news / NMCF UK annual staff visit to South Africa

During every visit to South Africa, the NMCF UK staff are always amazed and inspired by the children and young people we encounter. Whilst our work is making great strides with those living in poverty there are still millions more children living in desperate need:

It's a dull grey day in Soweto, the Johannesburg township famed for being at the forefront of the anti apartheid struggles as home to both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Passing shabby one room houses and approaching the dilapidated hall, the sound of drumming and whooping grows louder. Inside the hall dullness and dampness vanish in the face of an extraordinary display of acrobatic dancing and singing.

This is Thabisong Youth Club where children from 6 to 22 learn to dance and sing - performing across Europe and in many cases becoming professional dancers.

Funded by the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Thabisong is all that Nelson Mandela hoped for in offering life chances to young people. It takes children from a very deprived area and develops them to their full potential - giving them skills and confidence as they become young adults.

The dances they perform are inspired by the history and culture of South Africa, and as many young people barely remember their parents who have died, this connects them to their culture and identity and helps them to develop self esteem.

And a sense of self is vital in a country where the impact of HIV and Aids is severe. NMCF ensures that HIV prevention information is included in all its work and a fall in infection rates among teenagers underlines the continuing importance of this approach.