When kids go hungry: COVID-19 relief grant misses the mark for children

Posted in: Child health, Latest

Over 7 million caregivers and 13 million children have been plunged deeper into poverty as payouts of the R500 caregiver grant ended in October. While this top-up was discontinued, the COVID-19 Special Relief of Distress grant which reaches an estimated 6 million people was extended. In the final article of a six-part series on child hunger, Kathryn Cleary speaks to mothers, children and experts about the implications of these decisions about grants.

When kids go hungry: COVID-19 relief grant misses the mark for children

When kids go hungry: Elsenburg’s women fill the food parcel ‘gap’

Posted in: Child health, Latest, Provinces, Western Cape

After not receiving any government food parcels, one Western Cape farming community pulled together to provide their own COVID-19 relief. In the fifth article of a six-part series on child hunger, Kathryn Cleary spoke to a few women from Elsenburg who have distributed their own food parcels and started soup kitchens to feed hungry children and families in their community.

When kids go hungry: Elsenburg’s women fill the food parcel ‘gap’

When kids go hungry: One young man’s struggle for food and love in Sun City

Posted in: Child health, Eastern Cape, Latest, Provinces

Food is not the only thing needed to end child hunger and malnutrition. Another invisible nutrient is love. In the second of a six-part series focussing on child hunger, Kathryn Cleary speaks to a 19-year-old about his battle against the vicious cycle of hunger and poverty in the Eastern Cape.

When kids go hungry: One young man’s struggle for food and love in Sun City

COVID-19: What life is like in Khayelitsha after the surge

Posted in: Latest, Provinces, Western Cape

On alert level two of South Africa’s lockdown and despite authorities warning against complacency, residents in places such as Khayelitsha are not just more relaxed, but many are abandoning COVID-19 safety precautions. Siyabonga Kamnqa reports.

COVID-19: What life is like in Khayelitsha after the surge

COVID-19: Some homeless people choose streets over shelters

Posted in: Latest

As most people in South Africa prepare for another week in their homes under South Africa’s national COVID-19 lockdown, Amy Green spoke to some of Johannesburg’s many homeless persons about why they choose life on the street over government shelters.

COVID-19: Some homeless people choose streets over shelters

COVID-19: We need a People-led not Army-enforced Lockdown

Posted in: Latest

South Africa’s 21-day lockdown is a drastic measure intended to help and protect the public. For it to work it needs an extraordinary level of trust, communication and clear messaging and will have to be implemented with belief, commitment and engagement by the vast majority of our people, writes Dr Lydia Cairncross and Kelly Gillespie.