The Church is pleased to support the work of the Esperado Childrens Haven in South Africa.  In August 2008, a party of young people and adults from the Church visited Esperado to help with building projects.  Here is a little background to the Haven.

In January 1995, Sophia Jardim was searching for a way to put something back into her community. She lived the life of a proper Afrikaans householder, raising her three children, working in a small South African town (Barberton) and doing charity work within her local community.
Sophia decided to inquire at her nearby hospital to see if any help was needed with those children whose parents were either sick or busy working. At the time, Sophia had no idea that so many sick, abused or simply homeless children had in fact been left in the hospital indefinitely, abandoned through mistreatment or death. A social worker told Sophia about one particular little boy who was staying at Barberton Hospital, whose parents had died from Aids. He had been born on the 5th of December 1994 and had been brought to the hospital at the age of three months old. He was now thirteen months old and his name was Nkosingiphile: "Gift from God".
On the 5th of April 1995, Sophia decided that if she could, she would take this child away From the hospital and take him into her own home. She had been visiting Nkosingiphile (Phile) for four months now and it was on this day, the 5th of April 1995, that for the first time Phile had cried when Sophia had left him after a visit. Sophia got permission to take Phile into her home, and she did it with a heavy but happy heart. For she had known the pain of not belonging; Sophia had also lost her mother as a baby.
Having been told by the doctors that Phile was only expected to live for another six months, Sophia knew that she had to give this child all that she could. From this day onwards, Phile finally knew what it was to have a home and to be truly loved. Love and devotion was shown to this small child by Sophia and her family and somehow this seemed to make Phile want to live again, for he now laughed and smiled and began to take in the World around him. Furthermore, little did Phile know that he was such an inspiration to the Jardim family that their doors would now be open for many more children to come. Phile did defy the doctor's expectations of only six months to live and he eventually passed away from Aids two years later on the 6th of April 1997. Sophia Jardim and her home were now an official "Safe Haven" and foster care home.
 
Recently the Haven has suffered from less financial help and food handouts due to the recession. And they are waiting on back payments from their Government Social services department. Their electricity was cut off and due to the candles being used a fire started. Luckily nobody was hurt. They have had robberies and Sophia was held at knifepoint but managed to fight them off. The local community is finding times hard too yet Sophia will not turn anyone in need away. These are just some of their daily struggles over the last 12 months.
Our first area of help was to buy the haven equipment to store water. We also painted all the external walls of the Haven when we visited in August 2008 as well as buying and planting fruit trees, which are used for food, are sold and also used to feed the pigs. We also paid for their windows to be fixed and bought blankets. We have recently helped with the electricity bills and are now looking for ways to reduce these and make the haven more self-sufficient.
Sophia is a truly kind hearted and inspirational woman and we are committed and pleased to support her and her extended family.
 
More information about Esperado can be found at http://esperadochildrenshaven.yolasite.com/