Children grow up amid squalor, deprivation and violence. Poverty is of course rife, along with all the problems which so often accompany it. Crime is high, joblessness common, and education is patchy at best.

From the very beginning of life, the odds are stacked against children from nkomazi. Life expectancy is lower than average right from the outset, with malnutrition and risk of disease a constant threat. Physical development is restricted by stunting, and many children suffer psychologically as well.

These terrible circumstances have a devastating impact on young lives. Through no fault of their own, many young people are sucked into the violence and crime that surrounds them, developing aggressive behaviour and often drug abuse.

As families collapse under the many pressures which weigh down on them, children also face social exclusion due to their background and lack of education and skills, and, for many, discrimination persists throughout life.