Before reading about the first event in South Africa it may be helpful for me to paint a picture of what it is like in the area we were serving. Here are some facts and stats about South Africa and it’s black townships… |
 A typical black community in South Africa is called a township or squatter camp. It is made up of shacks that usually house 10 to 20 people. |
 Townships developed as a result of the “Group Areas Act” of the 1950’s, where the different races were forced to segregate their living situations. This was the beginning of what we know as the Apartheid, the black S. Africans refer to it as “The Struggle.” |
 Though the “Group Areas Act” has been abolished most communities still remain segregated and there is a large gap between the rich and the poor (the majority of the population). |
 On April 27 1994, only 10 years ago, for the first time in South African history the black majority was allowed to elect their own leaders. After being a political prisoner for 27 years Nelson Mandela was elected as the first black S. African President. |
 The township we worked with was Philippi, which is made up of about 100,000, and close to 90% of the working class is unemployed. |
 The clinic in Philippi serves over 300,000 people and has one doctor. |
 The life expectancy in all of South Africa is 31 and is even lower in the townships. |
 Over 25% of the adult population is infected with HIV/AIDS. |
 More then 600 people in South Africa die a day from AIDS related complications. |
 50% of children under the age of 15 will die of AIDS related causes by the age of 25. |
 A recent report from the Medical Research Council estimated that AIDS will account for 45% if adult deaths this year and 78.6% if deaths by 2010. |
 It is predicted that South Africa will have 5 million orphans by 2008. |
 Each year over 150,000 children are orphaned by AIDS. |
