Sinakekele Children
RAISING THE FUTURE
by Ruth Grobler - Founding Director of Sinakelele Children
Sinakekele Children is a ministry concerned with raising South Africa 's abandoned and orphaned babies. We are more than just a transition home - babies who cannot be placed into families, stay with us and become part of our growing family. We are a family, even if an unusual one, rather than a children's home, and we pride ourselves on offering homeless children an option other than a conventional institution.
We have noticed along the way some responses that include strange ?“sideways glances?” and a few rude comments, but these remarks are drowned out by the amazing support and encouragement we receive from many people. I think most of us realise that t he colour of our skin is of no significance ?– we all cry salty tears. We all have the same basic need and right to be loved and accepted.
Cross-cultural families are becoming more common now, and although these structures are not always ideal, they offer children more hope and connection than would an institution, where caregivers come and go. My personal opinion is that desperate times call for desperate measures, and right now, our future generation is in desperate need; we need to do all we can to give them the best we can.
That's the vision of Sinakekele Children: we affirm the sanctity and dignity of children by helping to give orphans and abandoned babies a safe and loving environment, to uphold and promote children's rights, and ensure their spiritual, physical, psychological and moral wellbeing.
In providing sanctuary for babies affected by HIV/AIDS, we offer short-term respite care in cases where a mother is urgently hospitalised as a result of AIDS-related or other illnesses. We provide interim care for abandoned babies while ?“forever families?” are found, and permanent care for those who have not been so placed by the age of three.?We also run?support groups for adoptive families in the community, while encouraging and creating opportunities for the community to participate in the nurturing of our babies so that the children can become confident and productive members of society.
There are four children in our family at the moment:
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Siya, our four-year-old ?“Rocket Scientist?”, is HIV-positive, and has experienced numerous side-effects from his ARV therapy, but has beaten the odds on more than one occasion. He has a remarkable zest for life and never leaves a question unasked or anything untouched.
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Simon, who is almost four years old, has global hypotonia, which affects his gross muscle development. He is a gentle child, and shows a remarkable musical talent. He loves to play on his drum set or his keyboard, and has an amazing attention span for a child of his age.
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Mary is just two-years-old. If the person who found her hadn't told me he cut the umbilical cord himself, I still wouldn't believe that they had given her an accurately estimated birth-date. She has always been advanced with her developmental milestones, and is a very bright little girl. Mary is also very caring and we call her our ?“psychologist?”.
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Jake is also two years old. He is HIV-positive, but has been doing really well on ARV treatment. He is a little shy around people he does not know, but he is a real little clown who loves to laugh, and loves to make others laugh.
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All our little ones are very special! Sadly, we cannot accommodate any more children due to lack of space, and newcomers can only be hosted once we have moved to larger premises. Our vision for the future encompasses far more than the transition home. Our new premises will become the foundation of a multifaceted ministry, which will include:
"? Pre-school facilities
"? Outreach to child-headed households
"? Hospice care for terminally ill mothers (also facilitating the finding of suitable families for their children)
"? Youth camp/ youth ministry (which will include HIV/AIDS awareness programmes and short-term missionary outreach activities)
We do not have any specific donors funding our work at present, and everything we have accomplished and achieved thus far has been through the generosity of God's people. God has indeed been a great provider, and we have never been left wanting. This multi-faceted ministry will certainly not be achieved by one person, or even by a small group of people. To realise this vision, many different people and organisations will need to become involved and funds will need to be sought from many quarters.
We aim to use a modular approach in order to achieve our goals. Phase One involves raising the necessary funding to purchase the smallholding we have identified. We are planning a trip abroad in November 2005, where we will be sharing our vision at a number of speaking engagements. Once the property has been secured, each module of the vision will be approached independently. The different modules can thus be achieved as and when funding for each project becomes available.
All modules are incorporated into a single funding proposal with an overview, and a chapter per project, enabling interested funders to explore the vision, or target and evaluate a specific project of interest.
It is an exciting time for Sinakekele right now, as we trust that we will be granted the finances to purchase the property we have identified, so that we can move forward with raising our future generation. In making a difference in the lives of today's children, we create a positive impact on the next generation.
If you would like to know more about Sinakekele, please visit our website: http://www.sinakekele.org.za or email us on [email protected]
Ruth Grobler
Sinakekele Children
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