Yet, with economic complexities and physical necessities, the strength of this bond is diminishing. In our world today, 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. For every two who start taking antiretroviral drugs, another five become newly infected.

Thanda works to strengthen the ubuntu bond, to work with people in the community so they are able not just to help one another survive, but to thrive.

“History will be our judge, but what’s written is up to us. Who we are, who we’ve been, what we want to be remembered for. We can’t say our generation didn’t know how to do it. We can’t say our generation couldn’t afford to do it. And we can’t say our generation didn’t have reason to do it. It’s up to us... We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies -- but will we be that generation?”
-Bono

Sub-Saharan Africa...
Accounts for 71% of all AIDS deaths.

Could expect over 5 million of its children to be orphaned by 2015.

Almost half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population lives in extreme poverty.

South Africa...
Has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world -- 5.7 million, which is almost a fifth of adults.

Could expect 2.2 million of its children to be orphaned by AIDS by 2015.

72% of people who need ARV treatment aren’t actually receiving it.

Kwazulu-Natal...
Has the worst HIV/AIDS infection rate of all the provinces, with 40% pregnant women estimated to be HIV positive.

KZN accounts for a third of all orphans in South Africa.

Life expectancy at birth in KZN is a dismal 43 years.

Over half of 15-year-olds today are not expected to live to age 60 because of HIV/AIDS.