Carolina for the Cape

About

Home to former president Nelson Mandela, the Eastern Cape is a province of 7.2 million situated on the South African coastline. In May 2025, I had the opportunity to travel to the Eastern Cape to work with the South African Red Cross. My project focused on medication shortages, but it became clear that the scarcity of resources in the province was widespread.

The province is one of tremendous beauty but also intense suffering. More than one in four people experience food insecurity. Illnesses that should be preventable are the leading causes of death. Within the province, 78.7% of children live in severe poverty. Basic infrastructure, including schools, bridges, and roads, is underdeveloped. Seventy percent of households do not receive clean water from the government.

Unprecedented and catastrophic natural disasters exacerbate existing resource shortages. The province experiences severe storms with devastating consequences. The loss of life has been severe: a recent storm in June 2025 displaced thousands and killed more than one hundred people. Four children drowned in a school bus, swept away by floodwaters. Organizations like the Red Cross in South Africa are integral to the…

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