Good evening friends from the Mbazwana Inn on the South African border with Mozambique. I'm on my anti-malarials as we are in the far North of KwaZulu Natal and it's feeling distinctly tropical.
We travelled up here by car from Pietermaritzburg where this morning we had the enormous privilege of being guests of honour at a school assembly - held outside in the yard of a school in a township of this historic city.
We travelled up here by car from Pietermaritzburg where this morning we had the enormous privilege of being guests of honour at a school assembly - held outside in the yard of a school in a township of this historic city.
This was a high school with 700 kids from ages 12 to 17 present. The singing was incredible, joyful, loud, tuneful, touching, worshipful, respectful and very real. Many of these children are growing up in communities stalked by the fear of HIV, yet sadly and frequently unable to prevent this disease from affecting them. (Check back later and I'll upload a video clip.)
EngageHIV's local partner CCP has been delivering gospel infused life skills training into 15 schools within this area over the past 5 years. The effect has been dramatic. HIV infection rates and teenage pregnancies have been greatly reduced.
After the assembly we visited a cemetry on a beautiful hillside bursting with graves of young people and parents who have recently died.
Line after line of simple graves each marked with a simple wooden cross, tell of a community devastated by the disease. Average life expectancy amongst these communities is around 40 years only.
The CCP leadership are assisted in their work by Rob and Debbie, ex-social workers from Ballymoney who moved to Pietermaritzburg 5 years ago to assist in this vital HIV programme amongst young people. Here's a picture of Rob:
Just recently they evaluated that they are reaching and impacting the lives of over 12,000 vulnerable children across these townships through their work.
It was uplifting also to vist a 'Child Headed Household' after the cemetry and see how CCP were helping this fragile family with 9 family members survive in an environment where prostitution is often the only way the oldest child can provide for the rest of the siblings.
Tomorrow were planning to vist more centres for orphans and vulnerable children in this Northern area of KwaZulu Natal.
Please pray that we will see God's Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven in these areas, and that many lives will be saved both physically and spiritually.
'til tomorrow. Thanks for reading, praying and being a part of this fight.
Trevor.
-- Posted from my iPhone
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