Southern Africa's rural and impoverished communities are some of the hardest hit by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Large numbers of vulnerable children in these AIDS-affected communities struggle to access resources and services they desperately need and are entitled to. Despite this, most children still attend school, making schools an obvious avenue through which to address the multiplicity of needs of vulnerable children. The case study presented here describes an innovative and effective programme built on the principles of a multi-sectoral approach to HIV and AIDS. In this approach, schools are arranged in clusters so as to benefit from support for instructional quality as well as from partnerships with parents, the community, NGOs and governmental institutions offering social services, including health, nutrition, security and fund-raising assistance. The success of the programme described in the case study reflects the advantages of a highly committed NGO, international funding and the support of relatively well-developed institutions in the host country, South Africa. This case study presents an outline of the SCCS model (Section A), beginning with the evolution of the project as conceived by MiET Africa. Section B deals with implementation experiences in three provinces of South Africa during the piloting phase of the programme, summarising both successes and challenges experienced.