Although TLC is a registered non-profit charity in South Africa, TLC-USA is still seeking non-profit status in the US. Currently, our fiscal agent is Pittsburgh East Rotary Foundation, a registered 501.c.3. The costs of administering this organization are kept to a minimum, so 90% of your donation goes directly to help orphaned South African Children. To understand better how your money is spent, we invite you to read AMY'S STORY.

Amy turned 5 last Sunday. But given our financial situation, she doesn't know it and we have postponed her birthday celebrations until we can afford to do it justice.

The day she was born her mother tried to abscond, immediately after giving birth. After counselling, the social worker asked me to take her to the Child Commissioner as soon as possible to sign the baby up for adoption. They were afraid that she would run away before the legalities were done. I rushed over there to find a rather large, young girl of about 18 who had cried so much, her eyes were swollen almost shut. She had no clothes. They had been stolen from her locker during the night. But because the nurses were angry with her, they made me take her to Court in her hospital nighty. As she sat in the car sobbing silently, I could feel her pain so tangibly I had to turn my face away from her so that she would not see my own tears. She refused to talk to me at all. I never heard her voice once.

We found an adoptive family for Amy quickly. But they did an AIDS test (PCR) and found that she was an AIDS baby and they brought her back to TLC. They really wanted a well baby for adoption. We had another TLC family who fostered AIDS children at the time. They offered to take Amy into long-term foster care. Unfortunately, after nearly 4 years, this family had a crisis and Amy was returned to TLC. READ MORE...