Seeds of Light South Africa

PAST

Volunteer Caregiver Joseph Hamer

The three weeks I spent at Amazing Grace orphanage were a true blessing. I enjoyed meeting and getting to know the children. First I was struck by how many tribes and languages were represented there. It was an extraordinary example of unity in diversity. And the children were of all ages, which allowed me to help out in a variety of ways, from attending to the little ones, life guarding the swimming pool, conversing with and giving guidance to the teens, and reading with all ages.

I lived there, eating with the children in the cafeteria and sleeping in a room adjacent to their rooms. I felt that I was a part of the community while I was there, and it tore my heart to leave. I did so with the blessing of Grace who I had come to admire and proudly be associated with in the enormous effort to care for and help provide a future to the orphaned children of South Africa.

I feel a lot of emotion when thinking of individual children of Amazing Grace. I treasure the memories of them playing football, splashing around in the pool, reading in the library, and all the moments of playful exchange that I witnessed or was a part of. I can easily say I love those children, and what matters more is that I continue to find ways to to show it.

By Joseph Hamer

Computers for Funjwa

Seeds of Light has been supporting a school which is greatly in need of help in South Africa. The Funjwa Primary School is located in Acornhoek, Limpopo Province, which is one of South Africa’s most impoverished, destitute areas. When we first visited this school of over 900 children, we found the classrooms to be very minimal. Some had no desks, tables or chairs. The dedicated teachers have few supplies to use in their classrooms, yet they are masters at creating something out of nothing. There was an empty room with a sign on it that said, “computer laboratory.”

Joy at opening of Funjwa Computer Centre

The donation of 9 fully functional computers as well as desks, chairs and filing cabinets facilitated by SOLSA was accepted with joy and gratitude by the schools staff, pupils and stakeholders from the local community during a colourful ceremony on October 7^th, 2004 at Acornhoek in Limpopo province.
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Amazing Grace Children's Centre - Malelane

The Amazing Grace Children's Centre, founded by Grace Mashaba, began as a feeding scheme for children in 1990 and officially registered as a shelter for street children in 1997. Since 1999, Amazing Grace Centre has become not only a shelter for street children, but for all children living in difficult circumstances. Some have been sexually/physically abused while others have been neglected or abandoned by their families. Many are HIV+. The shelter provides care and security for these children. Amazing Grace Home also provides counselling for abused women. The Seeds of Light Orphan Sponsorship Programme is currently providing support for about 90 children living at the Homes in Malelane and Eikenhof.

Gardening Project

Right behind the main centre at Amazing Grace Children's Home is a large open field just waiting for green fingers, some water and love. The kids have managed to sustain a small veggie garden which supplies ample huge fat pumpkins, yet the lack of water and the fight with the hardened Highveld weeds means that nature keeps encroaching.

It's a real opportunity to create a sustainable source of food and requires some serious logistics - so let's see if there are any ways in which we can perhaps get a bore hole, or just some very basic tips and sustainable crop going. The veggie patch is tiny, with the field being about 5 acres big....there's a lot of rich red soil to harness.

If you are interested, contact Tahnia 083 297 0700.