KSB ORPHAN PROJECT

(photos of help to orphans on 24th December 2007)

(see more on visit by NY students)

During the past few months a Kwasizabantu team (J. Dube, A. Mdlalose, E. Khwela, V. Matveyuk) has been assisting the many orphans in local areas. A similar ministry is happening at the Kwasizabantu mission at Malelane (Empumalanga Province).

About 20 different locations are being visited as often as possible. The orphans are checked for information about their situation (when their parents died, who their care-givers are, etc), to register them for assistance. They are given a pack of food during registration. Sometimes clothing is also handed out.

Some areas have more than 200 orphans registered. The average is about 50 orphans per area. Altogether, we are providing clothing, food (and sometimes extras like toys for the smaller children), to about 2000 orphans.

Most of these orphans have lost their parents because of the Aids crisis. Others have simply been abandonded by their parents. Many grandmothers are using their meager pension (R700 per month) to feed the family orphans. Often, there are 6 orphans to be taken care of, and one case, 24! Men are virtually non-existant in the raising of the children or giving them any support. Sometimes, men will arrive when food is being handed out, are often intoxicated, and upset that they don’t get given food like the orphans.

A pack of food usually includes: maize meal, beans, rice, sugar, cooking oil, and tea. When the mission has surpluses of vegetables, such as cabbages, sweet potatoes, lettuce, these are also added to the food parcels.

Community leaders are required to be at the hand-out of food parcels and registration, together with the children. This has become essential in order to corroborate that the children do belong to the area and that some family (grandmothers, aunts and other relatives).

We hope and pray that the Lord would open the hearts of these people to see that we are driven by the love of Christ, that these orphans are not alone in the world, but that there is the Saviour who shows His love to them.