Nkosi’s Haven

Happy 2011!! What an incredible year!!

We spent two days at the beach in Durban, South Africa. It was rainy and beautiful and we were able to rest and relax after our month in Swaziland. This is our ATL (ask the Lord) month. We prayed for a while and landed ourselves in a beautiful place that needed our help. Nkosi’s Haven.  We are safe somewhere outside of Johannesburg, South Africa for the month of January.

Nkosi’s Haven is a place that was created to be a home for women with HIV and their children. A young boy named Nkosi was HIV positive and lived with his mother. A woman took him and his mother in and he knew that he was blessed. From the ages of 3-5, he desired for others to have this same blessing. At age five, his mom died and then he was refused education because of his HIV positive status. People fought for him and he was allowed access to education which opened the door for other children with HIV. He spoke at conferences and won awards and brought awareness about people with HIV. In the area, 1000 people die everyday from HIV and there are 2.5 Aids orphans. His dream came true and Nkosi’s Haven was created. A place for women with HIV and their children to be taken care of and given medical treatment. We are at the village where there are 203 people taken care of here. There are 134 children and over half are HIV positive. All the mothers who work here are HIV positive and they each have a house with children to care for. Nkosi’s haven is expanding and hoping to be self-sustaining. They are working on many projects to make that happen: a farm, bakery, art-selling, shareholding, training mothers to share their stories, and many other things. They are in need of money as well. Major companies that were financially supporting Nkosi’s Haven are withdrawing their support due to other problems. Please help in anyway you can.
 Visit their website if you would like more info: www.nkosishaven.org

 

Here, at Nkosi’s Haven, we have been spending time with the children, have construction and other work projects, and will be going to other villages and branches to help. Other projects include helping on the farm, tutoring the children, and much more. There is always a child to hug or a store room to clean!! Please be praying for us this month. We are so thankful to live in this beautiful place with these beautiful mothers and children.  I am so thankful that the money came for me on this trip. One of the girls on my team needs money by the 15th or she will be sent home. Check it out: Brittanysmith.theworldrace.org 

I have so much to write but I will tell you more stories later. Love you all!!!