End of Year Update from Uzwelo Home:
To our
dearest friends at Living Stones in the USA,
Greetings
from Uzwelo Children's Home.
We trust you are all good in health and
warming up for Christmas which is in a few days.
Before I
start letting you know of some news and what's happening at Uzwelo I would
like to just say thank you to all the wonderful people in the Living Stones
Family Church for all your blessings - in love, kind and support.
Thank you
to the families that are investing in adopt-a-child.
Onto some
news:
Recently
we have had the privilege of having the services of a qualified Social
Worker from Ireland volunteering for the next year at Uzwelo Home. This has
made it possible to educate the Pre Schoolers to High Schoolers in necessary
Life Skills and Group work. Her name
is Nadia Engela. Nadia is 22 years old. Attached please find a pic of
Nadia. Nadia is full of energy and relates excellently with the children.
Please
find 2 pics of the kids doing Groupwork and learning about the body and how
special they are. The kids are also learning about road safety. Nadia
arranged the Christmas Party for the kids and got involved in arts and crafts
with them. With the kids in Primary School Nadia used the Birth of Jesus to
celebrate Hope, Joy and Life that we have in Jesus. The High School
kids did Group Work in between their exams and studies and their main theme was
– Renewing your spirit in Jesus.
Uzwelo
Home celebrated their 13th birthday on the 23rd November 2014. We have been
in the Service of the Lord for 13 years now rendering services to abused
and traumatised orphans. There was a Guest Speaker that came to talk to our
Congregation about his life experience living in a Children’s Home and where
he is now. Sweet packs were given to all the kiddies and cake and tea for
the adults. A slide show was available for the Wellspring Congregation
to see how far we have come and gone in the last 13 years. 6 members
of staff (Wendy-Director, Sam -Director Assistant, Care Worker Sara, Albert -
Chef, Robert-maintenance/ garden foreman and Lungile-Laundry) were acknowledged
for their 10 years and above dedicated service to Uzwelo Home.
Our new
Remedial teacher has started with us. His name is Mr. Mabusa. He teaches
the kids Maths work and Chess. We are very excited about the Chess playing.
Chess stimulates the brain and is very therapeutic in the goal setting
process. Chess is given weekly to our children. Small kids play on Mondays
and Wednesdays. The older kids play Chess on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Sbongile
is doing her final year of school. She has just finished in Matric.
Sbongile is 21 years of age. She will be staying on at Uzwelo next year and
will be employed as a Relief Care Worker. As the
winner of the ‘Best Sewing Student’ in 2013, she was offered the opportunity
to assist the Facilitator in training Uzwelo children and the Community
of Piet Retief in sewing next year. Sbongile is very excited and at one
stage was very torned up about leaving Uzwelo and going into the outside
world. This amazing opportunity has given her new hope and security and a
start to an amazing future ahead of her. A lady from our Church has come up
with an innovative fund raising idea to make dresses from African material
and sell them overseas in America and Germany. Sbongile will also be doing
this project. The money that Sbongile earns from making these dresses
will be her own.
Tsepiso
(Please see pic attached) is one of our new arrivals at Uzwelo Home. He is a
gorgeous little boy. Tsepiso is enrolled at Piet Retief Primary School
and is Grade 2. He is 8 years old. Recently the school had a colouring
in competition. There are about 800 children in this school. Tsepiso
entered this competition 'under the wing' of Nadia. Very excited to say this
young man came 2nd in his age category.
One of
our boys, Siyabonga Mbokazi was selected to play for one of the biggest
Soccer Teams in South Africa for the Junior League – Sundowns. Siyabonga
will start training next year and will play for the Junior Team once a
month. Siyabonga will have to travel to Pretoria once a month. Very,
very exciting news. Siyabonga is Goal keeper. Siyabonga together with 3
other young boys at the Home will be starting a part time holiday job at Mondi
Forestry in December for Skill Training and Development.
We thank
God for our miracle Senzo, over and over again. Senzo is doing so well!
He is back in school and currently finishing his Grade 10. His wounds
have now fully healed and he is attending Physio for Movement. Senzo has been
given the opportunity to attend a holiday in the Drakensburg with a group in
South Africa called – 'Children of Fire'. On this holiday, Senzo will be
doing Personality Development, Therapy and empowering victims of fire.
Senzo has a job with Berno’s Butchery where they are training him up for the
future.
Our
Durban holiday is coming up next year. Please pray for blessings and safety
while we treat the kiddies to a 6 day holiday on the sunny beach.
Blessings
Steve and Rebecca. Thank you
for everything that you do for us at Uzwelo Children's Home.. You are so
appreciated and loved dearly. You have wonderful dedicated hearts!!!!
Much love
to you and all our supporters and friends in Rayleigh, North Carolina.
South
African Christmas Greetings and many blessings! xxx
Sam Yiollaris
Uzwelo
