For the love of children: How devotion changes lives
How a deep love of children drives life-changing care across Southern Africa through Pediatric Care Africa and its inspiring outreach work.
A love of children and simple belief – that every child deserves a fair chance at life – go hand in hand for Dr André Hattingh.
His love of children has shaped decades of tireless medical work across Africa and continues to change lives in villages and disaster zones.
Through the non-profit organisation Pediatric Care Africa (PCA), Hattingh and his small team offer medical care, surgeries, food relief, and outreach services to vulnerable communities. Their work proves that compassion, when paired with skill, can reach far beyond hospital walls.
HIS LOVE OF CHILDREN CHANGED LIVES ALL OVER AFRICA
Hattingh’s journey began with studying medicine at the University of California, where he qualified as a surgeon. He later completed a PhD in neuroscience, focusing on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and Foetal Alcohol Effects.
His training also took him to the National Taiwan University Hospital, where he learned the precise art of MRI and CT scan interpretation. These skills would later support medical teams across Africa.
Yet Africa had always captured his heart.
His career on the continent began in Mkushi, Zambia, where he worked as the only doctor and surgeon for years. The challenges were immense, but children who had no previous access to healthcare could now receive treatment.
During the following years, he helped design twelve hospitals and clinics before he retired and founded PCA.
SMALL ACTS OF CARE THAT CHANGE LIVES
Since launching Pediatric Care Africa in 2017, the organisation has helped thousands of vulnerable families.
The programme provided specialist treatment to more than 2 800 children, and over 8 000 people have benefited from free medical outreach clinics. The organisation also funded 219 life-changing surgeries for children who could not afford them.
Food insecurity often walks hand in hand with illness; hence, the charity has distributed over 511 000 kilograms of food parcels, equal to more than two million meals.
During the Covid 19 pandemic and natural disasters like cyclones, Pediatric Care Africa assisted communities in Mozambique and Limpopo.
BUILDING HOPE IN SOUTH AFRICA
The organisation’s work also reaches into South African hospitals. In 2023, Pediatric Care Africa helped develop a specialised paediatric surgical unit at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela.
The hospital serves as a referral centre for children across Mpumalanga. In 2024, the team added a modern burns unit with isolation facilities and dedicated rehabilitation rooms.
ON THE ROAD FOR THE LOVE OF CHILDREN
Hattingh’s mission continues in unusual ways.
He just completed a ±7 000 km trip around the country on his Harley Davidson to raise funds for a lifesaving operation on a little boy. On 9 April 2026, he will begin a 500-kilometre donkey cart journey through the Klein Karoo.
The fundraiser aims to support medical outreach programmes and improve the paediatric ward at Oudtshoorn Hospital. Businesses and individuals can sponsor each kilometre of the journey.
Hattingh has proven that a love of children does more than comfort young lives – it changes lives across communities.