SA will have 2,5m orphans by 2010

October 24 2007 at 08:40AM
By Mercury reporter

Little children are not supposed to die before grownups, but a staggering number in South Africa do, because they are left without proper care by a society overwhelmed by the rising need for social welfare.

In many state-funded child welfare centres, social workers - who are among the worst paid professionals in the country - are battling with 300-500 cases each, says Antje Hockley who runs the Thokomala Orphan Care Organisation, founded by Unilever.

Hockley, speaking at a fund-raising function organised by Unilever this week, said an estimated 25 000 new social welfare cases were presented to social workers countrywide every month, and children's homes were battling to cope.

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