Birth to Thirty

This book weaves together the stories, the people, and the science of Bt30. One of the founders of Bt30, Professor Linda Richter, expertly positions the personal contributions from participants and staff, together with key scientific findings and trends from the data, in their historical and contemporary context. More

At the dawn of its democracy in 1994, South Africa became known as the Rainbow Nation — a country and people defined by vibrant diversity, resilience and progressive constitutional values, but also by the dark shadows of its past and ongoing social, economic and political struggles. 
Against this backdrop are the individual and collective life stories of the Birth to Thirty study. From their births in early 1990 through the first three decades of their lives, 3,273 participants – affectionately tagged Mandela’s Children – have been studied in Africa’s largest and longest running birth cohort, located in dynamic Soweto-Johannesburg. 
This book weaves together the stories, the people, and the science of Bt30. One of the founders of Bt30, Professor Linda Richter, expertly positions the personal contributions from participants and staff, together with key scientific findings and trends from the data, in their historical and contemporary context. 
We see how children born in the same place at the same time can be miles apart in growth, safety, education and earning, but how alike they can be in their hopes and dreams. We come to understand how important affectionate and stable early environments are to the overall development of all people, and how much our past shapes our possibilities into the future. 

“You should be very proud of the book, your achievements and your legacy.”  - Shane Norris

“Linda is a terrific scientist, she’s an amazing communicator, she brings a love for science that is infectious - it fascinates us all. She’s also a voracious reader, always reading about the new frontiers of science. This combination of a leading mind, moving in new frontiers and communicating it, makes her a tremendous scientist.” - Pia Rebello Britto

It was always more than a study … this book is my gift to the participants of Birth to Thirty – the cohort, Mandela’s Children, who gave so much to make Africa’s largest and longest running birth cohort the success it is. - Linda Richter