Nonhlanhla Nkomo - RIP lady of faith written by Grant Edkins

Dear Friends of Ethembeni

Death is a daily part of life at Ethembeni, yet sometimes we are so surprised by who God takes to be with Him. Nonhlanhla Nkomo was one of these surprises - she passed away on 18th June 2011 after contracting flu! Within one week, this strong community leader who was inspiring others affected by HIV to start their own vegetable gardens, had passed away. Nonhlanhla died at age 41 - yet her legacy was left in all of us i.e. her passion for serving others in need. I'd come to know Nonhlanhla in January 2010 when we visited her as a patient of Ethembeni's Family support program. Her warm smile and hunger for God's word endeared her to us. She was the first volunteer to be recruited to join our home based care teams expansion into KwaHaza in July 2010 - and God used her testimony of faith and perseverance to encourage many living with HIV to trust Jesus with all their fears and hopes! Her funeral was a sad yet wonderful celebration of a life full of hardship yet she keep giving back to her community! Nonhlanhla - hamba kahle mhlobo wam. Sizobonana - we will see each other again.