Support Early Child Development in Southern Africa

From 1980-1984, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, a small country in Southern Africa.  This was shortly before the AIDS pandemic impacted the region.  I was a school teacher at Holy Names High School, near the town of Bela Bela, teaching building construction and general science. 

In 2015, and again in 2017, I visited South Africa and was happy to see many improvements in social life that came with the end of apartheid.  I was also saddened at the enormous, and tragic destruction due to AIDS  -- an entire generation has truly been decimated.  Lesotho has the second highest HIV prevalence rate in the world, with 25% of adults being HIV-positive. In South Africa the rate is a bit smaller, but still severe. 

In 2003 the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR , which truly deserves accolades, brought much needed help to the region. Pregnant mothers were treated with antiviral medication, which prevented the virus from passing to the unborn child.  Many children have been left orphaned due to the impact of HIV/AIDS; 2.2 million children in South Africa have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Most of them live with a grandparent or in creche. These children are more likely to live in poverty than their non-impacted peers. 

During my travels,  I had the good fortune of finding my old friend, and former student, Seth Kobo, founder of Hope For Nations Gospel Outreach in Johannesburg.  Seth runs a ministry that supports creches ; providing food, books, tuition, clothing and more to children in need.  A creche is a childcare facility that works as both an orphanage (for kids with no family), and a daycare (for kids whose family works during the day). Children attending receive food, attention, early education, and a safe environment to grow and play. Creches are usually run by grandmothers who caring for their grandchildren and those of their neighbors.

After visiting many of these organizations with Seth and his family,  I have become passionate about helping him and helping  the children.  He is, the trusted, "man on the ground" that works every day, to build the support network and deliver much-needed supplies directly to the creche.  

He has very little overhead, there are no salaries, or corporations --  "taking a cut."  

From Pastor Kobo’s October News Letter :

"Our Wednesday food distribution is ongoing; Happy Kids crèche has been our beneficiary for the last three years now. The food we deliver is the least we can do at the moment, trusting God to bring other people on board to assist in making a difference in the lives of these little ones. R750 weekly is what is needed for collection and delivery. …."


So I did the math: R750 per week  x 52 weeks = R39,000  per year
Given the 0.0729 exchange rate = $2818.92 (USD) per year 

$2818.92 is the amount in US Dollars to fund the food supplement operation for 1 crèche ( Happy Kids ) for 1 year.  I thought, that is a good place to start for a fundraising goal.
ABOVE Pastor Seth Kobo (left Tractor Supply T) is here at a site in Lesotho near where Hope For Nations plans to build a retreat. Next to Seth is my very good friend Sonny Boy, In the Grateful Dead T who was the one and only bus driver that commented Bela-Bela, The village where I lived in the Peace Corps to the outside world. Whenever My work at the mission would require me to go to South Africa for the school needs Sonny Boy would hold a seat for me and never leave me stranded. Sonny Boy is now in the cut stone business,very near the site. Plans for the retreat are nearly finalized and land has been obtained.  Hope For Nations Africa will be in need of funds to purchase materials only. Labor will be provided by volunteers. The site will be a multi use facility and act as headquarters for support operations in Lesotho and nearby area of South Africa.  This Perhaps someone would be able to purchase these materials for Pastor Seth to build this faculty,  maybe we could talk Seth and his staff to let that person have naming privileges for this new HFN base.  

My request is a donation, no matter how big or small - to help these beautiful children have a better life at home.  Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Please visit the following resources for more information:

Evangelist Seth Kobo  on facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seth.kobo 

HFNUSA on facebook:   https://www.m.facebook.com/hfnusa