Joseph

This four-year old little boy weighed just nine kilograms when he first joined our Naledi Centre.

He was taken in by his grandmother last year, after his mother died and the pair survive on the old lady's State pension.

The attention that Joseph is receiving through ACFS is making real change possible in his life. His health is monitored, he's getting enough nutritious food to grow properly and he's able to play and learn.

Connies

Connies, who also comes to our Naledi centre, lives with her grandfather as her mother is unemployed.

We are monitoring this three-year-old very closely as her progress is slow. She was referred to the clinic for deworming, but despite this, she has barely put on any weight.

Ntando

Four-year-old Ntando weighed 11 kg when we first met her at our Zola centre. She's been living with her granny since her mother died three years ago.

Her granny gets a government grant of R190 per month to help her support the little girl, but it's not enough to raise a child.

Pumi

Four-year-old Pumi has to be fetched from home every morning by one of the Zola centre teachers – because her mother is too ill to bring her to the centre.

Her mom has AIDS and Pumi herself is HIV positive. She's on anti-retroviral treatment and takes her medicine every morning after breakfast at the centre.

Pumi's already gained two kilograms – and has changed from a shy, emaciated child with sores on her mouth and sad eyes, to a playful little girl with an ever increasing zest for life.