AID MISSION
Andrea O’Neill
With HIV and AIDS now a pandemic in South Africa, a team of church volunteers from East Kilbride have embarked on a humanitarian mission to help orphans affected by the disease.
Claremont Parish Church have been fundraising since the beginning of the year to send eight people on the pilgrimage to an orphanage in Marburg in the KwaZuluNatal province.
And, after their morning service on Sunday, the volunteers were given a warm send off as they set off on their journey of hope.
Rehoboth Children’s Village is home to around 80 orphans aged up to 18, all of whom are infected with HIV or AIDS.
Volunteers from the St Leonards church – Stephanie Cathcart, Scott Buchan, Ian Harrow, Gordon Palmer, Helen Cuthbertson, Zach Stich, Stephen Hay and Sally Palmer – will be assisting the orphanage with day-to-day activities, as well as building relationships and learning more about the AIDS crisis in Africa.
The team has been raising money since January through various local events, including a dinner and an auction.
And they took six suitcases filled with clothes, games, stationery and more for the children of Rehoboth.
The items were donated by members of the Claremont Parish congregation and from friends.
And, thanks to the overwhelming generosity of locals, the team also plan to hand over a sizeable donation to help with the continuing progress of Rehoboth Village.
The church’s children and young families’ worker, Zach Stich, told the News: “A team of eight left on Sunday and will be at Rehoboth for over a week.
“The team will run a holiday club for the children in the village, do some gardening and painting, run games evenings, lead the Sunday service and whatever else can be fitted in.”
Rehoboth Children’s Village is home to