We asked our kids what they want to be when they grow up, and were given a shocking glimpse into Lello's tragic past when she answered: "Alive"

It's heartbreaking to imagine this 8 year old hiding in a cupboard or under the bed to escape the noise of her parents fighting in the kitchen. Upraised voices ... the sound of a bottle smashing ... the sickening thuds of a fist fight.

She might have shivered in the sudden silence, wondering if anyone was badly hurt – or worse. Dreading discovery and the ever present danger of being hurt herself.

No child should grow up like this. Frightened of the very people she should be able to count on to keep her safe. And it's not just the fear of physical harm that does damage.

It's the way abuse or neglect take away a child's hopes and dreams.

How can you dream of a bright future when every message you pick up shows you what your life will be like when you're grown up? Stuck in an abusive relationship ... living in squalor or on the streets ... sucked into the underworld of drugs and sex work ... not good enough for anything else.

Our job here at the Johannesburg Children's Home is to break down the negative feelings and perceptions and fears – and replace them with optimism, self-confidence and the belief that anything is possible.

But we need your help to do this.

Because you can't raise a child on hopes and dreams alone. You also need to provide basics like food, clothing, school fees, books and stationery, sports gear, outings, transport and a hundred other things!

Please will you help us make sure our children have a solid foundation on which to build bright hopes and dreams for the future?

Your donation of any amount – made online now – will not just provide for the necessities of life.

It's a gift that sets you apart as a real hero ... someone who lifts a child out of their dark past and gives them the chance to be a child again – free to laugh and hope and dream and believe.