“Every place that the sole of your foot touches, I have given to you…” Joshua 1:3
It is amazing to realize we are already half way into 2011! Our desire this year has been to initiate development at the land; to break ground, drive forward & generate the momentum that will carry this building project through to a victorious completion. We are pleased with the strides made thus far, but we know we still have a long way to go!
We wanted to take this opportunity to bring into focus the vision of Kwathu for our friends, family & supporters. The purposes of Kwathu expand far beyond the children’s home we are currently blessed with & will include a clinic, trade schools, small businesses, guest house & larger housing units to accommodate a greater number of orphaned & vulnerable children. You may recall from a previous newsletter that Kwathu believes in equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities in a way that will bring victories despite a person’s social background, family history, or financial situation. We want to walk a path with people. To partner with them in their journey. The essence of Kwathu is to be a blessing to the surrounding community; to embrace our brothers & sisters around us, to guide them, lift them up, watch them stand firm & in time, lift up those around them.
Making this dream a reality, the vision is already being expressed in our relationships in practical ways. We recently began sponsoring, as a result of your generosity, three young men who desire to complete their grade 12 education. Kwathu has committed also to seeing our hired auntie complete her education, and our partnership with her will make this possible. Her desire is to obtain a nursing degree & serve in Kwathu’s future clinic. We support & encourage her dream & look forward to the day she reports for duty as a nurse at Kwathu!
In the past couple months, we have been working diligently to develop the land & really get the ball rolling. We are eager to accomplish the short-term goals & shift to the new property, as it will release us from such things as paying rent, which is money we would otherwise be putting forward into development & expansion. Our short-term goals are to:
- fence the property
- sink a borehole
- lay a foundation
- begin construction of the new children’s home
Recently, the property was completely cleared, which made the beautiful trees stand out, gave some definition to the land, & allowed us to dream about the layout of the project.
How You Can Have A Hand In Kwathu’s Future:
You are reading this because we know that you have blessed Kwathu in some way. So, instead of digging further into your own wallet, we request that you consider doing something creative in your own community to raise awareness and effect change on the other side of the world. We aspire to see our network grow by giving others an opportunity to share about Kwathu and subsequently allow their community to engage the purposes here.
Since communicating this vision and the progress at the land, some individuals have really stepped forward and expressed an interest in leading events to raise funds for Kwathu. Currently, we have a musically gifted young woman in Hawaii who has decided to put together a benefit concert in her town. A young mother from Florida is selling African paintings at a local farmer’s market, with attached postcards created using photos of Kwathu children. Another woman from Florida painted on canvas shoes & donated 50% of the proceeds to Kwathu. As we pass into winter here, many of our friends are experiencing summer. This is the perfect time for a community car wash, which is what another friend is planning in Hawaii.
Another opportunity to connect with our efforts is to sponsor a project on this side. Similar to sponsoring a child, you would be sponsoring a task or part of a task. We would love to see the property fenced as a result of a community coming together with compassion & generosity. Or to watch a foundation being laid because of the creativity of a zealous, loving group of friends.
There are so many creative ways to help Kwathu. Would you take a moment to consider how you might engage your community to help us move forward with this vision? Would you pause to envision your contribution for the lives & futures of those who become a part of the Kwathu family? Would you stand with us in any way possible, to speak hope and life in this community and have a positive impact in Africa?
We look forward to hearing from you & also to the day you visit the Kwathu project to see what you had a hand in developing. Thank you for your continued faithfulness & friendship.
