6th June 2010

Hi everyone,
We are approaching the Soccer World Cup in 5 days time in this country. It has created a mad fixation with soccer amongst our orphans. They play mostly on the streets in front of our centres, and there is always a tussle between the girls who want to play netball and the boys who want to play soccer! If they haven't got a soccer ball they make do with one made of plastic shopping bags and string. Goals are marked with boxes or whatever they can find that is useful.


Some very kind and generous young people from our local sugar mill TSB have arranged to have portable soccer goalposts made for street soccer and portable netball posts. Someone has also donated quite a few netballs and soccer balls.


We have bought 700 blankets this year and most of them have been handed out already.

Learning how to brush teeth!

16/04/2010

Hi,

Gosh I hope someone is reading this!

We managed to buy a second Chana panel van to transport our assistants from area to area. We plan to transport kids from one centre to another for competitions and games during the school holidays. We've employed 2 more assistants as we find ourselves a bit short-handed. I've been going around playing games with the children. I find them very co-operative and well-mannered. They have a spirit of joy about them that is very energizing. They are real little survivors! My granddaughter Georgina has been coming with me and teaching the girls how to bead and make earrings to keep or sell. We hope to purchase a couple of sewing machines and teach them basic sewing. So life is interesting!

Why do we do this work? And what motivates people to donate funds or join in sharing skills with these children? Some donate so they can deduct contributions from their tax returns. Others give because they have experienced poverty themselves. Others find themselves so moved by these children and their hopeless plight that they want to help in any way they can. Any or all of the above helps to develop society and move these kids from a position of hopelessness and potential crime to the promise of a better life. This is a basic human right. Through us the orphans know that there are people out there who really care about them!

Please think about contributing - our bank details are further back - just scroll down.

God bless - Inky

Bank details

Hi,
In case anyone is feeling generous here are our bank details again:

Makhundu Christian Support
First National Bank
Malalane branch code 270952
Acct no 62079127132
Swift Code FIRNZA JJ 926

Thanks so much!

Hello there,

I've been busy giving puppet shows to the orphans at our 4 centres. Puppets are a fantastic teaching tool and the kids LOVE it! I got some scripts off Internet and adapted them to what the psychologist is teaching the kids about life skills. When the show is over, I ask if anyone wants to try too and the response is great and they have an "anonymous" chance to share what they've learnt. Afterwards we play games and have spelling and multiplication tables competitions.

Keep well!

Inky - Makhundu Christian Support

Happy New Year - 2010

Hello,

It is 2010 already! Makhundu Christian Support will start food distribution again on the 9th January, having doubled up over Christmas so that our assistants could have their holiday. It has been a good year and people have been generous despite the recession. However we received less donations than usual because of the circunstances. From September 2009 onwards we had a few visitors from overseas - in particular from Holland and Germany - who came to see the scheme and the centres. Wonderful young people with big hearts! Hi to you Felix, Rick, Cecilia! Hi also to Jeroen, Tomas and Isabella, and we hope you are well!