our work / Re-uniting families

Sitting in the shade of a guava tree, Nelisiwe smiled shyly and said, yes, she was happy now that her brother Solomon was back at home with the family.

Life had been very hard for Nelisiwe, aged 9 and her brother Solomon, now 13, since their father died and their mother had struggled to find work. The family often had no food and eventually Solomon left home to seek work and money on the streets of Nelspruit.

Workers from the Moses Sihlangu centre, one of the programme partners of Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, found Solomon on the street, persuaded him to come to their centre, and after 9 months of discussion with his family he was reunited with them and they are now a happier functioning family.

Solomon's mother was supported initially with food, and the provision of a school uniform meant that Solomon could attend school. Now his mother has a job on a farm and so can provide for her family and the children are clearly blossoming in a more stable environment.