Thanks to all our loyal and kind donors

I think it is very appropriate to first of all thank our loyal and kind donors.

Thank you very much from the whole Refilwe team!

Without your generous donations and contributions we would have had few successes in 2014.

With your help as caring donors we were able to sustain and maintain the programmes we are currently running.

OUR PROGRAMMES:

The end of July marked the launch of our Ithuteng Community After-Care Centre and Recycle Project, which offers structured educational support to over 90 children who live in the nearby Joe Slovo Informal Settlement in Lanseria.

Ithuteng means ‘Come, now is the time to learn’.

Refilwe Community Project is focused on child care and community development.

We are based in Lanseria, west of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Refilwe was founded in 1991, initially as a health-care clinic but we have since developed a strong focus on child care, community development and skills improvement through education and mentorship.

At Refilwe we believe in providing a hand-up rather than a hand-out.

The Ithuteng Community After-Care Centre and Recycle Project has already proven to be a great success in a very short space of time.

The new after-care centre teaches children about responsibility and the environment, as they must collect and bring recyclable material to be part of the programme.

In addition, the children receive ‘Mulas’ (the new currency at Refilwe) for their recyclable materials and they can then exchange them for stationery, personal care items and basic food stuffs.

In just over two months an average of 40 children have recycled over 8 tons of plastic, glass and paper.

Something that is very dear to our hearts at Refilwe Community Project is Kids Club and Holiday Club!

Holiday Club was created to be a connection point between the children of the Joe Slovo informal settlement, the children and staff of Refilwe.

Most important of all, it was to be a connection point between God, the children of Joe Slovo and Refilwe whom He so dearly loves.

We started Holiday Club to demonstrate God’s love to the children that join us over the school holidays.

We have seen the trust grow between us and the children of the Joe Slovo community as well as an enthusiasm for God. We have seen strong relationships being built between the community and Refilwe and we have seen God continue to provide funding for Holiday Club out of His grace and the generosity of His people. It is such a blessing to see that over the school holidays God brings healing and transformation to so many of the lives of our kids who have been hurt by an environment of addiction and violence that they often come from.

Kids Club is on Saturday mornings from 8.30am to 1pm with the average of 100 kids from the surrounding Lanseria communities. Here we enjoy the company of each other in the presence of Christ. It’s a time of free play, worship, Bible story, and small group time. Not to mention the nutritious meal at the end to make the weekend stomach grumbles a little less. It is a place to feel safe and loved by each person who attends. Kids Club is designed for discipleship and building of relationships.

The other beautiful work we do include:

El Roi Baby Home – A safe and secure environment for abandoned babies. We currently have 12 of the cutest babies at our home. This includes seven boys and four girls and their ages range from three months to two years old.

Refilwe ECD centre – The 83 children we currently educate and care for are all from the communities around us.

God Parent Programme – The God Parent Programme is family-based foster care. We provide a loving and caring home environment for 30

children that have been abandoned.

Thank you

Corné Engelbrecht

Donor relations manager

Refilwe Community Project.