Positive Ray Emmanuel
On the 30 of October 2010, Positive Ray launched its second satellite program with a sugar cane farming community. Emmanuel Evangelical Church, situated in Sezela on the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal, celebrated their 90th birthday on that day and launched Positive Ray Emmanuel. The outreach is managed by Treio Pillay.
Over the years Emmanuel Church has been ministering mainly to Indians and Africans who work for the Sugar Mill. The HIV pandemic has taken its toll on the poor and marginalised and many of the sugar cane farm workers and their families have been infected or affected by the pandemic. Emmanuel Church, moved by the plight of the disease and the negative impact it is having on surrounding communities, embraced the challenge to help its neighbours in the nearby Malengeni Community.
fun during lessons
Every Sunday church members come and present a worship service, play with the children, and everyone there receives a hot lunch. Sometimes clothes were donated which can now be passed on. The community enjoys their visits very much. People from other areas have asked if they could also have a Sunday Service.
Rebecca, a church member and key person in the Malengeni community, runs a creche from home, looking after 50 children day by day. Two ladies from the community help her. This allows Rebecca to visit the community during the lunch break, whilst the children are sleeping. Rebecca goes door to door and teaches about HIV and AIDS. She encourages individuals to undergo testing, and she cares for the sick. Rebecca in turn is cared for by her church community. The creche was recently painted and they provide food which is always a need. Other individuals also assist the creche from time to time.
newly painted creche
Rebecca uses her own initiative very much. Recently the Department of Health brought a mobile clinic for Voluntary Counseling and Testing. Furthermore they chose Rebecca to participate in a 3 day workshop to learn about PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission).
Rebecca and the children
LATEST NEWS - March 2012
People living in this township have many challenges eg unemployment is high; drug and alcohol abuse and high prevalence of HIV/Aids. Emmanuel church has a vibrant outreach work reaching children and adults. Average attendance on a Sunday afternoon 25 adults and 80 to 100 children. They also have a feeding, clothing and crèche ministry to about 50 children on a daily basis.
HIV and AIDS FOCUS: Rebecca is our key person who oversees this ministry. In spite of her many responsibilities especially caring for the children at the crèche she visits the sick in the community and provides home base care to those who are very sick. On a Sunday afternoon, volunteers from Emmanuel Church do education and awareness and motivate people to know their status through testing. Occasionally, Rebecca accompanies clients to the clinic or hospital for treatment, medication or for VCT. During the past 6 months she visited about 50 homes talking to people about Aids and promoting VCT; assisted 8 people with HBC.
CHALLENGES:
- Numbers are increasing in the crèche – need for more food items
- More volunteers
- Financial assistance for Rebecca
PRAISE:
We praise God for the children who are learning His Word. Our Christmas play accompanied by song and dance was a success.
