See information on CNN's recently aired special documentary 'Where Have All The
Parents Gone?'
full story...
Click the picture below to see a short clip about HIV / AIDS:
Introduction
Sihawukelwe Lauren 's Children 's Home (SLCH) supports orphaned
children in Umzinyathi, a village in northeastern South Africa in the
KwaZulu-Natal area of South Africa. The health status of the children
is unknown; however, all are orphans as a result of AIDS. Currently, seventeen
(17) children, ages 3 to 18 years, live there full time as they transition to
community or government supported programs. SLCH USA also provides funding of
food to both live-in children and orphans supported by community families, and
as many as 60 deserving children visit daily for meals. This program is in
response to the terrible impact that HIV / AIDS has had in Africa, with 2005
statistics that paint a startling picture of family devastation as a result of
AIDS in South Africa:
16.2% of the population from 15 to 49 years have HIV / AIDS
10.8% of the population over 2 years are living with HIV / AIDS
30.2% of all pregnant women have HIV / AIDS
An estimated 53 Million children that live in the sub-saharan countries in
southern Africa have already lost one (1) parent to HIV / AIDS
16.5% of the population over 2 years have HIV / AIDS, the highest in South
Africa
Kwazulu-Natal is 53% higher than the national
average for HIV / AIDS in South Africa
Currently, a center of HIV treatment excellence is being
developed at McCord Hospital, a preeminent hospital
& HIV/AIDS research facility in Durban, South Africa, in a joint
program with Harvard Medical School, Massachucetts General Hospital,
and the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine. SLCH USA is pleased that McCord
Hospital has agreed to partner with us to provide rural
community health resources that will strengthen our ability to care for these
children.
SLCH USA functions as the principal funding source
to support the day-to-day operations of SLCH and to provide long-range planning
and financial support. The opportunities for assisting in expanding this
program into other health and social welfare areas are boundless. Everyone is
invited to participate in trips to Umzinyathi. Contact Sandie Griffith,
President/Board of Directors SLCH at sandiegriffith@comcast.net.
Where is the
Children's Home?
The facility is location in Umzinyathi, a village in northeastern part of the
country located in the KwaZulu-Natal province of
South Africa, that has been ravaged by AIDS. The health status of the children
who come to SLCH is unknown, and rarely have they ever been tested. AIDS
deaths, often related finally to TB or pneumonia, of both children and adults
are commonplace. Durban, a seaport on the Indian Ocean and second largest
city in South Africa (2.7 million population) is the nearest commercial center,
about 30 miles away. Umzinyathi residents are Zulu tribal. They speak Zulu,
although all of the school children also speak English. Most work as
subsistence farmers or commute to Durban for laborer jobs, although some men
even live in Johannesburg and work in the diamond mines. Durban is known
as " South Africa's Playground" and is a diverse cultural center including a
large Indian community. Durban's proximity to the warm Mozambique current
ensures an equable, sub-tropical climate. Unfortunately,
unemployment in South Africa is a significant problem, with
unemployement current estimated at 26.7% creating significant poverty issues
within South Africa and creating great needs for humanitarian assistance in
rural areas across the country.
The AIDS Pandemic in South Africa
South Africa is currently experiencing one of the most severe HIV epidemics in
the world. By the end of 2005, there were five and a half million people living
with HIV in South Africa, and almost 1,000 AIDS deaths occurring every day,
according to UNAIDS estimates.1
A number of factors have been blamed for the rapid rise in HIV prevalence in
South Africa, and debate has raged about whether the Government's response to
the epidemic has been sufficient. This page aims to examine the effect that
AIDS has had on the country, the measures that have been taken to prevent it,
and the current attitudes and viewpoints that surround the crisis.
Key
Statistics
The information below is taken primarily from the studies contained in the
REFERENCE section below and includes key information about the significant
problem of HIV and AIDS in South Africa:
10.8% of all South Africans over 2 years old
were living with HIV in 2005.
For ages 15 and 49 years old, the estimated HIV prevalence was 16.2%
in 2005.
HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women was 30.2%
in 2005.
The province of KwaZulu-Natal (where our facility is
located) ranked the highest for HIV/AIDS in South Africa, with 16.5%
of all South Africans over 2 years of age, 53% higher
than the country average.
