Driefontain Orphanage is located on a farm in the Mid-Vaal area of South Africa. It is one example of a community's attempts to address the AIDS pandemic without adequate resources or support. SOLID recognizes the challenges faced by this informal orphanage. While many programs and grants exist in South Africa to assist orphans, Driefontaine's status as squatters does not entitle them to government or foreign aid. SOLID is collecting support for the orphanage in the short term, and working with the Vaal University of Technology's Community Services department on arranging for their long-term stability.

Mr. and Mrs. Tashabalala took in their first orphan in 1979 and curently care for aproximatly 45 children. They have neither electricity or running water. All cooking is done on an ancient coal stove located in one of the 4 or 5 tin shacks that make up various living quarters along with a larger traditional style building used for eating and sleeping quarters. None of the structures is large enough for all the children to eat a meal together in, or for all the children to sleep together. As a result there are small eating and sleeping areas scattered through out the compound.

Mrs. Tashabalala is a midwife and has been trained in home care. There is no clinic or hospital nearby, so when one of the children becomes sick she cares for them at home. A nurse does come out to the site once a month. Few of the children have been tested for HIV/AIDS. Only one child is on anti-retroviral drugs. The youngest child at the orphanage is now 10 months old and lost his mother to AIDS related illness last December. Mrs.Tashabalala regularly goes into the outlying community and cares for the sick and dying; when they are gone she brings their children home to live with her ever-expanding family.

In February of 2005, SOLID members were able to provide a donation of some needed supplies and food staples with donations from friends on Salt Spring. Though the truck load sent was a big help it was only a temporary relief. The needs of Driefontain are great. Of paramount importance to the health and well being of the children and care providers at Driefontain is the need for running water on sight, a proper sound structure, and electricity. In the mean time a new gas stove would
help to ease the chore of feeding 45 hungry children, along with support to meet basic food needs of the residents.