HIV/AIDS poses the single greatest threat to Africa's efforts to achieve its full potential. South Africa is amongst the countries hardest hit. The number of Aids orphans spirals.
"AIDS kills those on whom society relies to grow the crops, work in the mines and factories, run the schools and hospitals and govern countries... It creates new pockets of poverty when parents and breadwinners die and children leave school earlier to support the remaining children." - Nelson Mandela
Sakhumzi was started by an energetic and impressive lady named Amelia, who - without any formal funding support - took into her own home orphans who had nowhere else to go. The premises have expanded and she now also looks after children who would otherwise have no care during the day.
Mike Low, (former chairman) visited Sakhumzi at the end of 2001. At that time 150 children were being cared for at her home, 75 were day-care children.
Amelia puts all her energy and love into her project. She wishes to give as many children as possible a life in dignity and a hope for the future. Every day new children join, yet she is incapable of rejecting any one of them."What shall I do? If I do not give them a home, these children will be lost for all times." Amelia is constantly dreaming up ways in which these children can be better cared for.
