Khayelitsha is home to one million people and over 14,000 orphans living in 43 square kilometers, many without access to sanitation, water, and electricity. The vision of Baphumelele is to provide a temporary shelter for vulnerable/orphaned children and young adults with chronic diseases and HIV/Aids, and to provide skills development for the unemployed, early childhood care, alleviation of poverty, and healthcare information to the community in Khayelitsha and surroundings, so that the lives of everyone they touch can become more productive and accepted individuals who make a difference within society.
New Life Centre offers a home to pregnant women and girls in crisis. In the event of an unplanned pregnancy, the woman and her family go through extreme upheaval and confusion. They are often unable to see beyond their immediate circumstances and without correct counsel and support, can be forced into making decisions, which have far-reaching implications for all concerned, particularly mother and child. The New Life Centre is far more than a place of safety, it is a place of refuge where healing takes place.
All women, without exception, come to them from an environment of rejection and abuse of one kind or another, 90% coming from historically marginalized backgrounds. We have seen girls as young as 11 and 12 come in to the centre after a traumatic rape / family rape & abuse experience. We have seen young women come in with sad, dull eyes and within literally one week of being surrounded by unconditional love and acceptance those same eyes sparkle and there is laughter. It is a privilege to see God at work in their lives. New Life Centre is part of a Christian family that offers hope and support to pregnant women who choose life for their unborn babies by releasing them for adoption. They are directly involved in the adoption process by choosing a family for their babies and meeting them.
And then there’s Sive Nathi in Blackheath. Limited movement, speech, sight, and the inability to care for oneself in any way: the dear disabled patients of the Sive Nathi center face these issues every single day and rarely get a chance to have a change of pace or scenery. Most are children or teenagers with the oldest being 28yrs old. They are cared for full-time by the faithful, sweet staff members.
In addition to providing food items on a regular basis, we were grateful to be able to divide between these centres chairs, living room tables, mattresses, sanitary products, heaters, desks, a bathtub, two portable swimming pools, a TV, dozens of blinds, a baby cot, baby changing table, linoleum rolls, office furniture, rubbish bins, mirrors, a dryer, mop buckets, bales of tissue paper, plastic cups and jugs, carpets, set of drawers, and other items. It was lovely to see the staff’s faces light up as they examined the donated items, and begin replacing the old furniture and items with the new almost immediately. The items surely will improve the standard in these centres.
