We received this great story recently where one of our community groups decided to be the church and assist a family..
Our Community Group Intersect project…
I became aware of a very needy family over a year ago. There is a mum, dad and 5 kids. The oldest girl, Thandokazi, is a junior leader at Metro Kids Africa in KTC and is on the Metro Kids pen-pal program.
I first got involved with this family about 9 months ago when I noticed Thandokazi’s small brother, Sonwabile, at Sidewalk one week. Sidewalk is a program for underprivileged children that my husband and I spearhead in the townships. Sonwabile had a huge extended stomach. I followed him up and discovered the most awful living circumstances I have seen since being in South Africa. It was so bad that even Asanda, who has grown up in the townships, went home and wept at seeing people living like that.
They lived in a small shack with no water and no toilet near by. But it was the state of it that upset me. It was dirty and had clothes, bedding, pots and pans strewn all over the floor. The mom had no hope – she really was like a living dead person. She was quiet, withdrawn and uninterested in her family. They survive by collecting metal each day. One shopping trolley fetches R50 per day.
We took Sonwabile to Red Cross and that is another story. Briefly, he has AIDS and is now in a children’s home for the care of the chronically ill. I visit him regularly and have now got rights for taking him out for the day. He has really touched my heart and if ever I was close to bringing a child into our lives it’s this little boy. Anyway… This could be a book!!
The family were given a house in Delft by the government so when I visited them I wondered about how we could improve it for them as they had so little – not even a chair to sit on. Our Community Group was looking for an Intersect project so I asked if they would consider painting a house.
Everyone was keen. Ruth was telling a friend who worked at New Media, who had recently moved offices and were keen to donate some furniture. We collected that one morning. That was hard work lifting and loading the furniture. Then this Saturday we went from 10 till 3 and did our Delft makeover!! One member brought a friend who was keen to help even though he is not from our church. So an Intersect Project is a wonderful Invest and Invite opportunity!
Three of our teenagers joined in the project and were amazing. They painted a bedroom on their own. We also brought food and they noticed when we were sorting a cupboard out that this family had not one item of food in the house. Our Group is now talking of doing a monthly food hamper for the family.
This project was a real eye opener for us to see how others are living and made us all appreciate our homes and food when we came home.
Intersect Project Story – Family in Delft
We received this great story recently where one of our community groups decided to be the church and assist a family..
Our Community Group Intersect project…
I became aware of a very needy family over a year ago. There is a mum, dad and 5 kids. The oldest girl, Thandokazi, is a junior leader at Metro Kids Africa in KTC and is on the Metro Kids pen-pal program.
I first got involved with this family about 9 months ago when I noticed Thandokazi’s small brother, Sonwabile, at Sidewalk one week. Sidewalk is a program for underprivileged children that my husband and I spearhead in the townships. Sonwabile had a huge extended stomach. I followed him up and discovered the most awful living circumstances I have seen since being in South Africa. It was so bad that even Asanda, who has grown up in the townships, went home and wept at seeing people living like that.
They lived in a small shack with no water and no toilet near by. But it was the state of it that upset me. It was dirty and had clothes, bedding, pots and pans strewn all over the floor. The mom had no hope – she really was like a living dead person. She was quiet, withdrawn and uninterested in her family. They survive by collecting metal each day. One shopping trolley fetches R50 per day.
We took Sonwabile to Red Cross and that is another story. Briefly, he has AIDS and is now in a children’s home for the care of the chronically ill. I visit him regularly and have now got rights for taking him out for the day. He has really touched my heart and if ever I was close to bringing a child into our lives it’s this little boy. Anyway… This could be a book!!
The family were given a house in Delft by the government so when I visited them I wondered about how we could improve it for them as they had so little – not even a chair to sit on. Our Community Group was looking for an Intersect project so I asked if they would consider painting a house.
Everyone was keen. Ruth was telling a friend who worked at New Media, who had recently moved offices and were keen to donate some furniture. We collected that one morning. That was hard work lifting and loading the furniture. Then this Saturday we went from 10 till 3 and did our Delft makeover!! One member brought a friend who was keen to help even though he is not from our church. So an Intersect Project is a wonderful Invest and Invite opportunity!
Three of our teenagers joined in the project and were amazing. They painted a bedroom on their own. We also brought food and they noticed when we were sorting a cupboard out that this family had not one item of food in the house. Our Group is now talking of doing a monthly food hamper for the family.
This project was a real eye opener for us to see how others are living and made us all appreciate our homes and food when we came home.
Janet Senior