Child Brides for Sale

Nolwizi, a victim of forced marriage An age old custom in South Africa traditionally allowed parents to arrange the marriages of their children in exchange for a bride price or, as it is commonly referred to in South Africa, lobolo. Jocelyne Sambira reports. Girls, as young as 14, are kidnapped and forced to marry complete strangers who are much older. Although the custom was abandoned in the early 60s, in villages like Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape where Nolwizi Sinama lives, the... Read More

A parent at 15

Thandazile Nombele is a fifteen year old South African girl More than 10% of children in South Africa are orphans. With the gradual loss of the African kinship care system, children are no longer taken in by the extended family, and most have no access to alternative care structures. So, they end up living alone or with their younger siblings in what are called child-headed households.  Jocelyne Sambira reports. Thandazile Nombele is a fifteen year old South African girl who... Read More