SolidarMed in South Africa

Through the projects ‘Children for Change’ and ‘Ilitha’, SolidarMed works with local partner organisations to support children, adolescents and caregivers in Johannesburg and East London, providing healthcare, education and economic stability.

Window of Hope:

Life in Johannesburg’s run-down centre and informal settlements is hard. Residents are traumatised by violence, physical and emotional neglect, displacement, social and economic exclusion, poverty and HIV/AIDS.  This leads to widespread hopelessness, apathy, alcoholism and drug use. The loss of a whole generation of parents to HIV/AIDS means that many children have lost loved ones and are living with grandparents, aunts or uncles.

SolidarMed and local partner organisation, Sophiatown Community Psychological Services (SCPS), help children and caregivers who are affected by HIV and living in poverty to break the cycle of depression and helplessness and to take ownership of their lives. 

Ilitha:

Children and adolescents living in poverty and affected by HIV in informal settlements and on farms around the South African city of East London are often lacking the parental affection, upbringing, stimulation, academic support and medical care they need for healthy development. They therefore end up in their parents’ vicious circles of  poverty, poor education, unemployment and a lack of prospects, alcohol and drug use, right through to domestic violence. In short, an environment in which HIV can easily spread.

SolidarMed has been working with local partner organisation, Jika Uluntu, to support these children and adolescents and their parents since 2017. Its work aims to help strengthen physical and mental health, improve school attendance and performance, and boost the economic resilience of households. SolidarMed is therefore helping to give children and adolescents the chance of a brighter future.