Day 5 - Oshoek Community

Day 5 - Oshoek Community 

We all woke up bright and early (and a little cold!) and quickly got all of our stuff together and ready to go, since it was our last day at the service centre. We had breakfast all together and then met with other members of the service team to have morning prayer and a discussion on chapter 18 of Matthew. We discussed the theme of forgiveness and the story of the Lost Sheep, and found these both useful in linking this chapter to the work that the service centre do; in looking for the lost children in their communities and bringing them safely home. After this, we then set out on our way to Sthobela A, driving along some very interesting roads but absolutely loving the views! We arrived at the care point and were greeted by very happy care workers, which is always a delight to see. After introductions we we then able to just enjoy the sheer beauty of the care point, really taking in the breathtaking views over the mountains. Alice the Second, Clarrie and Sophie then went to help peel and chop potatoes, whilst Lucy and Oliver tackled the cabbages! 

Next, we went into the hall which has an amazing tree made of hands on the wall that was made by the children, care workers and service centre team at Sthobela A. We discussed the day ahead, suggested prayer requests, danced to a worship song and took time to pray for the care point, community and care workers there. We prayed especially for the safety and security of the children who walk 5km to the high school, as there is great worry about a man who is very dangerous to the girls. Alice the Second, Chris and Sophie then led some encouragement for the care workers using Romans 15:13, discussing the hope and trust in the Holy Spirit, especially through this period of difficulty that the care point is experiencing. 

As part of connecting with care workers, we all had the opportunity to listen to the stories of the care workers. This was a wonderful introduction given by Sifiso. Following introductions and a name game with actions to represent each person... from curtsies to clapping, dancing to aeroplanes... we then met in small groups with each of the care workers. 

Alice the First and Alice the Second went to the bottom of the Care Point with Gogo Christina. Christina has been a care worker since December 2018 and is a grandmother to 9 grandchildren. She is 67 but sill going strong, and has a very cheeky giggle! We were able to ask questions and she told us her story. Christina is married, and her husband is still in good health. They live together with two of their three children, whilst the other works away from home as a taxi driver. With them, there are 9 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. They are a busy family of 15, but there is sadness in Gogo Christina’s life as she has lost 10 children. In spite of this, Gogo’s heart is full and the Care Point brings her to life. 

Sophie and Chris has the pleasure to speak to Liliana, a care worker at the Sthobela A Care Point. She is an amazing woman who has worked at the Care Point since October 2015. She cares for 5 children as well as others that she has adopted. She has such a positive, enthusiastic outlook despite the struggles in her daily life. Her husband and oldest child are looking for work so money is scarce for them. During the discussion, Liliana asked us to pray that they would find work so that the family could be better supported. The work that Liliana does is incredible and we ask that her health, family, and hopes are in your prayers.

Clarrie and Oliver sat with Nonteko to get to know different care workers. Nonteko told of how her daughter goes to a school which is about 5km away from her home. Nonteko’s daughter walks with her neighbour who at the end of last week underwent a traumatic experience with a man who has been see within the mountains and forest which are on the way to the school. When Nonteko reported this to the Police, they said that they would not be doing anything. The neighbour and Nonteko’s daughter have reported back very frequently that they have seen the man within the woods on the way to and from school. This has meant that Nonteko has put it upon herself to walk the girls to school each day which is very straining for her. Clarrie and Oliver then prayed for Nonteko and her family and security within the community and we are going to ensure that we continue to do this.

We then split into three groups, two were going on Holy Home Visits and the other were staying to help finish the painting on the care point. 

The first group to go on a Holy Home Visit were Alice the Second and Sophie...

Alice the Second, Sophie, Sifiso, Brie, Esther and Annie went on a Holy Home Visit to meet a 77 year old woman called GoGo Margaret. She is the grandmother to three children; two of them attend the Sthobela A Care Point and the other is in Osheok looking for work. She had an infectious smile and was a cheeky lady who made many jokes. That’s especially wonderful given her desperate situation. GoGo suffers from very sore feet which result in horrendous and deep peeling - something that makes daily life extremely hard. Luckily her grandchildren help and care for her. Brie was especially excited to be returning to GoGo and explained to us that in May she helped care for her feet and cleaned her wounds so was anxious to see the progress. Thankfully, her feet were so much better and Brie was delighted with the progress. Annie has also delivered a gift to GoGo of new orthopaedic shows to help improve the situation further. GoGo was so grateful and couldn’t believe that people were being so caring for her. Unfortunately it was clear that GoGo was in a lot of pain not only due to her feet but also reoccurring headaches. There were times during the conversations where she would clutch her head in pain. GoGo does take some medication for her headaches but this has run out and the nearest clinic is a long way for her to walk. We ended the visit by praying for GoGo’s health and happiness.

The second group to go on Holy Home Visits were Alice the First and Lucy...

So Alice P ( Alice 1) and myself went off on our holy home visit with Busi and Stephanie . Our trek was further than usual , we could just see the homestead in the distance! Upon arrival we met Angela who came out to meet us and invited us inside her home. The reason for visiting this home was that the grandmother who was living there and caring for 5 children had died last month and there was concern on how the home was coping and who was now living in the house. Angela explained to us about the family set up . Her 2 brothers were now working away , however 2 of their children were living in the house (toddlers) , and then there were 2 older sisters who were still at school . Angela also has a child of 7 months who was asleep on the sofa. School was around 5km walk as the local school has been closed by the government. Angela is 19 and now is running the home, her 2 brothers are sending money to support from their work in Johannesburg but at that young age she was doing very well. Busi asked Angela about the father of her child , he now is a clerk at the school , but wasn’t when she first met him. Busi asked about if they plan to marry , she encouraged Angela that it would be good to ensure their baby was raised with love and support. We discussed the local  community and Angela shared how she felt sad that there was little facilities close by , such as a shop. Busi said she should encourage her brothers to open one up! The closed school was discussed , and Angela said how much better it would be for her siblings as it would be significantly nearer and also if it is adjacent to the care-point; currently they often feel too tired to walk to and from and are therefore missing out on that time and the critical facilities it provides. Busi encouraged both Angela and Steph to attend the community meeting that was planned for next week and speak up /lobby for the school to be reopened . They also discussed other ways which would help the cause which they were both challenged to take onboard. 

We prayed together and Angela asked us to pray for her family and her community and that the school will get re-opened ( government have said they will next year ). Following our prayer time we said our goodbyes and took a couple of photos of Angela which will be great to remind us of her and her family . We very much hope that Angela feels she is not forgotten and that she is loved and cared for and this encourages her in her future weeks and months. 

While the others were off on home visits, Clarrie, Oliver and Chris stayed to help paint the black outlines onto the coloured wall. This was super fun and we were all humbled to have been able to be a part of the project, as well as having the chance to try and improve our somewhat questionable painting skills! With the help of other service centre members and a few care workers, the painting was finished in super speedy time, and was almost also dry before the others returned from home visits and as some of the under 5s were also arriving. There were around 11 under 5s who came to the care point today and they all enjoyed playing games in their own little playground, overlooking the valley. As soon as a few more children arrived, we danced and sang to Shine (about 5 times!) and all enjoyed spending time together in this wonderful community. Unfortunately out Sthobela A was cut short because we needed to get back to the hub in daylight, and so after eating a lunch of pap, stew and cabbage very quickly, we said some very sad goodbyes to the care workers who we had had the pleasure of walking alongside for the last 3 days. With a heavy heart, but also the love and spirit of Oshoek within us, we set off back to the hub. On the way, we had our debrief with Angie, in which we discussed all 3 days we had enjoyed in Oshoek, particularly reflecting on the good times and the more challenging times we had experienced. On return to the hub we took the opportunity to have showers (as some of us had started to smell a little!) and then had a lovely dinner of homemade burgers and wedges. We then discussed the weekend ahead before all going off to have a well deserved sleep before Kruger tomorrow!