharan Africa’s gross economic product which has meant more employment opportunities for her people which in turn has lifted millions of families out of Absolute Poverty. She is helping herself.

The global economic recession has hit South Africa the hardest of all countries. She is not having it easy!

We know our decision to help is the right one.

Why did we choose South Africa? …. How could we not!