Donate to: AIDS Orphan Crisis / Mavela Creche
In the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, there are a significant number of children whose parents have died due to HIV/AIDS. After their parents’ death, these children often either raise themselves or are raised by older siblings. In this situation, these children cannot attend school because they have trouble meeting their most basic needs, food and adequate shelter. In response, MCDI and our local partners support a crèche in Mavela (about an hour north of Durban in the sub-district of Ndwedwe) that provides educational opportunities and childcare to these families. A crèche is an organization of adults who help take care of children in place of their parents. The Mavela crèche is staffed by volunteer teachers and community workers and provides care and support to almost 80 children through education, childcare, feeding, and income-generation activities. In addition, the crèche provides financial assistance for schooling and, through a liaison from the Department of Social Welfare, facilitates foster care grants that enable the children to focus on their education rather than on their next meal. MCDI and its partners also provide support to the Mavela Hospice which takes in HIV/AIDS infected patients and work with the Ministry of Health to ensure that mobile clinics visit the crèche.
