As the delightful quote from Dr Seuss reminds us: ‘ The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ Reading is so central to learning and life, that it’s impossible to imagine being able to survive without it.
It’s sad that misinformation and marketing messages lead mothers to think that commercially produced infant formula is better for babies than breastmilk. The truth is, ‘breast is best’ – and that’s a fact. The importance of breastfeeding to a child’s health and development – as well as its role in mother-baby bonding – is just one of several reasons that our Sireletsa Bana project is helping to build children’s health in Limpopo’s Capricorn District and in Thabo Mofutsanyane District in the Free State.
Marking the International Day of the Girl Child (11October), Save the Children South Africa (SCSA), calls for genuine action to protect migrant girls. In a country where child abuse is prevalent, migrant girls are some of the most vulnerable children and a target for sexual exploitation, forced marriage and forced labour.