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this Tuesday June 17, 2003, SABC 3 at 9h30 pm -

"A helping hand"

Are little children still dying from malnutrition in the Eastern Cape?

Two years ago Special Assignment visited parts of our poorest province. We discovered that in the Mount Frere district, one out of ten children die from malnutrition before their tenth birthday. Sixty percent of the population is unemployed and few of house have running water and electricity.

For the past 20 years malnutrition has been the main cause of death among children younger than one in the Eastern Cape. In April 1998 they were given a lifeline when a new system of child grants was put in place. Every household earning R1200 or less a month in the urban areas and R800 or less in the rural areas qualified for a child grant. This is for children under the age of 9.

There was one big problem, we discovered. Without a birth certificate, it was impossible to access a child support grant.

In response to our programme, the government leapt into action. Home Affairs and the Department of Social Welfare sent mobile units to the people, to make it easier to acquire the necessary paperwork. Self-help projects like vegetable gardens were started so people could help themselves. Food packages were delivered to those in desperate need.

To see if this community outreach programme has delivered, we recently paid a return visit to the Mount Frere district. We discovered that people are better informed about the grant system. Many more families have acquired grants and food gardens are starting to flourish. But there are still enormous problems. Unemployment has increased and many families are forced to rely entirely on their R160 a month child support grant. Although fewer children land up in hospital, children are still dying from diseases caused by malnutrition. In our time at the local hospital, a child died every day.

This investigation is directed by Mpho Moagi and filmed by Mwandile Njokulu.

page by Steven Lang