The Need

The need for the Home is supported by the following statistics:

  • On average, 600 people die from AIDS each day in South Africa
  • 21.5% of the entire South African population is living with HIV. This is among the highest infection rates in the world
  • The HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women is currently estimated at 27.9% nationally and 27.1% in the Eastern Cape
  • 250 babies are born HIV positive each day in South Africa
  • Average household income in the Eastern Cape is $1,300 per year, or 7,800 rand per year. The provincial unemployment rate is 32%
  • Because of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, the average life expectancy in South Africa is expected to drop to 36.5 years by 2010. It was 68.5 years before AIDS

In wake of these statistics, there will be thousands of orphaned children in the years to come in our service area. The need is there, and unfortunately, grows every day.