SOUTH AFRICA
Living Hope has a ministry in this township.
Our partnership started with the first private radio station in South Africa.
Pastor John Thomas introduced David to his congregation as the man God used for radio in South Africa. The vision of this partner is providing a soup kitchen for the homeless and with a radio station reaching into Masiphumelele, an urbanized township (we would say squatters camp) in Fish Hoek, South Africa, which 50,000 inhabitants call home.
Now the most popular station in South Africa was revisited 19 years later.
Mission & Vision
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Living Hope is a Faith-based Non-Profit Organization whose vision is to reach people for Christ, "Bringing Hope and Breaking the Despair" of poverty and disease. Living Hope undertakes community development through educational, social, income generation, and health-related programs; and plays a vital role in the prevention, care and treatment of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses.
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Masiphumelele formerly known as site 5, residents renamed their township Masiphumelele, which means "we shall succeed' in Xhosa, the main language of the Masi people.
Masiphumelele was originally created in the early 1990's from an overflow of people from the Khayelitsha township and a nearby squatters camp. It was designed for 750 families,
with no provision for community based businesses.
The township grew rapidly and although official figures suggest 16,000, unofficial estimates reach as high as 50,000. Thousands of shacks have been built around the brick houses as the population continues to explode.
Masiphumelele was originally created in the early 1990's from an overflow of people from the Khayelitsha township and a nearby squatters camp. It was designed for 750 families,
with no provision for community based businesses.
The township grew rapidly and although official figures suggest 16,000, unofficial estimates reach as high as 50,000. Thousands of shacks have been built around the brick houses as the population continues to explode.
Community Response
The team seeks to meet and advocate for the basic needs of those they serve.
When there is a disaster of fire or flood, their role includes liaising with the City of Cape Town Disaster Management team and other stakeholders. They seek donations from the public, which are then sorted and distributed, including food, clothing, bedding, linen items, cooking utensils, hygiene items, and storage containers. In one year they distributed more than 2348 emergency recovery packs during the summer season.
It is during times of despair the opportunity arrises to spend time with people as goods are delivered to them. Staff listens to their needs and prays with them or just reminds them that God loves them and it is because of His provision that Living Hope is able to help by, "Bringing Hope and Breaking Despair".
Reaching People far from God was able to provide $3,600.00 to Masiphumelele for food for the cooking Mamas that arrived on a Thursday in January when the following Monday a fire destroyed 31 shacks and over a hundred people were homeless, having lost everything. Money was on hand to immediately provide help with the provision of food prepared and distributed to the most needy.
Agriculture
Ask any farmer and you will quickly learn that running a farm is no easy task.
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In the last ten years, the Living Hope farming program has grown and adapted from a two tunnel greenhouse project to a full scale operation; moving locations,
changing curricula and experimenting with various animal husbandry and produce. At the root of our agricultural program is teaching and training. Not only do we grow and harvest seedlings, but we grow and harvest people along the way! |
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Living Hope in South Africa operates a successful agricultural training program. It is three six month sections totaling 18 months and eight students participate in a “seed to sell” program. They are planting seeds. They are nurturing them and seeing them grow and then they’re planted in the ground and then managed to grow without anything that could be harmful to them in terms of chemicals, and then they are harvested and packaged and provide income
Executive Director, Victor Thomas and David Marshall Kealy touring the farm.
Helping people earn their way out of poverty through a practical agricultural and business training program develops future farmers for South Africa. The agricultural training program of Living Hope, that is bringing hope and breaking despair in South Africa is a training program that addresses the need for Africa’s, long-term food, insecurity, and unemployment challenges as they provide hands-on, practical farmer training. The goal is to create graduates with the knowledge and skills and experience to grow food. Graduates become successful farmers while growing vegetables from “seed to sale“ ; just what they learned in the 18 month Agriculture Training School; the primary purpose of the school.
