Integral Mission Opportunities in South Africa

KwaMhlanga Hammanskraal Brits

Join a community in motion!

1 | Page www.experiencemission.org Index

KwaMhlanga 1. The Harvest Field a. The Environment

b. The People

c. The domains of Society i. Health ii. Education iii. Income & Employment

2. The Harvest Force a. Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Day Care Centre i. Background ii. OVC Centre iii. OVC Care Centre objectives iv. OVC Care Centre work activities v. OVC Centre facilities

b. Nakekela Care Centre i. The Nakekela Step Down Centre for PLWHA (People living with HIV/AIDS) ii. Overall Objectives iii. Outcomes iv. PLWHA Care Centre objectives v. PLWHA Care Centre Work activities vi. PLWHA Centre facilities

c. Entrepreneurship Development Africa

d. Ekukhanyeni Old Age Home

e. Churches

Hammanskraal

Brits

Additional Information

2 | Page www.experiencemission.org

KwaMhlanga

1. The Harvest Field KwaMhlanga is situated approximately 60km northeast of Pretoria (app. 90 minute drive from OR Tambo International Airport), located in the Thembisile and Mkobola Municipal areas of the Nganakala District in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa, which is in the wider area of the former homeland of KwaNdebele people that settled there in the early 18th century.

KwaNdebele was a Bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a semi- independent homeland for the Ndebele people. The homeland was created when the South African government purchased nineteen white-owned farms and installed a government. The homeland was granted self rule in April 1981. Siyabuswa was designated as its capital, but in 1986 the capital was relocated to KwaMhlanga. Since then KwaMhlanga developed into the administrative centre for the local government and now houses the government administration for the North Western Region of the Mpumalanga Province.

a. The Environment Living conditions in most cases are desperate. Housing is comprised of tin and wooden shacks, mud huts and brick/cement houses with corrugated iron roofs. The land is not very fertile, rocky, dry and dusty. This is an area of mostly rolling hills filled with abundant birdlife, reptiles and a host of many other kinds of wild animals. As far as basic services are concerned, 80% of the people do not have hygienic toilets; 90% have no refuse removal; 20% have no piped water; less than 40% have access to electricity for cooking and 90% have no phones. The climate is either in the wet season or the dry season. January-March is summer and temperatures reach the 90 degree Fahrenheit range, April-June is considered the fall, July-September is the winter and temperatures drop to near freezing and October-December is the spring. The rainy season is during the spring and summer months while the extremely dry fall and winter months result in a drought that leaves the community in search of drinking water.

b. The People The wider KwaMhlanga area has a population of 500,000 people and is the former homeland of the Ndebele people. The Ndebele has been identified as one of the Nguni Tribes. The Nguni Tribes represent nearly two thirds of the South African black population: The Zulu-speaking people, the Xhosa-speaking people, the Swazi people from Swaziland and the Ndebele. The Ndebele shares KwaMhlanga as home with a mix of other tribes, e.g. Zulu, Venda, Xhosa, Tsonga, etc.

3 | Page www.experiencemission.org

c. The Domains of Society i. Health Many definitions have been given to the HIV/AIDS giant over the years. Among many definitions it has been described as a pandemic, a war against mankind, the worst crisis the world has ever seen, etc. Whatever it is called, we know that whole nations are at risk. It has become clear that in countries and communities where the pandemic is rampant and in places that are still to be impacted by the disease HIV/AIDS is not only a major health problem, but also a major economic and social problem due to the integrated nature of the African worldview. In these countries every part of life is being affected by the pandemic; economies are being crippled, poverty and public disorder is rising, governments are struggling and hopelessness and despair are creeping in.

According to the United Nations, South Africa has more HIV/AIDS cases than any other country in the world. Mpumalanga Province has the second highest percentage of death related to HIV/AIDS in South Africa with 40.7% Also in KwaMhlanga HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest challenges faced by the community. Local hospitals and clinics estimate that 50% of the more than 500,000 people living in the area are infected by the disease. The area has a high prevalence of AIDS orphans and child headed households, the heads of which range between 10 and 19 years old. 63% of the community is under the age of 24 and 50% of the community consists of children under the age of 18.

Health facilities in the area range from average to poor and are generally understaffed. The one and only hospital in the area (KwaMhlanga Hospital) has 153 beds, is sub-standard and only provides limited services. Besides the hospital there are clinics are also operating in the area: • Moloto Clinic • Tweefontein H Clinic • Verona Clinic • Vlaklaagte 2 Clinic These clinics are understaffed and need more and better equipment, medicines and emergency services. The Nakelela palliative care centre, which is operated by the Nakelela Christian Community Association, addresses Christian based care to adults living with HIV/AIDS in the KwaMhlanga area.

4 | Page www.experiencemission.org ii. Education Lack of education is a major challenge in the communities of KwaMhlanga. 20% of the population has no schooling; only 8% have completed Grade 12 of which 2% continued with tertiary education. The schools in the rural communities often struggle to find qualified teachers. Many children are homeless and do not attend school.

iii. Income & Employment KwaMhlanga can be classified as a semi-rural area with most of its income being derived by people commuting between KwaMhlanga and close by urban centres like Pretoria. None the less the employment rate in the area is high and it’s estimated that 70-80% of the economic active population falls outside the formal economy. As a result poverty is endemic in the community, with many people living under destitute conditions. 27% of the population is economically active; 43% earn less than $130 per month which is considered living below the poverty line. Only 24% earn more than $260 per month which means that 76% of the population earns less than $260 per month

2. The Harvest Force a. Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Day Care Centers i. Background The project addresses Christian based holistic care and development of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and their families in the KwaMhlanga area. Services are delivered through a number of OVC day care centres situated in various villages throughout KwaMhlanga. These projects are dependent on the financial support of various lacal and international corporate, private and church bases donors.

ii. OVC Centres Five OVC care centres have been established and are already running successfully for a number of years in the following villages: • Vezubuhle - Opened February 2004 • Phumula - Opened April 2005 • Sun City - Opened January 2006 • Thembalethu - Opened July 2006 • Manaleni – Opened July 2007

5 | Page www.experiencemission.org

iii. OVC Care Center Objectives • Improved quality of life of 80-100 OVC’s at each OVC Centre and at least 100 People living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in the immediate community, i.e.. • Strengthened the abilities of 30-40 caregivers at each Care Centre to have a positive impact on the OVC’s /PLWHA • Increased food security both of the Care Centres themselves as well as of family units by establishing vegetable gardens at each centre and homes respectively. • Increased school performance and educational support by increasing ability of Centre staff and Volunteers to help the children and by improving the centre resources and communication with school teachers. • Increased vocational and college opportunities for OVC’s • Improved sustainability of the Care Centres: - Extensive capacity building and leadership development of the project team - Development of church based support networks for each centre at local and international level - Establishment of sustainable donor basis supported by effective fundraising and donor management capabilities in each center.

iv. OVC Care Centre Work Activities Typical OVC centre work activities include: • Identifying orphans and vulnerable children in the community. • Establishing the needs of these children. • Providing food parcels or refer them to the centre if they are within walking distance • Assisting with housing, electricity and water • Assisting with school clothes and school fees where needed • Assisting caregivers to obtain the necessary documents to apply for grants • Improving access to social welfare and medical support • Advocacy and lobbying

The following assistance is provided to orphan children at the centre (the quality and depth of support varies across the range of services and also from centre to centre): • Breakfast and Lunch for school-going orphans • Day-care for children younger than 6. • Access to Social Services and assistance in obtaining birth certificates, death certificates, ID books & relevant grants • Supervised school attendance / performance for OVC’s in close cooperation with the local schools and assistance with homework • Medical, Psycho-social support • Bible Study / discipleship and spiritual support • Team building and games • Music & Arts • Library • Vegetable Gardening Skills • Career counselling & Computer Skills Training • Medical assistance • Support groups for the caregivers

v. OVC Centre Facilities • Buildings & Infrastructure

6 | Page www.experiencemission.org OVC centres operate from a home in the respective villages that have been upgraded to include the following facilities: - Kitchen - Storeroom - Library Room and Meeting Room - Room for the caretaker - Office for centre manager & administrative staff - Large room that can accommodate 80 children for meals. - Training room/ hall

• Equipment - The OVC Care Centres are equipped with tables, chairs, a gas stove, a fridge and freezer, shelving for food storage and a water tank. - It also receives second hand books as well as second hand computers to be used by the staff and training purposes for the OVC’s - The centres are also being equipped with various resource materials such as world maps, dictionaries etc. This greatly improves the help that the teachers volunteering at the centre can offer the children with their school projects and school work.

7 | Page www.experiencemission.org

b. Nakekela Care Centre This project addresses Christian based care to adults living with HIV/AIDS in the KwaMhlanga area through the Nakekela palliative care centre which is operated by the Nakekela Christian Community Association.

i. The Nakekela Step Down centre for PLWHA (People Living with HIV/AIDS) The Nakekela Step Down centre for PLWHA was established in 2004 to provide 24 hours palliative care to terminally ill patients. Whereas it was originally founded as a purely palliative care facility, medical treatment, good nutrition and care has resulted in recovery rates of up to 30 -35% amongst patients, many who themselves are caregivers to OVCs. This has over time necessitated the development of a curative and ongoing outpatient support focus, in addition to a purely palliative focus. Where appropriate this outpatient program has been integrated with the centre’s Home Based Care program which reaches out to PLWHA within the community.

ii. Overall Objective The Nakekela project’s main objective is to render palliative and curative care in a holistic manner to both in- and out-patients in the KwaMhlanga Community whose lives have been impacted by HIV/ AIDS.

iii. Outcomes In addressing the overall objective the outcomes of the Nakekela project is as follows: The Nakekela palliative care centre aims to provide care to terminal patients suffering from AIDS and other diseases, specifically ensuring: • Palliative and curative care for adults, both at Nakekela and in the community through Home Based Care (HBC) • Ongoing support of medication, nutrition and psycho-social/ spiritual care of patients discharged from the Nakekela facility upon recovery. • The spiritual, emotional and psychosocial needs of patient are met, as well as those of staff as needs arise in serving the patients • Staff and local pastors are aware of issues around HV/AIDS and respond in a Christ like way • Children infected with HIV are cared for

iv. PLWHA Care Center Objectives • Alleviating the suffering of dying patients whilst providing counseling and support to them and their families • Improved access to medical services for PLWHA • Improved access to Social Services and assistance in obtaining birth certificates, death certificates, ID books & relevant grants • Improved food security for PLWHA - food parce & establishment of vegetable gardens • Increase in number of people willing to do Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) • Increased knowledge of Caregivers of PLWHA enabling them to provide better care. • Improved sustainability of the Care Centre:

8 | Page www.experiencemission.org - Extensive capacity building and leadership development of the project team - Development of church based support networks for the centre at local and international level - Establishment of sustainable donor basis supported by effective fundraising and donor management capabilities for the centre.

v. PLWHA Care Centre Work Activities Palliative & Curative Care Centre activities Nakekela is a palliative and curative facility taking care the terminally ill in the wider KwaMhlanga community. Most of the patients are referred to Nakekela by our Home-Based Care workers assisting those who are ill in their homes. Nakekela also has close relationships with the clinic sisters and the KwaMhlanga Hospital and they also refer patients to Nakekela. Many of the clinic sisters stand in on weekends as well. Nakekela ensures that the terminally ill are assisted in the following ways: • Critical patients see a medical practitioner specialising in the HVI Virus to assist with secondary infections and pain control medication. • 24-hour care for 7 - 12 critical patients where the caregiver and the home- based care worker can no longer cope. • A full time nursing sister is employed working day shift. • 24 our care by care workers providing the following: - providing meals - washing patients - cleaning wounds - keeping pain levels under control - providing emotional and spiritual support for the patients as well as the family as a whole - transfer to/back from the hospital when required • Assisting the patient to obtain Anti Retroviral Medicine and training them and their families how to take the medication. • Frequent home visits by home-based care workers (especially ensuring adherence to the ARV medication). • Nutritional needs of patients at home provided for by supplying of fresh vegetable bags once a week • Home visits by a doctor in critical situations • Assistance with funeral arrangements when patients pass away

Home-based care activities: • Identifying people living with HIV/AIDS • Training caregivers on site • Counselling patients and family • AIDS Education • Bathing • Cleaning sores and treating infections • Identifying illnesses and providing basic medication • Assisting with medical and other needs i.e. adult nappies, gauze for cleaning • sores etc. • Taking the patients to the clinic / hospital in desperate situations • Assisting with food parcels where needed • Assisting with water and electricity in desperate cases

9 | Page www.experiencemission.org • Assisting with funeral arrangements in selected cases • Loving and encouraging the patient and the family • Assisting with arranging of the will and guardians for the children likely to be orphaned if the patient dies. • Biblical teaching and discipleship

vi. PLWHA Centre Facilities Buildings & Infrastructure • Patient rooms (12 beds) • Laundry room • Doctors consulting room& admin staff • Kitchen • Pantry • Toilets & Shower • Linen room • Veranda – waiting room • Reception area – used for receiving family of terminally ill patients • Standby Power Generator • Borehole and pump for vegetable garden • Community water taps • Medical waste incinerator

Equipment • Kitchen and Laundry-ware • TV’s and Radio equipment in patient rooms • Patient beds, lockers, tables, kidney dishes, wash basins, towels, linen & blankets • Medical equipment (stethoscope, examination bed, medical cabinet, wheelchair, crutches

c. Entrepreneurship Development Africa (EDA) KwaMhlanga - Located 60km north of Pretoria, South Arica • The area is home to close to 1milion people • Unemployment is as high as 70%

Constraints on Entrepreneurs • Low level of technical skills & knowledge • Lack of financial and management skills & experience • Limited access to capital • Weak regional economic infrastructure • Poor access to external markets

What can be done • Life skills training • Computer training • Facilitate technical training e.g. sewing & embroidery • Business & Financial management training • Entrepreneurship training • Provide access to micro-finance • Mentorship & support to projects and small businesses

10 | Page www.experiencemission.org d. Ekukhanyeni Old Age Home • Sustainable local initiative • 35 elderly people cared for daily

e. Churches The Church is God’s principally ordained agent in advancing the Kingdom of God. The present expression of the global Church is the living, worldwide body of redeemed people. These are people who have placed their faith in the person and work of Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins, have been adopted as children of God, and have been given the Spirit of God as a pledge of their inheritance.

The local church is an intentional, community-based expression of the global Church. It meets regularly for worship, fellowship, teaching, equipping, and deployment for service. Each local church is called to live as the incarnate Body of Christ within its community. The ultimate task of the local church is to equip its members to intentionally, strategically and contextually advance the reign of Christ through their lives, families and vocations.

Nations are discipled and communities transformed as local churches send their members into every sphere of society. Acting as agents of transformation these members use their skills and God-given gifts for ministry and service to others. By applying biblical principles through lifestyle and intentional action they promote the reign of Christ in each of their respective spheres.

We believe that God’s primary agency for accomplishing His mission is the Church. Jesus launched and the Holy Spirit empowers the Church. We exist to help and serve the Church. An African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” We believe that together is better. We, furthermore, exist to help North American and African churches work together as equal, biblically-led partners, practicing the well-tested rule of Christian fellowship: "In necessary things, unity; in non-essential things, liberty; in all things, charity." (Anon)

The abovementioned ministry initiatives affirm the role of the local church in the communities of KwaMhlanga as expressed in the previous paragraphs.

11 | Page www.experiencemission.org

Hammanskraal Hammanskraal is a small town in northern Gauteng, South Africa which serves a large rural community. It was named after Hamman, a cattleman who, to protect his livestock from predators, set up a stockade here. The town also serves as a shopping centre for surrounding locations such as kekana gardens, mandela village, Ramotse, Marokolong, Kanana, Temba, Unit d, Majaneng, Bosplaas, Makapanstad, Dilopye, Suurman, Lephengville, Sekampaneng and other nearby villages. Majaneng in Hammanskraal is a rural village with a chief. According to the 2001 Census there are approximately 206 000 people residing in the study area. (It is, however, estimated that the population could have increased to approximately 270 000 by 2005), due to natural growth as well as migration into the area. This represents 10% of the total population of the City of Tshwane. There is a total of about 51 600 households (Census 2001) living in the area (8,6% of the Tshwane total) and the average household size is about 4,0 people which is higher than the Tshwane average of 3,3 people per household. About 99,6% of this community is Black, 0,2% Coloured and about 0,2% White. The dominant language in the area is Setswana (35%), followed by Sepedi (24%), and Setsonga (21%); compared with Tshwane where the dominant language is Sepedi (22%) and Afrikaans (21%). As far as mode of transport is concerned it is clear that this is a predominantly pedestrian community with about 57% of the total population travelling by foot and 14,8% and 19% by taxi and by bus respectively (to go to work and school). Hammanskraal serves a large rural community. The town also serves as a main shopping centre for surrounding locations such as Ramotse, Marokolong, Kanana, Temba, Unit d, Majaneng, Bosplaas, Makapanstad and other nearby villages.

Brits Brits is a large town and district situated in a fertile, citrus, vegetable and grain-producing area that is irrigated by the waters of theHartbeespoort Dam in North West Province of South Africa. It is close to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, which includes Pretoria and it has the same dialling code as Pretoria. In addition to being a centre for agriculture, the town is home to several heavy industries, it is worth mentioning the presence of a factory of the Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo that produced cars for the domestic market and export to Asia from 1974 to 1985. The town also plays an important role in the South Africanmining industry: 94% of South Africa's platinum comes from the Rustenburg and Brits districts, which together produce more platinum than any other single area in the world. In addition, there is a large vanadium mine in the district.

Additional information 1. Visiting teams will do outreaches in Kwamhlanga, Hammankraal and Brits. Hammanskraal and Brits are also communities in motion with AIDS hospices, Children homes, orphans, the elderly, vegetable gardens, clinics, schools and churches. 2. Kwamhlanga, Hammanskraal and Brits are situated within an hour and a half drive from OR Tambo Airport. 3. Visiting teams will stay at Camp Discovery. The Camp site is a clean facility with dormitory style accommodation. The Camp site offers a lot of fun things to do like an Olympic size swimming pool, bicycles, archery, hiking, snake show, sport grounds and a fully stocked tuck shop. 4. Visits to these communities will cost approximately $100-140 per day per person. (The cost will depend on size of the group and the Rand/dollar currency). The amount includes: • Accommodation (dormitory style) • 3 x meals per day • Bottled water • Cutlery • Transport • Bedding

12 | Page www.experiencemission.org • Game drives • Outreaches to communities • Attending Sunday services in local congregations • Sightseeing such as the Pretoria Zoological gardens, the Pretoria Zoological Gardens, Hartbeespoortdam and Gold Reef City.

a. Games drives. Common sightings include species like eland, giraffe, sable antelope, roan antelope, oryx antelope, waterbuck, red hartebeest, kudu, impala, blue wildebeest, springbuck, reedbuck, bushbuck, zebra, nyala, duiker, steenbuck and warthog. Other species include brown hyaena, porcupine, aardvark and black- backed jackal with regular sightings of vervet monkeys and tree squirrels during daylight hours and bushbabies and springhare at night. More than 100 bird species have been positively identified with hornbills and Burchell's Starlings as the most common. More than 40 indigenous tree species occur naturally in the area and are clearly marked for easy identification

b. The Pretoria Zoological gardens The Pretoria Zoo has been rated as one of the best zoos in the world and enjoys National status as the National Zoological Gardens. The zoo features many exotic and African animal exhibitions in diverse environments that include a lake with hippos, a reptile house and an aquarium, as well as integrated function facilities and lapas. The 85-hectare zoo features 3120 mammals from 209 species, 1360 birds from 202 species, 3870 fish specimens from 190 fish species, as well as many invertebrates, reptile and amphibian species.

c. Hartbeespoortdam Roughly 45 minutes' drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria, surrounded by the beautiful Magaliesberg mountain range, Hartbeespoort Dam, or Harties to locals, has become a hive of activity and is a very popular weekend getaway for the two cities. The beauty of Hartbeespoort Dam is what draws people here - the dam literally cradled in the lap of the mountains - and many regard this as a retreat from the concrete jungle of city living. The 1620 hectare Hartbeespoort Dam functions both as a source of irrigation for farms in the area and as a resort, and the peace of the hills and valleys, the warmth even on winter days and the charm of the surrounding countryside, make this a place to restore the soul. The Hartbeespoort Dam offers an array of water sports, a local bird sanctuary, challenging hikes and gentle rambles. There is a collection of restaurants in Hartbeespoort that range from Tan' Malie se Winkle, a local institution where you can eat to your heart's content on traditional Afrikaans home-cooked meals, to the local Pick-a-Pancake, which takes pancakes into a new league. This restaurant lies literally in the heart of the Welwitschia Market - a range of African arts, crafts, novelties, curios and other at the fourway crossing at Hartbeespoort that makes a visit here imperative.

d. Gold Reef City Gold Reef City is a large in Johannesburg, South Africa. Located on an old gold mine, the park is themed around the gold rush on the Witwatersrand. Park staff wear period costumes of the 1880s, and the buildings on the park are designed to mimic the same period. There is a museum dedicated to gold mining on the grounds where it is possible to see a gold-containing ore vein and see how real gold is poured into barrels. There are

13 | Page www.experiencemission.org many attractions at Gold Reef City, not the least of which are water rides and roller coasters. • Anaconda. This is the only inverted in the world built by the coaster design company , and is currently the record holder for the fastest and tallest in Africa. • River Rapids • Jozi Express, which is a high- roller coaster built and manufactured by the German amusement park ride manufacturer . • Tower of Terror (also known as the Shaft of Terror). This roller coaster was originally designed by Swiss designer Ronald Bussink, manufactured by local companies, and built by the park themselves. It is a vertical-drop roller coaster which features a drop of 47 meters, and a pull-out which features a positive G-force of 6.3 Gs. This coaster is also the record holder for the current tallest and fastest roller coaster in Africa. • Golden Loop, originally White Lightnin' at , known for its acceleration and the loss of gravity at points. It is Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop. • Giant wheel with 55 meters diametre, may be the largest in Africa • Miner's Revenge • UFO, Goes at speeds of 50 km/h. • Runaway Train • • Dream Boat

5. What they need to bring: • Clothing • Swim clothes / sport gear • Toiletries • Towels both bathing and swimming towels • Umbrella / Raincoat • Spending money • Cameras etc. • Medicine (Including something for diarree, nausea, headaches, cold and flu • medicines, plasters, plastic gloves and antiseptic cream) • Mosquito repellent • all other extras 6. Hein & Helene van Wyk will be the local hosts and will accompany the team the whole time.

14 | Page www.experiencemission.org Welcome to Africa!

Hein & Helene van Wyk

15 | Page www.experiencemission.org