-
Make a real difference...
-
to communities across Africa.
-
Share skills and knowledge...
-
and sponsor children...
-
to develop a better future
-
...and change lives forever!
1994 was supposed to be a turning point for life in South Africa.
The widely despised and universally condemned system of apartheid
had been dismantled and Nelson Mandela took his place on the world
stage as president of the country after spending twenty seven
years in prison. Expectations were
running high that the newly installed ANC government would sweep
out the old yawning disparities in provision and create a new
society fairer for all. Expectations that some
thought were too high, and those doubters proved to be correct in many respects. Today
unemployment stands at 26.2% compared with 32% at the end of
apartheid (and still one of the world's highest rates). This
figure is of more concern when it is further analysed. Twenty-five
years after the end of apartheid, 36.5 % of blacks are
unemployed compared with 13.9% of Asians
and just 8.81% of whites.
South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world with more than 50% of its population living in poverty and 18.9% in extreme poverty with a life expectancy of 63.86 years (2018) and infant
mortality rates are running at 27.5 for every 1000 births (compared to 3.4% in the EU for the same period.) South
Africa has a higher number of HIV infections than any other
country on earth and an estimated 1.7 million children have
lost a parent to AIDS with, overall, roughly 14 percent of all children in South Africa being orphans. Crime levels are endemic, particularly sexual crimes,
with girls in South Africa having a one in three chance of
finishing school but a one in two chance of being raped. One in four South African males admit to rape, with over three
quarters first offending as teenage boys in the belief that
girls are 'fair game' and the crime is of little or no
consequence. According to South African police statistics, there were 21,325 murder victims in 2019, compare with 3,875 in the EU during the same period with a population ten times as large.
When apartheid ended in 1994, the
economy was dominated by whites, followed by Indians,
'coloureds' and then blacks. Although the ANC pledged to make
Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) its priority, today South
Africa is still ranked in the top ten countries in the world for
income inequality. Recent data indicates that white South Africans earn nearly three times the average wage made by black South Africans. This income inequality has become worse over the years with today the top 1% of earners taking home almost 20% of all income and the top 10% taken together taking home 65%. This means that 90% of South African earners take home only 35% of all income.
These factors
together with concerns of rife corruption at the very heart of
government are cited by many young people as instrumental in them leaving the country altogether, leaving
behind a lack of skilled professionals such as doctors and
nurses to service the country's emerging infrastructure. Former Archbishop
Desmond Tutu envisaged a 'Rainbow Nation' after apartheid, with
all races working together for prosperity for all, however as
one rural villager commentated "For someone at the bottom of the
ladder . . . things haven't changed much from the apartheid
years." The video (below) shows
daily life in South Africa together with comments from young
people about living in South Africa together with insights into
social problems such as poor housing.
Life in South Africa: Volunteer in South Africa
|
Life in South Africa: South Africa Children
|
Life in South Africa: Child Sponsor South Africa
|
Life in South Africa: South Africa Country Profile
|
|
Details of current volunteer work
opportunities in each of the
countries of Africa.
Find how to sponsor a child in Africa
with our list of organisations,
charities, programs and projects.
Discover all about Africa, its tourist
attractions, history, people, culture
and daily life there.
