Giyani Project, South Africa

See the progress you helped make happen in your sponsored community

When the project started, many families were struggling to earn a living. Education quality was poor, and child malnutrition and diseases caused by dirty water and poor hygiene were common.

Thanks to your support, your sponsored child and other children in the Giyani community have improved access to quality education, clean water, healthcare and nutritious food.

Together we've achieved so much

88 percent of children aged 11 and over can read and write

This is up from 46 percent in 2014 and it follows literacy and numeracy programs that included homework clubs, extra classes and teacher training.

  • The rate of teenage pregnancy dropped markedly, from an average of 10 students per school per year to an average of one after an awareness program that focused on encouraging girls to finish school and start a career before having children.
  • Nine schools were supplied with new learning materials and the quality of education improved following the training of 25 teachers in early childhood development and literacy.
  • The school drop-out rate is now five percent, down from 35 percent in 2014. This is due in part to the provision of bicycles to help children get to school, as many were dropping out because of the long distances they had to walk each day.

54 water tanks were erected and one borehole drilled

This increased the percentage of people with access to clean water to 78 percent, up from 65 percent in 2014.

  • 1,232 people were trained in hygienic hand-washing behaviour to prevent the spread of disease. The training resulted in 79 percent of children knowing about good hygiene practices, up from 33 percent in 2014.
  • Nine high schools were stocked with menstrual hygiene packs, helping to ensure girls do not stay home from school when they have their periods due to a lack of sanitary items. One creche gained a hygienic toilet.
  • Routine child immunisation and nutrition check-ups are now taking place in the community, after 340 mothers were educated on the importance of immunisation as a preventative health measure.

Incomes increased as farmers harvested five times as much produce

This followed training in composting and water harvesting. New connections with markets are helping them sell their produce.

  • 120 households were trained in growing vegetables at home which, combined with an overall increase in incomes, helped lower the rate of stunting and wasting in children due to malnutrition from 65 percent to 23 percent.
  • 49 percent of people know how to harvest and retain water, up from 20 percent in 2014. This is particularly important as Giyani is a very hot area and water harvesting is essential to prevent crops and animals from dying due to a lack of water.

"World Vision have changed my life, and there are no other words than thank you for paving a brighter future for me."

- Hope, aged 16