In South Africa we work with CHOSA - Giving Hope to the Children of South Africa. CHOSA supports several community based projects such as children's homes, sports programs, daycare centers, and a family-strengthening initiative. All the projects they work with strive to provide local solutions to local problems.

We have chosen to work with CHOSA as we believe in their mission of empowering the people they support. They have a close relationship with all projects and we know that the money we donate goes to those that need it most, and who will use it the way that will make the most impact. CHOSA has local staff in South Africa who visit the projects regularly, can introduce different projects to each other, and can offer valuable advice to the fantastic people who run all the projects.

In a poverty-stricken township outside Capetown sits Ubuhle Babantwana, an orphanage and daycare center that cares for over 100 of the neediest children. They provide food, health care, education, and a loving family to orphaned and vulnerable children of all ages.

Mama Pumla, the founder of Ubuhle Babantwana, had a dream to build additional structures that would allow her to help even more children in need.

Cultural Care Au Pair helped her fulfill this wish. In 2008, Ikhaya Lami (Our New Home) was built with funds raised through Kids First activities.

In South Africa, over five million children are characterized as severely deprived. Many of them are orphaned. Many are sick with HIV/AIDS and are malnourished. Still more don't go to school because of destitution or discrimination.

The money donated by Kids First for children in South Africa goes through CHOSA. As CHOSA is on site, and is in regular contact with the projects, they know where the need is greatest. The donations might go to one project, or to several projects. The projects themselves then decide what they need most. It can be salaries for teachers, educational materials, a new building, beds, a washing machine. The needs change daily and the ones that know best, are really the people who run the projects.

Let us help CHOSA strengthen the local communities and provide the resources needed to raise resilient, healthy and happy children throughout South Africa.

We visited Ilitha-Labantwana, a 'Place of Safety' which is run by a fantastic woman called Rosemary. Around 15 children live with Rosemary as they have no families to take care of them for a variety of reasons.

Despite their hardships, the children at Rosemary's are affectionate, happy and great kids. When we visited, they all wanted to borrow our sun glasses. It made them laugh so hard that we decided to use a few of our Kids First dollars to buy sun glasses for them. It put a smile on their faces, and ours...

While visiting Cape  Town, we found out that 8 children were sleeping on the floor at Ilitha-Labantwana. Rosemary, the founder, had applied for a grant to buy two bunk beds but after having waited for one year, her request was denied.

Kids First donated money so that Rosemary could buy the beds. Her only complaint.... it is harder to get the kids out of bed for school now!