A society is measured by the quality of life it affords its children.

Almost 18 million of South Africa’s present population of approximately 40 million people are children, 9 million of whom are girl children. The majority of these children live in different degrees of want – lack of shelter, food, clothing, proper education, etc.

Because of unemployment, poverty, crime, child abuse, etc, their lives are in constant state of uncertainty and insecurity; hardship and suffering; neglect and little time for fun and enjoyment.

Children need to be children here and now. They cannot be the future unless they live the lives of children when they are children. In fact, if children cannot be children when they are children, they will negate the very future they are supposed to be.

Children need an environment that will provide good health, safety, fun and enjoyment and the stimulus to learn and assist in the creation of the very environment they need to grow up as children and good citizens.It is only if they are first and foremost good citizens, can they be leaders.

Children can be socialised (educate and trained) to be agents for change and should be prepared to contribute to the creation of a society in which they can be children here and now. Therefore the need for a social movement of children so that they can act as a collective to contribute to the building of a better way of life for all.

The Children's Resource Centre (CRC) will strive to assist children to organise themselves into a social movement of children so that children can contribute to the general welfare of all children.

Snapshot of Children in South Africa

• In our country there live 7 million girls and 7 million boys aged under 14 years, which means children of this age make up 29.2% of the total population.

            Education:

• The literacy-rate in South Africa amounts 86.4%, which means that 13.6% of our people can’t read or write properly, which excludes them from a lot of  different opportunities and activities.

• The average South African young person goes to school for 13 years, which means he/she doesn’t receive further education after high school.

• 96% of children of the age between 0 and 17 attend an education facility. What are the other 4% of them doing? It should be 100%.

            Poverty:

• 3 in every 5 of children younger than 17 are living in poor households with a total income less than R1,200, mostly in rural areas.Every fifth child in SA suffers from hunger and under-nutrition.

           Health:

• 4 out of 10 children have to travel more than 30 minutes to the nearest available clinic, which can jeopardize their life in a cruel situation.

• 1 in 20 Infants dies before their first birthday.

• Half of our children younger than 17 don’t have access to clean, reliable water supply in their house or yard.

• 5 million South Africans are infected with HIV, every single day 1,000 of them die.

• 1 in every 3 children younger than 17 lives in informal housing.

• South Africa was ranked the country with the second highest crime rate in the world by the United Nations.

• Every day 3 children get killed, mostly by perpetrators out of their close social environment.