Nelie was just 4 years old when it happened the first time. Her brother continued to abuse her throughout her childhood.
She was only 13 when a father figure in her life assaulted her and she became pregnant.
Nelie can't even receive a government grant to support her baby as there is no birth certificate. As a minor herself, she cannot submit legal documents - her mother must legally apply, and she hasn't.
Perhaps the most brutal of all outcomes of the orphan crisis in South Africa is when mere children are left to fend for themselves.
Licensed social workers on staff with Focus on the Family oversee the "Tales of Hope" program to help meet the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual needs of upwards of 150 children just like Nelile, every year.
The majority of the children in the program have been serially raped and abused; Focus Africa created Tales of Hope to help meet this extreme need.
17 авг 2023
