Evangeline** is now 70 years old, and still works in a voluntary capacity for a non-profit organisation in one of South Africa's biggest informal settlements.

She has much to be proud of. In 2002, Evangeline - in her sixties - was the first student to pass Fair Share's Certificate in Economic Development (CED) course with distinction. Prior to that, she says the "University of the Community" was her learning institution.

In 2002, Evangeline reached a…

Pozisa (Pozi) Matoti has been the Centre Manager since December 2005. Initially, training and working as a social worker, Pozi worked as a radio announcer for a while before returning to social work, and finding her way to the Fikelela Children's Home in Khayelitsha - a huge and densely pupulated township on the outskirts of Cape Town, with the highest HIV rate in the Wester Cape of South Africa.

At any given time, roughly 60% of the children are HIV+, having been placed at…

Fikelela Children's Centre aims to restore sick children back to health, and then place them in suitable, trained foster care in the community, with ongoing support and monitoring. Says Fikelela Coordinator Reverend Rachel Mash: "Love is the greatest gift you can give a child, particularly a child that has been traumatised by beavement, neglect or hurt. The difference in the health of the children when they come into an environment where they are loved and cared for and supported…

Sanja Bornmann, Programme Officer for ACESS, shares a

personal reflection about her motivation to defend human rights.

This is a story about conducting our work in accordance with the values of respect for the human dignity of all those around us, and connecting with people on a personal…

ACESS Executive Director, Kevin Rousell, shares a source of organisational pride: ACESS' ability to interact with policy dialogue to advance children's rights in South Africa:

The policy space in South Africa has been opened to allow for people-driven reforms to undo the legacy of apartheid.

ACESS has…