Children in AfricaIn 1994, Humanity scored a major victory with the official end of Apartheid in South Africa, and while much progress has been made since this date, over 50 percent of the population still lives in poverty, with a large portion of these living in extreme poverty.

In the extreme-poverty sectors of South Africa, the so called “squatter camps,” little to no progress has been made. Due to their economic situations, time has essentially stood still since that momentous occasion, and they are still living in the same conditions as they did during Apartheid.

A squatter camp, (and there are many in South Africa) is essentially a government-sanctioned location, where the poorest of society build shacks in order to somehow eke out a living. As they are located at the edges of society, they lack basic services such as running water, electricity, food, and proper sanitation — not to mention medical support or any form of social services.

Children growing up in squatter camps frequently eat only one meal a day, do not have basic hygiene facilities, and do not have the opportunity to go to preschool. If and when they do make it to school, they are so far behind that they almost never catch up.  Read more