The Current Situation

• About 48.5% of the South African population (21.9 million) live below the national poverty line of R354 per month.
• Nearly 60% (11 million) of all children in South Africa live in dire poverty on less than R200 per month.
• Approximately 30% of the country’s population experience food insecurity. For many children this means starvation.
• The infant mortality rate is 45 per 1000 (average for SA), and the rate for under-5’s is 59 per 1000. It is estimated that the under-5 mortality rate will almost double by the year 2010 to 99.5 per 1000 as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
• It is estimated that 1 in every 10 children is infected with a chronic illness.
• Many children use pit latrines for toilets. 24% of schools have no water in walking distance and an average of one toilet per 20 learners. 11.7% have no sanitation at all.
• According to the Education Atlas, approximately 1.2 million children of school-going age are not attending school, and approximately 40 000 children attend on a part-time basis.