around 1000 people live on a deserted mountain side in grabouw which used to be a pine plantation, this area called iraq has one standpipe and no electricity. the local municipality are currently completing some much needed work to bring basic sanitation into the area but the people living there have been asked to move their own houses to an area slightly (like 200 yards) nearer to town to be nearer to the water!...this is no mean task with no transport, tools or materials.
thembacare make frequent visits to iraq and have a number of people who they are caring for, ensuring that they continue to take their medication, one of these patients is a very sick man (in his 30's) and he was asked to move his home to the new site. we (village of hope) were asked if we could help.
as we had some willing volunteers around we made a visit to the 'home'(a small tin shack)but it was clear to see that this simple structure was in no fit state to be moved....
..what to do?...well with some funds that were donated by the Tim Berger mission team we purchased a brand new wooden home (ok we would call it a shed but to the man and his young nephew this was to provide some welcome comfort in comparison to their previous structure).
there is always a dilemma in how we best hope those in need, we face poverty and disease day in day out but there are some cases which touch your heart and therefore after long consideration we felt that we should bless this man, you should have seen the look on his face as the lorry came along with all the materials, the home was installed and we shared a smile as he stepped over the thresh hold of that 'home'.
as i said this isn't something we make a habit of doing, handouts make people reliant on charity but if you would like to help us bless more of those 'one off patients', or those who have lost a home to fire (which is also a frequent problem) just make a donation of around £600 and we will tell of more stories of hope.
(the photo shows the new home (light orange) against a backdrop of other shacks and the wonderful grabouw valley in the background)
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