27/03/2003 - No running water is a concept that is difficult for some people to grasp but for 38 children at the Vulamehlo Crèche in a township near Pietermaritzburg it was a daily reality.

The teachers at the crèche had to rely on the kindness of neighbouring households to supply them with water to drink and wash with. That is, until SOS Children's Village Pietermaritzburg stepped in to help.

As part of the SOS Children's Village Pietermaritzburg Community Outreach Programme they donated a tank that can hold 2 500 litres of water to the crèche. The outreach programme is currently helping six other crèches in the Slanspuit, Imbali and kwaPata areas. They are being helped with the fencing of their premises, educational material, kitchen and outdoor facilities, as well as food, where necessary. The programme also supports child-headed families in the area by giving food parcels and paying for the children's educational needs.