Reaching out to the Poorest of the Poor - p.3

South Africa

Volunteer with HIV-infected infant

A new study released by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) estimates that 4.8 million people, or approximately 10.8 percent of South Africans over the age of 2, are now living with HIV/AIDS. This makes the nation the hardest hit by the disease. ThembaCare Centre looks after children diagnosed as terminally ill and beyond effective medical treatment. This frees up space in already crowded hospitals and eases the burden on nursing staff.

Eric Soon, Executive Pastor of Trinity Church Dallas, recently led a team to the Thembalitsha Foundation on a two week trip. The group of eleven included two nurses. They spent two days caring for the HIV-infected infants. “It was a moving experience for all of us,” Eric describes, “We visited the various (Thembalitsha) facilities and caught a vision of how a Christian organization can impact a city and a nation.”

Zinny when she first arrived at ThembaCare

A Life Transformed

One life that has been impacted is Zinny’s. “She arrived at ThembaCare and we were told she had 24 hours to live. Today, she is alive and has been adopted by Chris and Vicky Hinrichsen (Chris is the Managing Director of Thembalitsha). Seeing her little life transformed has been inspiring and nothing short of a miracle,” recounts Frank.

Zinny at two years of age

Zinny’s story is one that is remarkable in a nation where despair seems to be the norm. Not only has HIV/AIDS been a looming specter but the 46-year apartheid wound has left deep scars in the nation with many still homeless. “Along with this disruptive system of human abuse, many of these people and their families were denied access to quality education,” Frank explains. “Although there has been a move by the current government to deliver housing to (these) many displaced citizens, many still live in abject poverty. It is the responsibility of the Church to ensure that restitution and development takes place in this nation. Life is tough for these folk and the challenges of life are harsh.”

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