Despite South Africa's successful transition to democracy, poverty, illiteracy and HIV/AIDS continue to dominate the lives of millions of South African's.

The struggle many families experience in the face of high unemployment and low levels of literacy has been compounded by the onset of HIV and AIDS. The pandemic has led to a significant increase in the number of orphans in need of care. At the same time, poverty undermines the ability of the extended family to absorb these children. Already burdened by the demands of their own families, many find it impossible to extend their meagre resources to care for the children of family members lost to the pandemic.

Children growing up in these circumstances are often extremely vulnerable. They are rendered vulnerable by, amongst others:

• The demands of having to care for dying parents
• The trauma associated with the loss of their parents
• The loss and lack of material security (household income, shelter, security of tenure and physical protection)
• The lack of food security resulting in hunger and an increased risk of malnutrition
• The loss of childhood as a result of having to take on adult roles (e.g. provider and caregiver to younger siblings)

This results in:

• An increased likelihood of absenteeism, failure and premature exiting from formal schooling
• An increased risk of substance misuse and involvement in (survival) crime
• An increased vulnerability to exploitation (violence, sexual abuse, child labour etc)

Ultimately, this maintains the cycle of poverty and undermines the ability of the child to live a full and meaningful life.