Most young children in South Africa are adversely impacted by various social and economic imbalances. Apartheid and the socio-economic inequalities that follow on have created a childhood of hardship for a large number of black South African children in the country, including inadequate access to nutrition, education, health care and social services. This has damaged the progress of these children. There are approximately 6,5 million South African children under the age of seven. Of these, some 3,8 million children (59,2%) live in circumstances of dire poverty (DoSD, DoE & DoH, 2004). Ubuntu Mabande supports informal rural/township crèches by providing teachers' training, mentoring and resources such as learning and teaching equipment and the refurbishment of the structures.