South Africa
Khayelisha Care Project (KCP)
Khayelisha Care Project (KCP)
South Africa has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS worldwide and also holds a top position in terms of criminal activity. As a result many people die leaving their children orphaned. Some of these children are cared for by a grandmother, aunt or an older sibling. Others need care and accommodation.
In 2001 the Rock of Life Church in Tugela Ferry, South Africa, started a ministry in support of the many destitute children in the Msinga district of KwaZulu- Natal. It was first called Arche Project and later Khayelisha Care Project (KCP). In the year 2003 Msinga e.V. was able to support the construction of a care centre to provide care and support for "children in distress”.
Through grants from the Global Fund (to fight against HIV, TB and Malaria) of the World Health Organization (WHO) Khayelisha opened a Palliative Care Centre for children with life threatening and life limiting conditions, three homes for children with severe physical, emotional and social challenges and started a strong care and support program for destitute children and their caregivers in the Msinga community run by a number of dedicated and able community based child care workers.
KCP's community based programs include:
- Food security: Emergency Food Support in the form of food parcels (around 200 families receive mostly dry food supplies on a monthly basis) as well as help to establish some form of vegetable garden; assistance with application for government grants as well as budgeting training, to help them make the most of their income.
- Health support: We train family members in good nutrition, healthy living and hygiene with the aim to promote health and prevent illness. We teach them to recognize signs and symptoms of malnutrition and illness, especially TB and HIV. When we observe symptoms of illness, we accompany them to local clinics and hospitals and help with adherence to treatment.
- Social security support: KCP facilitates access to social grants, health and other services provided by government agencies and assists to identify alternative placement for children in unsuitable living situations.
- Palliative Care Centre: Since 2007 this 8-bed facility provides step-down health care and palliative care for chronically ill children and children with less serious health issues.
- Community outreach: 10 community based child and youth care workers provide a wide variety of support services to around 400-500 needy children and their families. The workers also run prevention programs in the local creches and schools, in order to help pre-school and school aged children avoid falling into sexual exploitation and slavery.
- Reach4Life Program: This program engages teenagers and adult groups in the community. It provides a strong biblical basis for life decisions and character development.
- HIV Prevention: The HIV prevention program helps children and youth set positive goals for their future, identify negative behaviours, including premature sexual activity, which put their future at risk. It goes beyond HIV prevention and includes clarification of values, communication skills and identifying at least one adult to act as support person and champion. For the little ones there is the Be Safe! program to make them aware of potentially dangerous situations and how to deal with these, especially concerning physical and sexual abuse.
- Support groups: The You can take charge! Program teaches teenaged girls and young women how to set goals for their lives and make sure that they reach these goals. It deals specifically with healthy decisions around sexuality and relationships. We also run Pregnant Teens support groups, which run over into Young Mothers and Young Fathers programs once the girls have given birth. One strong focus is on getting the girls back to school to complete their education. Another is developing a generation of effective and committed parents in spite of the challenges caused by them becoming parents before they are emotionally or socially ready.
- Training sessions: An 8-session Parenting Training program equips pregnant mothers, mothers, grandmothers and older siblings who are bringing up children to be effective parents. The shorter “You can do it!” program equips parents and other care givers to provide values based sexuality guidance to the children in their care. We also train community members to act as facilitators for support groups and training sessions.
- Spiritual & emotional support: Throughout our involvement with orphans and their families we take time to point them to God as their Helper in all circumstances. We provide bereavement counselling and memory work as needed to the children and their family members.
Since 2016, when our last Global Fund Grant came to an end, Msinga e.V. together with other organizations have played a crucial role to fund the running of the KCP base, workers and projects.
You can become part of KCP ministry by supporting them on a regular basis as a project-sponsor! Thank you!
Godparents
Besides the children living at the KCP Centre, we also financially support other children who live with their families or relatives. This support works through our godparent program: German godparents sponsor the financial needs of children in distress (school fees, school uniform, school related expenses, food, etc.)
We currently assist around 40 children through the godparent program, and many more need support. An experienced team coordinated by Elzeth Malherbe and Willana Pretorius from the Khayelisha Care Project ensures that the children receive what they need.
Hebron Project
Khayelisha Care Project (KCP) through a grant of the Global Fund, started development of a children's village close to Tugela Ferry. Here orphans are settled into family-like units for the long term. The 15.6 ha site includes a playground and areas for vegetable cultivation and an egg production unit. These projects are supported by Msinga e.V. together with several other organizations from South Africa, the US and other countries.
After the end of the Global Fund grant in March 2016, Msinga e.V and the other organizations face a greater challenge in providing sufficient assistance for the Hebron Project. Long-term drought conditions caused the borehole on which this village relies to dry up. We thank God for help from our supporters to ensure water supply to these homes.
Lobethal-School
Debbie Moll (School Principle): Lobethal School was founded in 1993 in response to many church members from Tugela Ferry. Although it used to be confined to members of Rock of Life Church, it is now open to members of many different churches in Tugela Ferry. The school is growing rapidly and will have 350 students in 2018. We see this as a fantastic opportunity to build into the lives of many children in our community.
The school is situated on two campuses one for Gr4 - Gr 12, and the other from Gr RR - Gr 3. The old campus is on the grounds of the Rock of Life Church. There is very little scope for expansion there or to develop sports grounds. The new campus, which houses our Foundation Phase, has large grounds. We are in the process of developing these grounds. We have already built five classrooms here are in the process of developing our sports grounds. It is hoped that in 2018 we will be able to build another two classrooms. Our plan is to slowly, as funds permit, move the whole school up to the new property.
The students receive a well rounded college preparatory education. There is a strong christian influence where the students are regularly exposed to the gospel and encouraged to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
The school also aims to improve the education of its teacher's and help student teachers with their training and qualifications.
Rock of Life Church, Tugela Ferry, KZN, South Africa
Rock of Life Church, Tugela Ferry, KZN, South Africa
Msinga e.V. supports the Rock of Life Church based in Tugela Ferry, which consists of a group of around 20 congregations scattered through KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces. The church members belong almost exclusively to the Zulu ethnic group. Pastor Barney Mabaso who is leading the Rock of Life Church, is supported by a team of pastors, elders and deacons. In 2017 Pastor Bethuel Ngubane became the full time Pastor of the main branch at Tugela Ferry.
Bible teachers from South Africa and the US have been visiting the church since 2002 in order to support its spiritual development and provide well-founded biblical teaching. Through these programs a number of members have been able to obtain a qualification in theology. These trained and equipped teams often visit schools, hospitals and prisons to share the Gospel. The church works alongside organizations such as Operation Mobilization (OM), as well as with churches from Johannesburg, Cape Town, the US and Australia. Groups from other church communities support the ministry through planned outreaches.
The church in Tugela Ferry is vibrant and evangelistically active, attracting a large number of people from the neighbouring area. In former years, many of these church attendees had to walk a long way to attend church meetings. In response to that, around 20 different churches were planted under Rock of Life since 2000:
In the Msinga District around Tugela Ferry: Tugela Ferry, Keate´s Drift, Ngcengeni, Parafini, Mahlabatini, Bhubesini, Ntili, Msinga Top (2), Elandskraal and Mahlaba.
In other districts of KwaZulu-Natal Province: Pietermaritzburg, Mntunzini, Maphumulo, Howick, Mphophomeni, Ulundi and Ladysmith.
In Mpumalanga Province: Amersfoort, Driefontein and Malelane.