A great partnership

When I first arrived in Cape Town to work with women who live with HIV and AIDS, one of the first Christian business people I met were Ann and Bill Eames. They employed women who lived with the HIV virus, taught them jewellery making and put them to work to make fine but inexpensive, beautiful items that are sold all around the world. They were the first to accept the hand made bags of Evangeline students and have worked so well with me to give other women income. Now we are trying to rebuild the bags business but in the meantime Ann employed Noncedo about whom I wrote earlier to make the bags and even more, she has agreed to put the Evangeline tags on all the bags. I was so happy to see this and here is Veliswa who helps to manage the store holding up the bags with the Evangeline tag. As we work here to help women, what matters is not so much what we each do, although every part is important, but how we support each other and in Ann and Bill, I have that and I am so thankful.

I Just Want to say Thank You

Last December Matolwandile seen here in the brown and white graduation clothes he made, finished as one of two men who graduated from our Evangeline class in 2010. He was an outstanding student and I was so moved when I heard his story which I have shared in a previous blog here. Today he came to class. He was on the computer when I saw him and then he moved on to Rachel to sign up for her advanced cutting class. We beamed at each other and then he asked if I received the thank you he sent me for Christmas. I did not and asked him to send it again. This is what he wrote. "To Wendy Ryan Have a wonderful happy and prosperous New Year. I am so proud of you. You've changed my life from misery to the most wonderful, happy bright future. From your proud computer and sewing student, Matolwandile.

Soon after I returned to South Africa, Tamara contacted me. She is a July 2010 graduate who received her certificate from Alberta Mayberry US Consul General here. Over the Christmas holiday a fire had raged through Masiphumelele. She woke from sleep to find the fire so near her bed and she escaped but everything was lost and that included her sewing machine.

She asked me for some shoes and I found some for her and then, a precious donor offered to replace her sewing machine. She wrote me: "You have healed some other wounds in my heart and the power you have is from Jesus. Please keep on praying. The blessings are gonna come straight to you. Thank you very much, Tamara. And I thank you Lord for the honor of being here with special people like Tamara and Matolwandile or Chris as I call him.

New Beginnings

Here we are at the start of a new class and yes the women just love their brand new experiences with the computer. And yes, there I am, in what is for me, something new for the class. I now teach them basic English and writing and we are having a great time. I did not remember how many things you could say about the verb to be that teach proper grammar but also life's lessons. As I prepare for classes, I now fix lunch, teach Bible studies and English, a fukk load but I so enjoy it.

Speaking about Bible studies, I have also been asked to teach a women's Bible Study for homeless women and you will hear more about that when it begins. There is something about a still new year that encourages opportunities. Soon Rachel will begin a sewing class for women who do not qualify for ours but want to learn for a small fee. This will be called Rachel's class and they will use our sewing equipment so this too will be an extension of our reach in the community. Already Mandiswa, our computer teacher has her extra class of women. I have just been approached about another refugee who has a computer degree and he wants to teach others, even though he now works as a security guard until he can find better opportunities.
All of this excites me and I describe it as the Evangeline ripple effect and the empowering of local leaders in our community. I sense there is more to come and am praying about new economic opportunities for our graduates and above all, that they will know how wide and deep is God's love for them.

Here we go again

The start of a new class is something I never get tired of and today, a glorious, hot and alternately windy day, was no exception. I am not sure who was happier,them or me, as I hope our picture shows. Each class is composed of a different set of people, and this one has some seniors who are rethinking their decision about computer lessons. They now want to try at least and I love that already they want to try new things, even at their age. I love the sense of hope the women bring to us. They need that hope. In the paper today there was a report that showed unemployment levels among young people unacceptably high. My eye caught the results of a study that show nearly14 million social grant beneficiaries in South Africa during the 2009/10 financial years. Of those ,nine million child support grant beneficiaries made up the biggest share. The old age grant was the second highest with more than two million getting help. Our class has some of both and the seniors wanted to learn to sew because many of them have to care for grandchildren who have either lost mothers or whose mothers have no work.
As I read this article I thought of the uphill climb our students face. With the rate of joblessness around them they have almost no market and need us to provide a market. I was so pleased to see another report in our town paper that the City of Cape Town will meet to discuss how to provide ways for people in Masiphumelele to learn new skills, and showcase some of the excellent things they do and also plan other improvements that will give the more than 30,000 residents new pride of place in their surroundings. I am so happy to be here, part of this.