It's a first all round

The event is brand new ... "Mandela Day Marathon" and of course this was the first "Ethembeni  team" to participate in the event.

The vibe was amazing ... people united and eager to participate in this wonderful event.

The Ethembeni team are to be commended for their efforts .... great looking team too.

Perhaps next year more than one Ethembeni team will participate.... get ready folks.

The COLD kept at bay

Many families supported by Ethembeni benefited from the very timely donation of 90 blankets  from Welfare Director Julia Todd. These blankets came from the East Coast Winter warmth Campaign via the PMB Rotary.

The Midlands Meander area of KZN where Mpophomeni is found, experienced some really cold snowy weather for almost a week and these blankets brought warmth and comfort to our families.

The blankets were given to the Ethembeni Carers and volunteer groups for personal distribution to the families and were really well received, as one could imagine under the circumstances.

A HUGE thank you to all involved throughout the "supply chain". It is because of YOUR support that Ethembeni is able to help others.

God's provision for a needy family

Testimony by an Ethembeni Careworker – Thunyiwe Sokhela (In ZULU and ENGLISH)

Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu ngomsebenzi owenziwa iEthembeni empakathini.

Kukhona umndeni osizakele kakhulu usizwa yiEthembeni. Lomndeni sawufica uhluphekile kakhulu. Umndeni unezingane ezingu 9 nobaba nomama.

Omakhelwane basebekhathele bezama ukuba babaphe ukudla nezingubo. Safika bengenawo ama ID books, izingane zingenazo izitifiketi. Kwakungekho imali engenayo.

Yanikela iEthembeni ngokudla, izingubo, nezicathulo, nama uniform ukuba abantwana baqhubeke bafunde. IEthembeni yabafundisa futhi ukuba balime ingadi yemifino nama vegetables.

Yabasiza futhi inhlangano yaseEthembeni ukuba bathole ama ID books nama birth certificates. Lomndeni wasizakala impela baze basizwa  nangamagrants abazali okugula nama support grants abantwana. Okukhulu kakhulu ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenza umsebenzi nasezimpilweni zabo. Banikela izimpilo zabo kuJesu. Ngokuba babehleli bengashadile befisa ukuba bashade kodwa babengakwazi ngenxa yokuthi wayengekho ozobalekelela.

IEthembeni yanikela ngosizo lokuba bashade. Bambonga uNkulunkulu bamdumisa.

Imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu iyamangalisa. Uma ngibuka amandla akhe awnza kulomndeni ngimdumisa njalo.

Enhlizweni yami kuneculo elifikayo uma ngicabanga ngomsebenzi owenziwa iEthembeni emphakathini.

Lithi: WE thembekile Jesu

          Nsuku zonke zikhathi
           WE thembekile Jesu

         : You are faithful Oh Lord

            Every day and every hour
            You are faithful Oh Lord

 Translation by Nora

I thank God for the work Ethembeni is doing in the community.

There is a family which has been greatly assisted by Ethembeni when it was discovered how poor they were. The family consisted of 9 children and the father and mother.

The neighbours were getting weary of trying to feed and clothe them. When we took them in hand, they had no ID books, the children had no birth certificates, and they had no income.

Ethembeni offered to help them with food, clothes, shoes, and uniforms, so that the children could go to school. Ethembeni also taught them to cultivate a garden to grow spinach and vegetables.

Ethembeni also assisted them to obtain ID books & birth certificates. Furthermore they also received disability and child grants. The greatest of all of God’s work, was that they received Jesus into their lives. Because they had never been married, they desired to have a proper marriage, but there was no one who could help them achieve that.

Ethembeni made that possible for them, and they offered praises and thanks to God. The work of God is amazing. God is good. When I reflect  on His power at work in this family, I never cease to praise Him.