The Lost Girls of South Africa is a timely and revealing feature length documentary that offers a privileged glimpse into what life is really like for young girls growing up in South Africa. It follows the stories of four girls, aged 11-13, who become victims of child rape, looking at the experience and its aftermath through their eyes and in their words.

To find out more about the film and to watch the trailer, click here. 

Film updates: 

December 2017

Ntombi – Tragic News

Unfortunately we have to share some incredibly sad news. After the abuse that Ntombi suffered and the years after struggling to cope with her ordeal, we have just heard that she has passed away.

October 2014

Fantastic news

Nozuko and her family have some long awaited and incredible  news, after all this time Nozuko’s dad has finally been aquitted, they are all relieved and delighted.

December 2013 

Nozuko

Is in Grade 9 and continues to do well in school, she achieved 4 A’s and 2 B’s in her end of year report for 2013.  She excels in English, Life Orientation, and Maths.  She would like to be a lawyer when she completes her education.

Her father is working, but still awaiting a trial date.  Nozuko’s family, comprising of her parents and granny, are very supportive of her.

Fuzeka and her younger sister Nwabisa

After their mother’s death, they experienced a somewhat turbulent time, but are now happily living with two maternal aunts who are loving and stable.  Their new home is very clean and well-decorated. Fuzeka feels that she has received enough counseling to deal with her mother’s death.

Fuzeka will be 16 years old in 2014 and is in Grade 9 at school.  She passed all her exam subjects, her favourite’s being English and Life Orientation.  She enjoys reading and cooking and her favourite food is pasta.  She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.  She has a best friend who attends a different school.

Nwabisa will be 11 years old in 2014.  She will be in Grade 6.  At the end of 2013, she passed all her subjects, her favourite being mathematics. She likes doing gym exercises, going to church, and watching TV. She has a best friend who is at the same school.  When she grows up she wants to be a social worker.

Gretchen

Gretchen finished grade 10 which is a year before Matric. Her school did not offer Matric  so they sent her on a business course which she hopes to get a certificate for. Gretchen and her parents still want her to do Matric and are trying to arrange that at her old school. Gretchen is fast becoming a young lady.

Gretchen likes watching TV and reading and believes that she will do well in life. Her mother was extremely grateful for our donation of uniforms and clothes for Gretchen, especially as her job as a carer came to an end when her employer died, she told us that Gretchen “is still the same good girl”. Gretchen’s father is reformed and has become very active in the church.

However their family life is uneasy because Gretchen’s oldest brother’s son who was in prison when we were filming, has returned home and is still taking drugs and stealing.

Ntombi

Sadly, Ntombi is not doing well. She does not attend school regularly and, according to her mother, has fallen into a “bad crowd”. As her mother is not at home as much as in the past, and is attending a Government Leadership course, she cannot monitor Ntombi’s movements closely.

Ntombi was severely affected by her photograph being used in a leaflet for contraception by BAYER which was distributed in schools throughout the northern districts of Port Elizabeth, and her then school. She was ridiculed by her peers. Her photograph was plagiarized from our website by the company which drafted the leaflet for BAYER.  When we were alerted to this, we immediately contacted BAYER for an explanation and recompense.  Although one of their representatives accompanied our South African Producer to visit Ntombi, and promised to arrange counseling for her, they failed to secure this. We are continuing to pursue BAYER to uphold their promise.

In the meantime, we are endeavouring to arrange counseling for Ntombi from the same Psychologist and Counsellor who met the other girls in the film.