May 2005
From Shacks to Houses in South Africa
With the help of friends, Charis International recently sent $40,000 to Mamelodi, South Africa to build houses that will provide shelter for the poorest of the poor who are now living in dilapidated shacks.
Martin and Terry Vorster Report
“The first house is for a family of seven orphans. The eldest, with brain damage from chronic epileptic attacks, will always be a dependent. Because of the size of the family, we are building a three bedroom house. We have been able to keep costs down by using volunteers for much of the work. Also, the bricks are being made by the factory we established last year.”
God's Faithfulness
“During the building process we erected plastic tanks to catch runoff water from the roofs of the shacks. With water so scarce during the dry season, the little that was gathered was used for drinking and other needs. One of the shacks had a 2,500 liter tank that had to be removed when the shack was dismantled to begin digging the foundation for the new house.
We hoped to transfer the water to a similar container but couldn’t obtain one large enough. Consequently, we had to let the water run out on the ground. This loss was serious because we needed as much water as could be spared to mix concrete for the foundation. The good news is that our disappointment at losing the water was replaced with rejoicing when a heavy rain fell and filled the holes we had dug with water. Using buckets, we were able to refill the tank exactly to its 2,500 liter capacity.”
A New Project
Untold numbers of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo have suffered because of recent conflict, but none more than widows and orphans. The Evangelical Community of Aru, Congo, has committed to helping some of the most destitute of these by teaching sign language to 15 deaf and dumb children, and literacy to 20 women who can neither read nor write. To provide them and 35 orphans and 15 widows with the means to earn a living, they will also teach them a trade, such as sewing and knitting so they can make clothing they can wear or sell.
To make this training possible, they need a multi-purpose building. Women of the church have formed a committee to spearhead this project. They will cook for the men who make the bricks, and carry stones for the foundation on their heads.
The total cost for the project, including the building, sewing machines, cloth, and knitting needles, is just $6,500. For this small amount of money, we can make a huge difference in the lives of some very needy women and children.
The Lord watches over the strangers. He upholds the orphan and widow.
PSALM 146:9
