Cotlands is a long-serving South African 'non-profit' agency that continues to meet the ever-changing needs of children impacted by HIV/AIDS in our country. South Africa has been identified as the country with the greatest number of HIV/AIDS-infected people in the world. Recent reports reveal that more than five million South Africans are currently living with the impact of HIV/AIDS, while some of Cotlands’ programme focus areas (e.g. Cotlands' Hlabisa Home Base Care project) have estimated infection rates of more than 40% of the total population. While this information is not new, the impact of these figures is becoming clearer to our communities, our government and the global community in which we live. 'AIDS orphans' (children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS related death of their parents), 'child-headed households' (homes managed by elder siblings often as young as 11) and similar terms are now commonplace in South Africa, yet support for these individuals is still lagging behind growing awareness of the challenges we face. Founded in 1936, Cotlands was originally created as a care centre for unwed mothers and their infants, and over the years has evolved into a shelter for abused, abandoned, HIV positive, orphaned and terminally ill children from birth to fourteen years of age. Care now extends through the whole continuum – from identifying vulnerable children in the community to end stage hospice care for children dying of AIDS. Expanded services include home based care, community development and capacity-building services in the field of HIV/AIDS on a national basis. Cotlands presently offers the following services: