How do you RESTORE HOPE to a community?
The Situation
Many communities around South Africa are torn apart by devastating cycles that keep them from thriving. Contributing factors such as apartheid, poverty, lack of education, tribal and spiritual beliefs put the country in a weakened state years ago. When the AIDS pandemic hit, it wiped out millions and helped to create a critical situation which held the community in a bad cycle of poverty, death and disease. Even after apartheid was abolished, education systems continued to be poor. Unemployment rose to 70%. Tribal beliefs added to the spread of AIDS and rape became a consistent occurrence. An entire generation died because of AIDS related disease. Many children were left with no parents and no adult supervision. For many, it seems there is no way of escape. Generation after generation face similar trials with relief work and temporary fixes, often showing little to no results or lasting change.
Our Response
We raise up and support workers in these communities and help them do a great, God empowered work in their own community. We use a biblical model of ministry to help restore these communities by implementing sustainable programs that empower the Zulu people to create solutions to their community problems. We know that they know the needs of their own people and communities better than we do. We do not want to provide “bandaid” solutions to help with the issues that arise but seek to find root causes of the situation and address those. This takes time and involves many people working together. But we know that with God, all things are possible!
