Ethembeni (Places of Hope)
HIV/AIDS
MINISTRY
SA
Non-Profit Organisation Number: 032-733
SARS
Public Benefit Organisation Number: 930003873
________________________________________________________________________________
What
is Ethembeni?
In
the KwaZulu Natal
Midlands, 12 kilometres
from the town of Howick
in South Africa
is a settlement called Mpophomeni
(The place next to the Water Fall). Of this
community of 43 000 people, more than 80% are
unemployed and more than a third are infected
with HIV. In November of 2000, the Howick
Community
Church
began a ministry to this community, specifically
aimed at caring for those who are dying alone,
hungry and without hope. The ministry is called
Ethembeni, which means
‘Places of Hope’, and has the following
mission statement:
‘To provide spiritual, emotional
and practical assistance to families affected
by HIV & AIDS in the Mpophomeni
area through the provision of home based care,
family support with a focus on vulnerable children
and residential care for terminally ill people.’
Ethembeni has four specific programmes
at present, a residential care unit, a family
support programme,
the Mpophomeni Family
Centre working with orphans and vulnerable children
and the mentoring of community based organisations. Today our family support program provides
a holistic intervention incorporating not only
home based care for the sick but also food security,
income generation and psychosocial support.
On average, we visit 45 - 50 families a month
totalling over 200 adults and children.
The
residential care centre is notable because it
is community based, unlike most other institutions
providing similar services in the area. Four
people can be accommodated and cared for at
any one time. Average monthly occupancy rates
sit above 90% - indeed an essential service
to the community.
The
Mpophomeni Family Centre, a drop-in facility, cares
for 40 orphans and vulnerable children a day
by providing meals, psycho-social support and
structured play activities. The core values
of these three programmes
are simple, God’s love and hope. Since
the inception of these ministries, we have worked
with over 500 HIV infected families, directly
benefiting more than 2000 people.
We
believe in developing sustainable community
based organisations
(CBO’s), so
we are intentionally mentoring two CBO’s.
Our shared goal is sustainable resources which
glorify God.
Breaking the silence
– living hope
Dudu Zulu (pictured) discovered she was HIV positive
in 2000 when she became gravely ill with meningitis.
She was sad and angry with God. While sitting
on her bed one day, she had a vision of a man
with white trousers coming into her room, sitting
on her bed, holding her hand and promising:
“If you go out and talk about the black
spots that dirty your body, then you will be
healed.” Dudu had the same vision twice more in a week and this
prompted her to ask her pastor if she could
share the vision and her status with her church
fellowship. She was afraid of being rejected
yet the man in the vision stated: “Don’t
look at the big crowd. Focus on the small group
who are encouraging you.” Faithfully she
shared for HIV positive status and her church
responded with unconditional love. Today she
is regularly challenged by the Holy Spirit to
share her testimony. God has given her peace
in her soul but not in her body as she expected.
Dudu says: “It
is amazing. God has a purpose for my life.”
Ethembeni volunteers cared for Dudu through our home based care visits in 2001. When
she became well enough she attended Ethembeni
sewing classes and completed a home based carer
course in 2002. In 2003 Ethembeni
employed her because Dudu
was transformed into living hope – sharing
and caring for all those suffering in the same
position as her. Today, she is a faithful servant
of Jesus and a dedicated Ethembeni Ministry champion!
Why
should we act in mercy?
A
merely religious person, who believes God will
favour him because
of his morality and respectability, will usually
have contempt for the outcast, “I worked
hard to get where I am, and so can everyone
else!” That is the language of the moralist’s
heart. “I am only where I am by the sheer
and unmerited mercy of God. I am completely
equal with all other people.” That is
the language of the Christian’s heart.
When we see the HIV positive sick, the homeless,
prostitutes, alcoholics, etc. we know that we
are seeing ourselves. We may have lived respectable
middle class lives, however we realise
that spiritually we were just like these people.
Physically and socially we may never have been
where they are now, but spiritually we were
outcasts just as they are, but by God’s
grace we have been saved. A sensitive social
conscience and a life poured out in deeds of
mercy to the needy is the inevitable sign of
a person who has grasped the doctrine of God’s
grace. (Excerpts from Ministries of Mercy by
Timothy J. Keller, 1997, PR Publishing, USA)
It
is this new heart I pray for; Lord, that I would
be so overcome with a deep understanding of
your love for us that I would be set free to
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or
vain conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves. Each of you should look
not only to his own interests, but also to the
interests of others” Phil 2:3-4.
We are family,
my brother and sister and me!
These
are the words of a popular pop song and yet
unite us all at the Ethembeni Family Centre. Since 1st of July 2008, over
40 children, ranging from 6 months old to 19
years gather each day to share in family stories
at the home of love in Mpophomeni.
There is Jabu*, a
little girl of 4, who loves to sing and dance
(see picture of joyous celebrations). And she
loves giving hugs to all visitors! Then there
is Zimele*, a passionate
15 year old footballer who earned his “cromes” (soccer boots) by sanding down the windows
and doors of the centre. There is Zama*, who writes poetry and whose only
family is all of us at the centre. Many tears
were shed when Sindi*, who came to the centre after it was discovered
she was suffering abuse at her home, was placed
in a foster home. Prayer is a part of our everyday
activity and we celebrate each meal by saying
grace and giving thanks to God for all He provides.
(*All names changed.)
Together,
we share in life each day. The key value connecting
us is family. Please pray for love to be shared
amongst our family. That grace and joy would
fill the family centre and all of its’
people.
Will you join us today and become
a “family builder?”
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from the following options:
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