love where there is fear

hope where there is despair

healing where there is hurt and sickness

                                                             1. EDUCATION FOR LIFE
An awareness program for youth (and adults) to help and support them in a commitment to sexual abstinence until they have achieved a stable relationship. A complete manual for the programme is available.

Ivory Park Parish reports that seven young people and one adult have been trained as facilitators. 125 youth have attended the 3 day workshop. Nearly 100 adults have attended the 1 day workshop. More workshops are planned in the near future in this parish.

                                                    2. SEXUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
An awareness and education program about relationship and sexuality in personal life, for children from 10 to 14 years. The purpose is to make them aware of their sexuality as a call to real relationship. The whole program takes 5 months of weekly meetings, and a 3-days workshop.

The program is being developed at the Ivory Park Parish, with the help of existing training programs from the Free-State, Zimbabwe, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Facilitators are being trained at parish level. Nearly 80 children started with the program in June. Guidelines are being developed.

                                                             3. GARDENING PROJECT
* To help unemployed people in growing vegetables and earn an income and diminish their poverty
* To produce vegetables with and for HIV positive people to increase the nutritional quality of their     food

One plot (150m by 85m) is already available. A second plot has been promised. Two groups of volunteers have started organising themselves.

                                                        4. PHILANI SUPPORT GROUP
Be a support-group for HIV positive people by:-

* Organising education on primary health-care for HIV positive people
* Organising pre- and post HIV test counseling
* Organising and co-operating home-based care for AIDS-patients
* Provide and organise support for Aids-orphans
* Organise ongoing training of the members, and others, in order to fulfil the different objectives of the    organisation
* Participate in the disclosure about Aids
* Participate in the change of lifestyle necessary to curb the spread of the virus
* Work together with organisations having similar objectives

Constitutions are available.

                                                        5. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Specifically to train local women to run crèches.

                                                                   6. YOUTH ALIVE
A programme is available.

The above organisations are staffed by volunteers from the local communities and were trained by Dr Miriam Duggan. These volunteers are not paid for their services.

The organisers try to raise funds to pay for transport costs to and from workshops and for food while at the workshops.

A 3-day workshop at the Ivory Park parish centre costs a R100 per attendant. Each attendant is expected to pay R20 to 25 towards the workshop.

To run a 5-day workshop for the training of facilitators at the Ivory Park Parish Centre costs R300 per attendant and a further R5000.00 as a basic cost. A workshop attendance amounts to 40 to 45 attendees.

The parishes select those who can attend but are not in a position to make a financial contribution.

Responsible person at Ivory Park Parish Centre: Fr. Herman van Dijck MSC Trained volunteers: Gertrude Maimela, Khomotso Maimela, Collin Maluleke, Sizakele Zulu, Zandile Zulu, Nthabiseng Mashinini, Richard Lepodi

                                                               7. CHURCH BUILDING